Newcomerstown’s First Newspaper:
THE VISITOR
First Went to Press in 1871
Newcomerstown’s first newspaper was the Newcomerstown Visitor
which began circulating here June 7, 1871. Although it carried the name
Newcomerstown, it was at first a continuation of the Saturday Visitor which
was published at Coshocton.
The publishers of the first newspaper were Dr. A.M. Beers,
A.W. Johns and W.B. Beech. This paper later became the Ohio Independent.
In September of 1873, the Independent was purchased by
two men from Barnsville, Ohio, Dr. W.H. Dunham and J.A. Buchanan, who changed
the name of the paper to the Newcomerstown Argus.
But the destiny of the Argus was ill-starred because four
years later it was destroyed by fire, on November 20, 187.
For about two months Newcomerstown had no newspaper. Then
in January, 1878, the Newcomerstown Eye was established by W.V. Kent and
W. Ferguson of Cadiz. It later suspended publication and in March of 1882
was made into the Newcomerstown Index by A.C. Hursey. It was later acquired
by R.M. Temple, who operated it until 1889 when it was passed into the
hands of M.C. Julien. In about 1895 it was sold to Bowers and Hammond,
who operated the paper about a year. Then M.C. Julien and John T. Duff
purchased it jointly and continued until 1898 when M.C. Julien left the
firm.
In August of 1898, The Newcomerstown News began publication
under the management of Wilkie Rusk in the Ort building housing the A&P
store on Main Street. It was acquired by M.O. Julien in 1900. A year later
M.C. Julien, father of M.O. Julien joined the Newcomerstown News. It was
operated by M.C. Julien and Son for 18 years. In 1920, the News Printing
Company was incorporated by M.C. Julien, M.O. Julien and C.W. Phillips.
In 1928 the Newcomerstown Index was merged with the Newcomerstown
News and for several years it was published as the News-Index. After World
War II it became Newcomerstown News again.
M.O. Julien, News Printing Company president, died in
April of 1957. His son, M.K. Julien, succeeded him as president. |
