Chapter 34

Chapter 34
pages 187 - 193

NEWSPAPERS, ETC.

     The first newspaper published in Peoria was a weekly, called the Illinois Champion. Its first issue was on the 10th of March, 1834, by Abram S. Buxton and Henry Wolford. It commenced as a neutral sheet in politics; but its editor, Mr. Buxton, being a decided Whig, soon threw off his neutrality, and came out boldly in defense of the principles of his party. Mr. Buxton had been a partner of the celebrated George D. Prentice, in the publication of the Louisville Journal. Mr. Wolford was a practical printer, and Buxton a ready writer, as well as printer, and the paper was commenced under the most favorable auspices. But Mr. Wolford, for some reason not now recollected, returned to Louisville, in a short time, and has never been back to Peoria, to my recollection. Mr. Buxton fell a victim to that monster destroyer, the consumption. The press and types fell into the hands of Mr. James C. Armstrong and Jacob D. Shewalter, who employed Jerome L. Marsh to carry on the establishment.
     In the spring of 1837, Samuel H. Davis, who had published the Winchester Republican, in Virginia, and had also published some paper, not now remembered, in Wheeling, Virginia, came to Peoria, and commenced a paper called the Peoria Register and Northwestern Gazetteer, the first number of which was issued on the 7th of April, 1837. Mr. Davis, like Mr. Buxton, attempted to publish a neutral paper; but he, being a decided Whig in politics, as soon as a Democratic paper made its appearance in the place, came out a Whig, and as long as he continued to publish it that paper was a strong advocate of Whig principles.
     In 1842, the Messrs. Butler succeeded Mr. Davis, and, if I remember right, dropped the latter part of the name, and simply called the paper the Peoria Register. They published said paper about a year, and then it went into the hands of Thomas J. Pickett (the same who was some time colonel of a volunteer regiment, during the war of the Rebellion, and is now postmaster at Paducah, Ky.) Mr. Pickett published said paper until the 26th day of January, 1850. Previous to this date he took into partnership Mr. H. K. W. Davis, a son of Samuel H. Davis, who had formerly published the paper, and they had just commenced, in addition to the Weekly Register, a daily called the Champion. They occupied the second story of a brick building on Main street, between Washington and Water streets, that had been built and occupied by Mr. S. H. Davis, on an alley which Mr. Davis named Printers' Alley. The foundation was of sandstone, badly built. The inside of the cellar-wall was well enough built, but the side next the alley was filled up with spawls of stone, with little or no mortar; and, to make it worse, the brick wall, above ground, in stead of being placed over the better part of the stone wall, was placed over the worse part, and the brick was even extended beyond this. The joists were placed crosswise parallel with Main street, and would, under ordinary circumstances, have held the building together; but the printers had weighted down the weaker side of the house, with a heavy cast-iron printing-press. The first story of the front of the building was what is called an open front. In stead of iron columns or pilasters, as is now the fashion, square timbers were used, which were framed to a plate, on which the wall stood. This wall, the weight of which was sufficient to hold the first story firm, while perpendicular, would naturally hasten its fall as soon as it was sprung out of a perpendicular position. The first story and cellar had been occupied by William A. Herron, as a drug store. He also dealt in paints, oils, varnish, etc. At the above date he had removed the most of his goods to a new store he had just built, at the corner of Main and Washington streets. It is said he had left in the cellar much straw and other combustible rubbish, used in packing up goods, and also some kind of exceedingly combustible liquid. The second story was used by the printers, and the back part of the building and the third story were occupied by a Mr. Decker as a sort of temperance tavern or boarding-house. A light was seen to glare up in the cellar, and almost instantly an explosion was heard in the cellar, of such force as to drive out into Main street the front timber work. Almost instantly the front on the southeast or alley side came down into the alley. There was no one in the front building at the time (it being Saturday evening) except William Pickett, the clerk of the establishment and brother of the proprietor, Colonel T. J. Pickett, and Mr. N. C. Nason, who was an employe of the office. Although this explosion and fall were the work of a moment, they gave time enough for these men to have made their escape by an outside stairway; but, after they had run down the stairway, Mr. Pickett said "I will save the books," and stepped back. He was not afterward seen alive, and Mr. Nason barely escaped being covered with the brick and rubbish of the falling house. I was on the ground immediately after the fall, and was shown a large pile of bricks, under which Mr. Pickett had been heard to groan. We attempted to remove them, but the burning paper and combustible part of the house soon drove us away. After the fire had been quenched by the engines, he was found to be dead.
