THE PRESS IN ONTONAGON COUNTY

Unlike the newspaper press in most sections of the country, that of Ontonagon was started and has since been mainly devoted to the mineral interests thereof, not forgetting, however, the general local enterprises and interests. The first printing press was brought to Ontonagon County in 1855, by James Carson, who, with John M. Bradford, as editor, started the first paper here, called the Lake Superior Miner. The office was established in the basement of the Bigelow House, and the first number of the paper was issued in August of that year, and claimed to be independent in politics. These parties ran it a year, when the firm was changed to Bradford & Bliss. But it was of short duration, and was succeeded by Emerson & Bliss.  George D. Emerson and W. S. Bliss - who conducted the paper until June, 1857, when J. W. Crozier purchased the interest of Bliss, thus changing the firm to Emerson & Crozier, who continued its publication until 1862, when Mr. Emerson retired and entered the military service, thus leaving Mir. Crozier its sole manager. 

Mr. Crozier continued until 1867, when he sold the establishment to Jefferson Lasier, who conducted it until 1869.  Mr. Alfred Meads, purchased it and changed its name to the Ontonagon Miner. The paper was first started as a folio, then changed to a quarto, and then back to its present folio form of seven columns to the page. Its first editor was John M. Bradford, then George D. Emerson, who now occupies the chair of mining in the State Geological School of Missouri; then Mr. Crozier, who is now Postmaster; afterward, Lasier, and now Mr. Alfred Meads gives vigor and life to its editorial columns.

The Miner is the oldest continuously published paper in the Upper Peninsula, having never missed an issue, although it was printed once, in 1857, on foolscap paper, its regular supply of print having failed. It is now equipped with a new outfit: Taylor power press, type, fixtures and soon will have a new office.

The next paper started in the county was the Upper Peninsula Advocate, in October, 1857, by William S. Bliss & Co. - W. S. Bliss and J. Greenfield. It was a six column folio sheet, and only continued until June, 1859, when it was moved to Houghton and merged into the Mining Gazette of that place.

The next and last newspaper started in the county was the Ontonagon Herald, which was first thrown to the breeze on April 22, 1880, under the proprietorship and editorial management of M. L. Dunham, who, at that time, was the Prosecuting Attorney of the county, and had been Principal of the Union School of Ontonagon.

In October, 1881, Mr. Charles M. Howell, a graduate of the Collegiate and Law Departments of the Iowa State University, purchased the paper, the first number of which appeared under his editorial control October 21, that year. It is owned by a company, of which Mr. Howell is one. It is said to be well grounded for a long voyage, if not a happy one, at all times. It is a seven-column-to-a-page sheet, folio in form, and is creditably conducted. Neither of the papers-the Miner nor Herald seem to make politics nor religion prominent. Mining, lumber and local development is their watchword.

Source: Western Historical Company. History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Chicago: The Western Historical Company, 1883.