Citizen Completes 50th Year - 12 Jul 1944

Founded by Nearpass As "Marmont Herald;" History Is Reviewed

Fifty years ago this week, July 13th to be exact, The Culver Citizen was born.

A half century of faithful service to its community in recording the transient life of this vicinity!

We had planned for years that this occasion should be marked by a special anniversary issue, but wartime conditions, including a restriction on newsprint, preclude such an undertaking.

Instead of an extensive review of the various activities, businesses and other phases of Culver and the surrounding territory, this golden anniversary will be limited to a historical account of the life of the paper.

Edwin R. Corwin in his history of Union Township, "One Township's Yesterdays," has related the history of The Citizen so well, based on exhaustive research study, that it is being reprinted here in part:

On the 13th of July, 1894, appeared the first issue, Vol. I, No. 1, of the "Marmont Herald, George Nearpass, editor and publisher.

Hitchhiking Editór

Dave Smith tells the story of the coming of the first editor, and beyond a doubt he was the first of Marmont's citizens to meet and talk with the man who had the idea or "hunch" that Marmont finally was ripe for a newspaper.

Dave, then a comparatively young man, was walking along the Hibbard road when he met a man coming toward Marmont. The man, who was a stranger to Dave, was afoot.

He said he was going to look the town over with the idea of starting a newspaper. No doubt he had come in on the Nickel Plate. The stranger proved to be George Nearpass.

That evening, at the customary friendly gathering of the men in the village (all were sociable in those days, and every one was acquainted), Nearpass told of his plans. And he decided to stay.

So he set up his press, and the "Marmont Herald"' was started.

In Cramped Quarters

Union Township's first newspaper was begun in restricted space, in a small one_story frame building, located on the west side of Main Street between Jefferson and Madison streets, where the Culver City Tavern is located in another building.

The building was owned by John Osborn, the banker who financed Nearpass and stood "broadside" to the street because it had been so built to accommodate a photograph gallery. It was about 12 feet wide.

It was there, in the building on the Warner location, that George Nearpass set up his humble handpress and began the publishing of his weekly newspaper, with little in the way of equipment to help him on his journalistic way.

Arthur Morris was there when the first edition was in the making, and he retained a copy of that epochal news-sheet. He thinks his copy was the third off the hand-press.

Nearpass edited and published the "Marmont Herald' and the "Culver City Herald" for about ten years. Prior to that period of his newspaper career he had conducted the "Hobart Gazette." The "Marmont Herald"' became the "Culver City Herald" when the name of the village was changed. George E. Nearpass, son of the editor and publisher, writes:

I take from George P. Rowell & Sons American Newspaper Directory published in 1895, the following listed therein:
MARMONT - Marshall Co. pop. 374, on the Terre Haute and Indianapolis R. R., about 34 miles north of Logansport. Agriculture. Newspaper - Herald - Published Fridays; eight pages 13 x 20. Subscription $1.00 per year, established 1894 by Geo. E. Nearpass, Sr.. Editor and Publisher. Independent."


The Birth of a Paper

In Marmont father called on several business men of that day, John Osborn,
Sam Medbourn,
E. B. Vanschoiack, Dr. B. W. S. Wiseman,
Dr. 0. H. Rea,
and many others, and told them if they would raise him a bonus he would start a paper in Marmont.

They got busy, raised the bonus, and he moved his plant to Marmont in 1894. and established the 'Marmont Herald.' His equipment consisted of an old Washington hand_press, an old foot-pump Gordon job press, a printer's stone and three cases of type. In those days there were a lot of tramp printers roaming over the country, and many of the old timers of Marmont will recall a printer by the name of Billy Millross, one of the best printers who ever held a stick of type. Billy worked for Dad several years.

On publication day, and it took all day to print the paper, Sumner Wiseman who is now Dr. Sumner Wiseman of Union Mills, Indiana, would run the press. Ed Gandy was the chief roller, when my brother Floyd could not be found. The roller was the one who put the ink on the type. My job was to take the papers off the press. Harry Medbourn was my substitute. Tim Wolfe also used to run the press, and many others helped to get the paper out on publication day.

Sold to J. H. Koontz

Dad published the paper in Culver for about nine years and sold it to J. H. Koontz, who changed the name to The Citizen.

Father was one of the men who helped to change the name of Marmont to Culver. The first change was from Marmont to Culver City. Then, later, the name was changed to Culver.

I think Dad sold the Herald to J. H. Koontz. April 27, 1903.


After leaving Culver, George Nearpass, Sr., and George Nearpass, Jr., launched the "Shipshewana Sun," at Shipshewana, Ind. That was not long after the middle of August, 1905.

