Plainly, the Tuscola Journal story is many stories. But, in recording the various phases of the newspaper’s first 100 years of existence, the consideration of the guiding hands of the enterprise must take first precedence.
The Journal first saw the light of day (or perhaps literally, the light of a dim coal oil lamp) on a cold night late in February 1864. It was printed in a frame building that stood at the corner of Washington Street and South Central Avenue, and it was the work of the hands of E. C. Siler and Amasa S. Lindsay.
Mr. Siler must have been the more versatile of the two, as he had previously been in the grocery business and was county surveyor and real estate broker. He also had been a partner of Henry C. Niles in a drugstore.
History has recorded little about Mr. Lindsay. However, he must have been active in politics, as he first nominated Joseph G. Cannon for public office at a convention held in 1862 in Tolono. This was, for state’s attorney. Later “Uncle Joe” served for 50 years in the U.S. Congress and was the speaker for two terms.
At one time, Mr. Lindsay must have withdrawn from the firm, because in 1866, the publisher of the Journal was listed as E.C. Siler and Company.
No doubt he returned shortly, as on February 24, 1877, there was a publishing change from Lindsay and Chapman, to just Chapman.
Mr. Chapman sold out to John Thomas, (J.T.) Williams, on June 7, 1879. Mr. Williams was the father of the late Miss Elsie Williams, who was Tuscola’s librarian for over 30 years. He died at the age of 33 on July 4, 1881. Harry Johnson, who was working in the shop, conducted the paper until the end of that year. Reports have it that he was a man of ability but with an equal measure of fault.
G.M. and E.S. Glassco bought the paper in 1882 and ran it until 1892, when the latter withdrew and W.E. Bond of Charleston became a partner. This firm held forth until 1896, when Samuel Reat and Henry R. Caraway became editors and publishers. Mr. Reat had a long career on the Journal staff. He had been associated with Glassco and Bond and his service was continued for some 15 years.
MR. Caraway has spent six years in college and held the degree of Ph.D.
A.C. Sluss became publisher in 1898. He was a harness maker, who became postmaster and served two terms in this office. Mr. Reat again became publisher in 1900. At that time, the Journal absorbed the Tuscola Republican, which had been founded in 1884 by Dick and Charles M. Chapman. For five years, the paper was known as the Journal-Republican.
During the early years of the century, Mr. Reat was assisted at various times by Judge William H. Bassett, Charles Truitt and Rev. William McFadden. No doubt, the Journal enjoyed some of its best years while Mr. Reat was at the helm.
F.C. Bullington bought a controlling interest in the paper in 1911, and he was assisted by Mr. Reat and Mr. McFadden. Myron E. Bigelow bought the publication in 1914 and operated it until 1920. Previously, he had farmed and had engaged in the hardware business.
S.S. DuHamel, a young attorney and former state’s attorney, owned the paper from 1920 until January 8, 1925, when he sold to J.H. Patton. The late Fred “Jack” Haney served as editor for Mr. DuHamel, who was the author of a book on Illinois School Law that was published in the Journal shop.
Mr. Patton sold out to the late John Howk, who took over May 12, 1927. Mr. Howk had been associated with the weekly papers at Neoga, Assumption and Momence. Mr. Howk was succeeded by Ernest C. Foster on December 1, 1936.
Mr. Foster then sold the paper to Robert B. Pickard on April 1, 1938. Mr. Pickard was succeeded by Philip S. White, effective December 1, 1947. Mr. White served the longest continuous term of any of the editors.
While each of the publishers may have had his own ways, which were reflected in the publication, from the political standpoint, the Journal has always been Republican. Some of the men were ardent drys, and others were unprofessed wets. Some had strong tendencies, while other were far less devout.
Some were practical printers, while other had talents of a more literary nature. However, all of them had a common bond in their dedication to get a paper out every week. And this they did, for 100 years.
*The Journal Format
The Journal began its existence as a paper five columns wide and 18 inches deep. It was printed on rag content paper until 1880, when the use of wood pulp in paper-making began. At the turn of the century, it was changed to six columns and the depth of the page was lengthened to 20 inches.
It remained this way until the middle 1920s, when a seventh column was added. In 1944, it reverted to the tabloid size of five columns, 15 inches. Because of this size, it was often referred to as the “little paper.” It became a seven-column paper in January 1951, and later in the year, it was expanded to eight columns, with a depth of 22 inches, and this is the format used today.
*The Locations
The Journal has been printed in many locations in downtown Tuscola. For its first 20 years, the printing facilities did not require anything spacious. While the publication required more than “a shirtful of type and a hand press,” the mechanical demands were modest.
After its debut in 1864 at Washington Street and South Central Avenue, it occupied various upstairs rooms. In 1868, it was located “upstairs, north side of Sale Street.” In 1872, it was located on the second floor of the Commercial Block, which stood on the site of the present Community Building. Four years later, it was to be found in the “Union Block, upstairs, east side of the hall.”
It was later printed on the second floor of the Arthur building, Sale and Parke Streets, and was moved to the second floor of the Gus Flesor buildings shortly before the death of J.T. Williams.
The Glassco Bros. moved the plant in 1882 to the Coleman and Bright brick building on the South Central Avenue, in the approximate present location of the McCumber building. The second floor was used as the Masonic hall. It remained there until November 1905, when it was moved to 116 West Sale St.
In 1920, S.S. DuHamel moved the concern to 123 W. Sale Street. Mr. DuHamel had his law office in the front of the building. John Howk moved the Journal to 130 W. North Central Avenue. This home was much enhanced in 1959, when the front office was completely remodeled and a new front installed.
*The Equipment
For the first 50 years of its existence, all the Journal type was set by hand. This meant that each letter had to be placed by hand and then returned to its case after the printing operation. During the 19th century, this work was done mostly by men, but with the turn of the century, women began to be employed at this task.
The first Linotype machine was installed in 1941. By its use, as much or more work would be accomplished in an hour as formerly could be done in a day. And after the type was used it need only be dumped into the melting pot.
The second Linotype, which was far more versatile, was purchased in 1927. For many years, the Journal was printed on a drum type press. Two pages were printed at a time and a sheet was printed each time the drum made its slow revolution.
The subsequent press, purchased in 1930, was a Miehle No. 1 two-revolution. Running at a much higher speed, it printed the sheet on one revolution and then delivered it on the second. It printed four pages at a time.
Additions to the Journal equipment in the 1960s included complete darkroom and photographic equipment, a photo-engraving plant, a proof press, complete casting equipment, an automatic offset press, power paper cutter, heavy duty saw, and a Ludlow typographic machine. The latter machine cast larger sizes of type, which meant none of the newspaper type had to be set by hand.