     At the same time that we were digging for Mr. Pickett, it was said that, at the moment of the explosion, Mr. James Kirkpatrick, who published a paper, called the Peoria American, on the other side of the square, attempted to run through the alley, and was supposed to be buried some where beneath the rubbish. After the fire had abated, this was found to be true. At the first sound of the fire, Mr. Bearce, a son-in-law of Mr. Decker, who was in the second story of the back building, ran into the main building to see what was the matter, or perhaps to warn the printers of their danger, and had just time to save himself, by jumping from a floor that was falling upon one that did not fall. The back building did not fall, nor become entirely destroyed by the fire, though both it and the furniture were much damaged. On the next day (Sunday) a great crowd attended the burial of Mr. Pickett and Mr. Kirkpatrick.
     On the 20th of February, 1840, John S. Zeiber, who had published the People's Press, in the town of Princess Ann, Somerset County, Md., commenced the publication of the Democratic Press, which he continued to publish until about the 1st of June, 1846. His establishment was then purchased by Thomas Phillips, who had formerly published a paper at Pittsburg, called the American Manufacturer. After Mr. Phillips had published said paper about three years, he sold out to Washington Cockle. This paper was continued by Mr. Washington Cockle until the fall of 1851, when he sold the establishment to Mr. Enoch P. Sloan, who conducted it until the fall of 1856, when he sold it to Mr. Cornwell, who published the paper a while, and then sold out to Mr. G. W. Raney, who had previously commenced a competing paper called the Peoria Daily News. Mr. Raney, some time in the winter of 1857-'8, had the good fortune or misfortune, I know not which, of getting this whole establishment burnt. For the last two years that Mr. Sloan published that paper, he published it weekly, tri-weekly, and daily.
     The first daily paper attempted in Peoria was by Messrs. Pickett & Woodcock, on the 28th of June, 1848. The paper was, however, not sustained, and only continued to be published about three months.
     Other efforts were made, from time to time, to establish papers in the English language, by Messrs. T. J. Pickett, H. K. W. Davis, D. D. Irons, G. W. Raney, and others, the history of which I can not state from recollection, and none of them have furnished me with the data to give it. It is worthy of record that, though in early times we had no German papers, yet for a number of years we have had two, all the time — one in the interest of each political party.
     At present the following political papers are published in this city:
1st, The Peoria Transcript, published daily, tri-weekly, and weekly, by the Transcript Company.
2d, The Peoria Democrat, published daily, tri-weekly, and weekly, by W. T. Dowdall.
3d, The Peoria Review, just started by a joint-stock company, and published daily, tri-weekly, and weekly. This company has a capital stock of $10,000.
4th, The Peoria Deutsche Zeitung, published by Mr. Fresenius.
5th, The Peoria Deutsche Demokrat, published by Bernard Cremer.
     In addition to all these, Mr. N. C. Nason publishes the Illinois Teacher, a monthly octavo pamphlet, devoted to the cause of education. I have before me No. 1 of Volume XVI, this being the sixteenth year of its existence.
     He also publishes The Memento, a small quarto, published monthly, and devoted to the cause of Odd-Fellowship. This was commenced in 1854, but it was suspended during the war.
     Two of the above offices, to wit, the Transcript and Democrat, are prepared to do, on an extensive scale, all kinds of job printing, and book-binding. Besides these, we have three job offices, at which books, pamphlets and bills are printed, by Mr. Nason, Mr. Hill, and Mr. Foster, but from which no newspapers are issued. We have, also, two other regular book-binderies here, belonging to Mr. Foster and Mr. Roberts, besides those connected with the Transcript and the Democrat offices.
     The paper to supply these establishments, until recently, has all been brought from abroad; our city, till recently, not being able to supply herself with any part of that necessary article. We now, however, have a paper-mill which supplies a large amount of wrapping paper and some printing paper.

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