Editor Koontz then occupied the chair in the office at Culver. The "Art Annual," in 1905, gave the following information about the paper:
THE CULVER CITIZEN.-J. H. Koontz & Son. proprietors. 2.000 or more readers. Non-sectarian and non-partisan. A valuable complete with the best able plant, type and publishing machinery.


The job work was large. The success and profit of the newspaper due, largely, to the work of was foreman, O. A. Gandy, who the "certainly was a 'master mechanic' in his business."

The Citizen was sold by J. H. Koontz, and on April 1, 1906, passed to the ownership of Arthur B. Holt, of Kankakee, Ill. Mr. Holt had been one of the publishers of the "Daily and Semi-Weekly Gazette," in that community.

Mr. Holt remained as editor through the years that saw Culver grow from a village to a town and the paper progressed accordingly. He had a distinct flair for writing with a personal touch that made his paper outstanding. He left the writing of high-powered editorials to the metropolitan papers, while he sought out the small, homely items that concerned the everyday life of his readers. His dry humor persistently cropped out in unexpected places. His long reign in the editor's chair formed an important chapter in the local history of journalism.

Paper to New Owners

On July 1, 1923, he relinquished his interests to M. R. Robinson and F.C. Leitnaker, who came to Culver from Kansas where they had been roommates in college. Both were young men and veterans of the World War. The circulation and size of The Citizen enlarged under their energetic management and became a leader in community activities.

Another change in management occurred November 11, 1926, when M. R. Robinson became the sole owner and publisher. In recent years The Citizen has won recognition in state contests for the best weekly papers and its editorials are frequently selected as outstanding by the National Editorial Association. A few years ago it won a prize for one of the best editorials in the country.

The Citizen is a non-political paper since it is the only paper in town and its publisher believes that all parties should in such a case be treated equally.

Let us take a little backward journey to that Friday the Thirteenth, unlucky as it may sound, that first publication day in Union Township, in the month of July, 1894.

"The Veteran printer, Chas. Alvord. is serenely sticking type in the Herald office. having arrived Friday evening," presumably of the week before. So says the first edition.

That First Issue

Said the editor on his editorial page:
We hereby send you a sample copy of the Marmont Herald, and having published our first issue under adverse circumstances, we beg that you will withhold severe criticism," etc. A sort of "beg-your-pardon" overture, but the paper was nothing to be ashamed of, after all was said and done. And the editor closed his editorial bow to the public with a proud little flourish, the only paper published in Union Township."


Page one of edition one displays a "Business Directory," which mentions the Village Board; the Churches, two of them, (the M. E. Church, Henry Ross, pastor; and Grace Reform, J. W. Barber, pastor); and the Societies, and the Physicians, B. W. S. Wiseman and O. A. Rea. Also Notary Public, Oliver Morris, and Attorneys, Adam E. Wise of Plymouth, and R. C. O'Blenis of Argos. Then comes Herbert G. Nealy, instructor in music, and J. M. Ohler, tonsorial artist (not a mere barber; they were artists back in those days). After the artists (music and tonsorializing) one finds Kreuzberger Park, near the lake, where after being cleanly shaved and dolled up, on this hot July day, one may go, and perhaps hear a little music. The Lake View Hotel, farther on, sitting atop a lakeside bluff, has Frank D. Lampson as manager. Then one may visit the Marmont Exchange. Bank.

Guiding us on our way is George Nearpass, "publisher of the official paper of Union Township."

What's What in Marmont

The The region's foremost institution, "The Culver Academy," gets two columns of the front page, as it should, And, of course, "Lake Maxinkuckee! Pleasure Resort". is extolled, (using a favorite editor-word). "There is talk," says the paper, "of building a brick block from Vanschoiack's store to Beaver's saloon, by capitalists from abroad. It occurs to us that would be a pretty good location, as there is in store there that sells everything from a toothpick up."

About fifty students are attending the summer school at the Cul- ver Academy. The Academy and the summer school are both in the the infancy, just about getting started.

Ratzier has put a branch gallery in Marmont and will make sittings every Tuesday.

Turning to the advertisements, of which there is a goodly play, the business world having rallied valiantly around the new reads it publisher's standard, one win a true story of Marmont as it was.

Who Was Who Sam Easterday dealt in ture and was the undertaker.

D. E. Zechiel kept a grocery.

Urias Menser was General hardware. F. Smyth & Co. had bakery goods.

Mrs. J. W. Quick advertised the latest French styles of millinery.

L. C. Wiseman kept drugs and medicines. Dillon & Castleman were grain dealers. W. H. Wilson was the smith. Henry Oyler was the boot and a shoe repairer.

