Democrat press launches a Republican paper

There's nothing like the rabbit hole of obscure historical footnotes to keep a guy occupied as we retreat into a version of lockdown again here in the Hawkeye state. So. I've been trying to sort out the history of Lucas County's first newspaper --- and its printing press; something that led to a couple of discoveries. That's George M. Binckley at left, Chariton's first newspaper publisher.

One --- the first newspapers in Lucas, Appanoose, Wayne and Decatur counties are linked by involvement of the same itinerant printers/publishers; two, that the first printing press in Lucas County, shipped in during 1856 to start a Democrat paper in Chariton, was used in 1863 to launch the first Republican newspaper in Corydon. Interesting stuff, to me at least.

Lucas County's first newspaper was "The Little Giant," launched during the summer of 1856 and promptly renamed "The Mail" after its publishers, George M. Binckley and Anderson C. Cameron, apparently decided the reference to Illinois politician Stephen A. Douglas was too hard a sell in a county that always leaned toward Honest Abe.

The Little Giant/Mail has usually been dismissed as a fleeting thing, disappearing quickly after John Edwards and Francis M. Fairbrother launched the Republican "Lucas County Patriot" in 1857. But actually it lasted well into the Civil War years before finally expiring. Here's an account of that newspaper written during 1901 by Lucas County's premier historian, Col. Warren S. Dungan, and published in The Chariton Democrat of April 18 that year:

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I made my advent into Chariton on the 14th day of June, 1856, by stage, the only mode of public travel in those days. On the stage were several passengers, among them I very distinctly remember one large fine looking gentleman, sprightly, intelligent and full of Democratic enthusiasm and a great admirer of Stephen A. Douglass of Illinois, whose star was then in its Zenith. We were not long in his company until we learned his name, destination and purpose.

His name was G.M. Binckley, and he was coming to Chariton to start a Democratic newspaper which he proposed to name "The Little Giant" in honor of his favorite statesman of Illinois. The little  press upon which his paper was to be printed had been shipped to Chariton in advance of his coming. I cannot remember the date of the first issue of the "Little Giant" but it was not many months until the name was changed to "The Mail."

Mr. A.C. Cameron had been a resident of Chariton a short time before Mr. Binckley's arrival, but my impression always has been that they met here by agreement for the purpose of establishing a Democratic newspaper; whether that was their original purpose or not, when the name was changed, if not before, these two were associated in the publication of the paper.

Binckley was of an impetuous roving disposition, a typical pioneer in the newspaper business, always looking for something better ahead. He did not remain here over a year, if that long. I know nothing about his career after leaving Chariton. Cameron continued to publish the paper, associating with himself for a time Mr. James Vandeventer and then Mr. Waitman T. Wade.

My best recollection is that Cameron was connected with the paper until about the beginning of the Civil War, when he enlisted in Capt. Daniel Iseminger's company, 6th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Cameron sold his interest to Waitman T. Wade.

In the fall of 1857, Wade was elected county treasurer on the Democratic ticket. At the time he was elected county treasurer he was the contractor for the building of the first brick courthouse. He had three irons in the fire, "The Mail," the office of County Treasurer, and the contract to build the new courthouse. His innate honesty of purpose and integrity of heart were beyond question, but without any business qualifications he was destined to failure in all three enterprises. The Mail cease to instruct the "hard-fisted yoemanry" and the county treasury was well nigh depleted. (And, it might be added, the 1858 courthouse was a structural disaster that lasted barely 30 years; FDM)

The means to start that paper were furnished by Mr. Robert Coles and a few other Democrats of Chariton and as time passed Mr. Coles became the sole owner of the press and fixtures. When Wade failed, Robert Coles sold it to his son, Albert Coles, but neither of them had anything to do with editing or publishing the paper.

In 1863, Albert Coles sold the outfit to Capt. (     ) of Corydon, Wayne county, Iowa, and it was used in the starting the first Democratic paper of that county.

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Dungan was mistaken here. The press was used to start Wayne County's first Republican paper, The Corydon Monitor, but more of that later.

As it happens, I do know what became of George M. Binckley and other early south of Iowa newspapermen and I'll tell you a little about that. But be warned, it's like a game of musical chairs.

When George M. Binckley left Chariton during 1857 he went no farther than Centerville, where he and his brother, Allen O. Binckley, purchased Centerville's first newspaper, The Appanoose Chieftan, from brothers George W. and Francis M. Fairbrother, who had established it just months before as an "independent" publication. Under Binckley ownership, it switched its allegiance to the Democratic party.

The elder Fairbrother, George, moved to Nebraska and then enlisted for the Union cause, but Francis M. followed George Binckley's trail back to Chariton and joined John Edwards in founding The Lucas County (later Chariton) Patriot. Frank Fairbrother remained in Chariton until 1869, when he sold out and rejoined his brother, George, in Tecumseh, Nebraska, where they founded The Tecumseh Chieftan.

Meanwhile, the Binckley brothers lasted less than a year in Centerville before selling out. Allen Binckley moved one county west to co-found with a business partner Wayne County's first newspaper, The South-Tier Democrat, in 1858. George M. Binckley traveled two counties west to Leon in Decatur county to join another brother, Philander H.A. Binckley, and launch that county's first newspaper, The Leon Pioneer, in 1859 (not 1855 as is occasionally stated).

The record is confusing, so we're not sure when Allen Binckley left Corydon --- perhaps in 1861 or 1862. But there is general agreement that he moved across the state line into Missouri, landing first at Trenton and then at Princeton, where he established Mercer County's first newspaper. The Allen Binckleys eventually moved to Indiana, where he died during 1876 at Jasper. George M. Binckley traveled west to Colorado after the Civil War and reportedly died there in 1885.

But back to The Little Giant/Chariton Mail's printing press. Nearly any aspirational Iowa town of any size at all had both a Democratic and a Republican newspaper in the early days and Corydon would prove to be no exception.

According to the 1886 Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, "In 1863, a stock company was formed at Corydon to start a Republican paper. A committee was sent to Chariton, where there was a printing office in financial trouble, to secure the same. They did this, and also arranged with Charles H. Austin, then living at Chariton, to come to Corydon and take charge of the mechanical department of the Corydon Monitor, as the new paper was called. William Hartshorn was employed as editor, and afterward became owner."

That, of course, was the press shipped into Chariton during 1856 by George Binckley, now loaded into a wagon and disappearing south into Wayne County. Lucas Countyans would have to endure a Democrat-less local media field until firebrand John V. Faith arrived in town after the war, during 1867, to launch The Chariton Democrat.