A BRIEF HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY NEWSPAPERS
This information was compiled from available sources and we would appreciate any corrections or additions.
ANAMOSA NEWS
The first newspaper in Jones county was the Anamosa News published in February, 1852, William Haddock, editor. The editorship was taken over by Mr. Brooks in 1855, and the name changed to Anamosa Bulletin. In 1856, Joseph Mann and Ralph Sawyer became editors and again changed the name. This time to Anamosa Gazette. In 1858, Mr. Hayes took charge, conducting it until October of that year, when it collapsed. The newspaper was revived in 1861, but survived only three months. The Gazette is listed in the 1860 Iowa State Almanac and Statistical Register, transcribed for Iowa Old Press by Sharyl Ferrall, as a Democrat paper with Hayes as editor.
ANAMOSA EUREKA
The Anamosa Eureka was established by C. L. D. Crockwell and John E. Lovejoy, in August, 1856. The following year Crockwell and Matt Parrott were the editors; April, 1858, Edmund Booth, one of Jones County's most notable citizens, and Parrott; December 11, 1862, Edmund Booth became sole editor, but was shortly was joined by his son, Thomas, editing and operating the paper until his retirement in 1895.
A highly respected newspaperman, Booth was instrumental in inducing the Iowa legislature to provide for sending deaf children to the Illinois School for the Deaf, and later, to establish the Iowa State School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs. In 1880, he helped to found the National Association of the Deaf, at a meeting in Cincinnati of representative deaf persons from all over the United States. Also in 1880, Booth received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the National Deaf-Mute College (now Gallaudet College) in Washington, D.C., in recognition of his attainments as a scholar and journalist. Edmund W. Booth died March 29, 1905 in Anamosa, Iowa.
Matt Parrott deserves additional mention. In 1869, he went to Waterloo and, in company with J. J. Smart, purchased the Waterloo Reporter and printing establishment. Mr. Parrott, with his sons, converted the Reporter into a daily paper became the sole owners. In 1879, he secured the office of State Binder which he held for three terms. He was elected to the State Senate in 1885, and served two terms. In 1895, he was elected Lieutenant-Governor and reelected in 1897. He was twice a candidate before Republican State Conventions for Governor but was defeated. He was at one time President of the State Press Association, and was a life-long Republican.
Gardner & Bye were the editors in 1911. The paper was designated Republican in the Iowa Official Register.
ANAMOSA JOURNAL
The Anamosa Journal was established in 1872 by C. H. Monger. He continued as editor until sometime after 1893. In 1911, The Anamosa Journal was listed as a Democratic weekly issued on Thursdays. E. R. Moore editor.
The Eureka and the Journal were published separately until 1979, when they were merged. In 2004, the Anamosa Eureka-Journal won first place for weekly newspapers in its circulation class from the Iowa Newspaper Association.
ANAMOSA REFORMATORY PRESS
The Anamosa Reformatory Press is listed in the 1911 survey as a weekly with Felix H. Pickworth as Inst.
MONTICELLO EXPRESS
The Monticello Express was started by O. D. Crane, July 10, 1865. Over the next 10 years it was edited by James Davidson, Messrs. Scott & Howard, J. H. Scott, G. W. Hunt, and in 1875 was under the editorial management of John Blanchard. In 1893, J. W. Doxsee was editor. The newspaper is still published and you can visit their
website.
JONES COUNTY LIBERAL
According to A.T. Andreas Illustrated Atlas of the State of Iowa, "The Jones County Liberal was established by George W. Hunt, September 19, 1872, and is still flourishing." The paper was actually established in Montecello by Gilbert Watson Hunt, a young newspaperman from Maquoketa. Another source gives the date as 1871. Hunt was the husband of Harriet Earle Hunt, an Iowa newspaperwoman of some note.
The Hunts left the county in 1880. The paper was still being published in 1884, but was eventually combined with or renamed The Jones County Democrat.
MONTICELLO TIMES
The Monticello Times, L. T. Alexander, editor, was listed in the 1893 Jones County Plat Map book.
JONES COUNTY TIMES
The Jones County Times was a weekly Democrat paper edited by J. T. Lanigan and listed in the 1911 survey.
DIE FREIE PRESSE
The Die Freie Presse was a German language weekly newspaper of news and politics published in Monticello 1879-1880.
OLIN RECORDER
The Olin Recorder was established in 1880. In 1893, A. J. Burke is listed as editor of "The Record" in the Plat Map book. It is listed in the 1911 survey as republican with A. A. Cole as editor.
OLIN TIMES
The Olin Times was established by Messrs. Stickle & Arien, August 1874, and was discontinued by 1875 or 1876.
OXFORD MIRROR
The Oxford Mirror was published in Oxford Jct., IA from 1879 to 1953. From 1898-????, it contained an insert named Lost Nation Chronicle. In 1893, Charles A. Seaton was editor. It is listed in 1911, as democrat with Frank Kenney as editor.
WYOMING JOURNAL
The Wyoming Journal, started by A. L. Smith, April, 1871, was afterward edited by Reverend E. Skinner, and then by N. W. Woodford. Andreas lists it as "defunct" in 1875, but also lists it as "published under the editorship of P. D. Swigart." It is listed in the Government Printing Office survey of 1884, and in the State Printing Office survey of 191l, as Republican with D. A. White as editor.
WYOMING NEWS
The Wyoming News was established by Messrs. Hunt & Howard, November 19, 1873, and was discontinued by 1875.
