Norton County News 
Newspapers of the County

The Norton County Advance was established June 6, 1878. M. W. Pettigrew was the editor and G. W. Collins was the publisher. (page 7)

"The Norton County People," a stalwart republican paper, was started in 1880 by Hugh T. Carlisle, which he published until 1882 when he bought out Joel H. Simmons who owned the Norton County Advance and consolidated the two papers under the firm name of Carlisle and McCredie. In 1883 they sold out to Joel H. Simmons and Prof. J. A. Little who changed the name to The Courier which is still being published. (page 10)

That Norton is able to maintain a daily paper, and has done so for years is an infallable [sic] index of the "push" of the city and the desire of the business men to boost for Norton and vicinity. For when all is said and done the success of a daily newspaper in a town the size of Norton is not so much an index of personal endeavor on the part of the makers of a paper as it is of the business energy of the men who make the community and are striving for its success. Each issue of the Telegram shows an advertising patronage which is very nearly a directory of the business interests of Norton. And if they make the paper and the advertising pay, it only shows that they are reaping the reward due their own efforts to advertise Norton and their own business. Telegram circulates in the trading districts and by means of carriers reaches its city readers each evening. D. G. Hamilton is the manager of the Telegram and E. F. Summers is its editor at this time, and he is a good one, too. The Telegram is Democratic in its politics.

The Norton Courier

The Norton Courier was established in 1878 by Mose Pettigrew and F. M. Duvall, and was published by Doddy and Becket until 1883 when Pettigrew sold out, McCrey and Joel Simmons bought an interest in it along with Duvall. I n 1885 Mr. Duvall bought out and took over the entire plant and has published it since that time.  In the fall of 1887 he built the fire-proof building in which it is now located, and also increased the size of the plant.  The Courier has always been Republican in its politics, Mr. Duvall being a staunch Republican.  The paper is published weekly, each Thursday and has a good circulation and is at the present time the official county paper.

Mr. Duvall was born in Pennsylvania in 1852 and moved with his parents to Chicago in 1877 where he attended the common schools and spent four years in study at the Chicago University.  He is a well educated man and has used his education to further the political party to which he belongs and build up his paper.  He came to Norton county in 1877 and the same year he was united in marriage with Miss Alice Newell and six children have been born to them.  He served as Representative of the county in the legislature of 1888.  Mr. Duvall started the first hardware store in the county, it running under the firm name of W. Henry & Co.  Duvall was the resident partner and manager. (page 66)

Norcatur’s Newspapers

Shortly after the town of Norcatur was founded, in the year 1885, the first newspaper made its appearance, a little sheet 8x12 and not very handsome in appearance.  The sheet was edited by the Nettleton Bros., carpenters, and was gotten out intermittently, the boys as a side issue, and given free distribution, not being entered in the regular mails.  The sheet was printed in a little board shack in the carpenter office, located right near where now stands the large Implement building of A. L. Hare.

In May 1886, less than a year after the railroad came to Norcatur, the first real newspaper of the town was launched by H. H. Hoskins, and was called the Register.  Under his able management the paper grew and was soon an established thing in the community.  It was well patronized by the new incoming business houses, and grew along with the town and country about.  Mr. Hoskins was ably assisted by his two sons, John and Albert, the latter now being connected with a large New York daily.

In 1887, Mr. Hoskins was married to Laura E. Phillips, who had just closed a term in the city schools, as teacher, and in latter years she assisted with the publication of the paper.  The first issue and several subsequent issues, were printed in the old bank building now situated north of the hotel.  Later it was issued from the rooms over the Worrall store building, and then was moved to the block that was destroyed by the fire in 1908. 

In 1898 the Register was sold to A. P. Coppedge, who moved it into his own building located on the west side near the postoffice.  Mr. Coppedge edited the paper until June 1908.

The second paper for the town was started October 24, 1902, was called the Norcatur News and was published by M. A. Daugherty, who is now in business in Enid, Oklahoma.  Mr. Daugherty was not accustomed to the newspaper work, and so in February 1904 he sold the plant to Mrs. L. E. Hoskins, whose husband had died several years before.  For four years the paper flourished under her management, being ably assisted by her daughter, Myrtle, but the big fire on April 13, 1908, which wiped out the entire brick block, consumed her entire plant.

For several issues the News was gotten out from the Register plant, and in June a deal was consumated [sic] in which the Register was taken over from editor Coppedge by Mrs. Hoskins, who continued its publication until the latter part of January 1909, when she sold to an Oberlin Syndicate headed by Lester M. Parker, editor of the Oberlin Times.  The Register was under the management of Mrs. Hoskins and her daughter for a few months after which it was directed by various imported printers, finally closing its doors and disposing of the type and machinery to parties from a distance, eighteen months after its purchase.

In February 1909 the Norcatur Dispatch made its first appearance, owned and edited by J. W. Deeter, who has remained at the head of the newspaper field in the town ever since.  Mr. Deeter had been counter-jumping for nine years, but his first issue, six pages all home print and filled with live advertisements, showed that he had found his niche in life and today is issuing one of the liveliest newspapers from that town that comes from the newspaper offices of northwest Kansas.  He is one of the real live wires of the community, ever boosting for his town and the country about, stands square for the betterment of social, business and religious conditions, without fear or favor.  Mr. Deeter is untiring in his efforts to build up the town and community, and it is greatly through his efforts that the town is now installing one of the best electric light systems in northwest Kansas, costing $22,000.00.  The Dispatch goes right into the homes of fully ninety per cent of the people in the territory surrounding Norcatur, and its pages speak every week of the prosperous condition of the town through the display advertisements from its many live business men. (page 44)

©2005 Ardie Grimes.  Transcribed from Norton County News Historical Number 1870 - 1916, re-organized and re-formatted for ease of use. These pages are dedicated to free access to records, documents and photos of historical and genealogical value. Documents contained herein may be copied for personal, non-commercial use as long as this statement remains on all copied material.   These records, documents and photos may not be reproduced, published or re-published for any reason, in any format,  including electronic (web pages or CD's) and print, without prior written consent of the contributors or copyright holders.