1844 - An Earlier Publication
PLYMOUTH - Take a look at the front page of today’s Pilot News - - you will find a line next to the date of the paper that says “Marshall County Indiana’s community news source since 1851” but did you know that there was an earlier publication of a newspaper in Plymouth? Well there was. It was called “The Plymouth Journal”. The Journal was published on Wednesday, Nov. 13 1844 - - seven years before the Pilot (1851) and only 68 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The publisher was H.J. Keeler. I knew that the Pilot was founded in 1851 and I had heard that there was an earlier publication but never research it. Just the other day that memory went through my mind so I thought I would go to the Marshall County Museum and see if they had a microfilm of that issue. And sure enough they did. There it was The Plymouth Journal Vol. I No. 1.
Now in those days the linotype machine hadn’t yet been invented so they had to set all the type by hand. The linotype was invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1865. What is a linotype machine? The linotype machine is a typesetting machine that creates lines of type through the use of molds and molten lead. The linotype revolutionized printing because it allowed for one person to both set the type (arrange the letters) and cast the line of type that would be inked, and did it much faster than setting the type by hand.
Sadly the paper was published just one year as it ceased publication in 1845. At least that was the only information that I could find on record. I don’t know why it was only published one year but, of course, that was j u u u u s t a wee bit before my time so I couldn’t ask Mr. Keeler about that. I started to read some of the stories in that paper and thought it would be fun to share with you some of what I thought were interesting parts of that first issue.
THE MASTHEAD
What’s a masthead, you ask? Some of you may not know what that means. Well let me put your mind at rest - - the masthead of a newspaper is a statement that should appear in every edition to give information about the publication. It should contain the name and address of the newspaper and its editor/publisher. It should also include names of all personnel assigned to newspaper production etc., rates for subscriptions and advertisements, frequency of publication, and a Second-class mailing imprint. It should also appear within the first five pages of the newspaper. It us usually printed on the editorial page.
Here are some interesting portions of that first publication:
TERMS - - Two dollars per year if paid within six months: two dollars and fifty cents if not paid till the expiration of the year. Produce taken as part payment.
ADVERTISEMENTS - -
Twelve lines or less, 3 insertions . . .1.00 Every additional insertion . . . . . . . . 25c
FRONT PAGE STORIES
Back in those days of yore they didn’t have BIG and flashy headlines. This particular issue’s headlines were all bold-faced capital letters in eight or ten point type. The style of the writing was so o o o much different than today’s. It was very formal. The first headline and story, which took up three and one-half columns of a five-column paper, was more of an introduction of the paper to the people. It read: TO THE PATRONS OF THE PLYMOUTH JOURNAL. The first two paragraphs stated in very formal language: “The long-lamented desideratum to the people of Marshall and her neighboring counties, I at length supplied. Permit us to congratulate you upon this last, though not least, accession to your wealth, your industry, virtue, intelligence and reputation of your county. May this Press ever faithfully reflect the virtue, intelligence, and spirit which so justly characterize the people of Kosciusko, Pulaski, Fulton and Marshall - - You have now in the very heart of your territory, the lever that moves a nation- that hurls the despot from his throne, and elevates oppressed humanity. - - “Knowledge is Power.” The Press is the great discriminator of that knowledge which is the means of power.” Whew! See what I mean?
The rest of the story tells some of the policies of the new newspaper and of course some political verbiage as there was a presidential election to be held and, as usual, the candidates were vying in the primary. The front runners for the presidential nominations in both parties were Martin Van Buren (Democrat) and President John Tyler. Both men feared that the annexation of Texas would split their parties. The two political professionals agreed to cloud the issue in the hope of keeping it off center stage. They expressed a willingness to support annexation if Mexico would agree there was absolutely no chance that would occur. President John Tyler, at that time, used this situation to advance his feeble hope for a second term. Lacking support from either party, he attempted to build support by backing the annexation of Texas.
THE 1844 ELECTIONS
One story in this newspa