F. W. Mow kept the livery, feed and sale stable.

C. L. Morris & Co. were in the lumber business.

Hayden Rea operated a harness shop.

The Exchange Grocery and Meat Market was kept by E. B. Vanschoiack.

Nushaum, Myer & Co. had the "big store."

Ozias Duddleson sold pianos and organs.

William Swigart was general drayman. As time wore on, Marmont's newspaper and printery grew little by little until at length the expansion thereof demanded larged quarters. The thin building on Main Street became too thin, and a fatter building was sought.

The newspaper establishment next occupied fairly broad quarters in a building on East Washington street.

It is there now, in doubly broad quarters, for it occupies the whole first floor.

On Early Town Board

Such was Mr. Corwin's history of The Citizen through the years. In glancing over that valuable and rare first issue, it is noted that Mr. Corwin didn't mention that the Village Board was composed of John W. Souder, Sam E. Medbourn and M. F. Mosher as trustees; F. C. Carl, clerk; H. M. Speyer, treasurer; and J. F. Cromley, marshal.

The societies were the K. 0. T. M. with Samuel Ulry, Com., and Urias Menser, Record Keeper; and the K. of P. with D. B. Young, C. C., and B. W. S. Wiseman, K. of R. and S.

W. W. Osborn was president of The Marmon Exchange Bank with Amos Osborn, vice president; John Osborn, cashier; and Charles H. Curtis, assistant cashier. Mr. Curtis was also a dealer in bicycles.

Shirts sold for 29c; overalls for 37c; sugar for 5c a pound and coffee for 19c.

Captain Morris operated the Steamer Peerless and met all the trains to carry passengers to all the hotels, as well as conducting excursions.

W. S. Marks was manager of Colonnade Hotel, rates $2.00

J. H. McKenzie was president of the Culver Academy which a "liberal education under of experience and ability. drill and gymnastics." The paper was all handset as it to be through the years until December, 1918, when Mr. Holt installed, a typesetting machine. Four pages of the paper "ready print," that is printed Chicago with general news and that were good in any paper

This office has complete bound files of all issues since May 7, 1903 when Mr. Koontz became editor of The Culver Citizen.

Only three issues of the Marmont Herald and two of the Culver City are on file.

There is no copy of the Culver Herald. Evidently Mr. Nearpass didn't realize the importance of keeping of each issue on file.

Into Larger Quarters

Just to keep the record straight it might be added that Mr. Corwin omitted one home of the Citizen. It was in a two-story building that gave way to Johnson's Service Station years after the paper moved to its present location.

Here The Citizen has expanded, over the entire first floor and basement after the Northern Public Service Company to its present quarters. Modern machinery and equipment have been added from time to time until none of the machinery is left that was in the shop 21 years ago. Modern automatic presses and have been installed, The Citizen the best equipped newspaper-commercial plant in any town its size entire state.

Editorial Policy

In looking backward today we see some things that might have been done differently. But the main policy of The Citizen would not be changed from it has been under the various editors. We have tried to fairly with all. In rare instances when it has been necessary to break with friends in matters of public policy or to publish that those concerned resented, there has been no joy in such breaks or publications, but each been accompanied by a tugging of heartstrings that was excused only on the ground that it made necessary because of a newspaper's duty to its readers to the community it serves.

The Citizen has not been a newspaper. We have to lead community thinking in paths that were right as it was given us to see the right. We have never gone about bashing heads with an editorial club just for the joy of hurting someone.

On this, our fiftieth birthday, as we reflect on the years that are past, we feel a great surge of gratitude welling up in our hearts for the friendships of those years.

Material success means little if friendships are lost. The Citizen's circle of friends has grown with the years and these friends have been of the golden variety. We pay sincere tribute to them on this golden anniversary.

We want to pay tribute to the scores of men and women who have been a part of the inner circle of The Citizen through the years. Today there is a number of loyal and conscientious people sending in news from towns and communities covered by The Citizen, all for one purpose - to give you clean and timely news, without prejudice or political favor, a newspaper worthy to go into any home. This is the heritage passed on to the present editor by his capable predecessors, to whom we pay our deep and sincere respect for their contributions in making The Citizen what it is today.

Result of Cooperation

That The Citizen today enjoys the largest circulation in its history is not the result of any one person, but rather the fact that The Citizen is a family of workers sharing together the common purpose -- to do the best job possible at all times. A fine spirit of cooperation exists. To that spirit we attribute whatever success we have achieved in the publishing of this paper.

On this anniversary we extend to all of you our thanks for your support, your friendship, and your good wishes. May the next 50 years of The Citizen record as great a growth and progress in this community as has the past half-centuary!