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~ Early History ~ The first newspaper published in the county, was The Chickasaw County Republican, which made its appearance at Jacksonville in May 1857, under the proprietorship of Isaac Watson, who brought the material from Missouri. Isaac Watson was subsequently killed by the rebels in Missouri during the war. Following The Republican very closely, in the same month, and during the succeeding week - The Cedar Valley News was issued at Bradford with A.J. Felt, as editor. A.J. Felt , sold to a Mr. Bushnell, and he to D.A. Babcock, who represented a stock company. The stock company sold to G.M. Reynolds, who, in connection with D.A. Babcock , ran the paper for some time. The Cedar Valley News finally succumbed to adverse circumstances and a flickering existence, its "light went out." It was neutral in politics, and, says our informant, "was published for a republican constituency by a democratic editor." The Jacksonville newspaper enterprise was Republican in politics, and it, too fell into the hands of a stock company, which, as in the case of The Cedar Valley News, also proved to be the precursor of death. We have before us, as we write, the paper relating to the organizing of the stock company, purchase of the paper etc., which we herewith present in full: "In pursuance of a call of individuals that have proposed taking shares and forming a joint stock association for the purpose of purchasing the press, fixtures, furniture and books of The Chickasaw County Republican, under the name of the Chickasaw County Republican Association, a meeting was held at Jacksonville on the 7th day of November 1857, and on motion of William Little , was called to the chair and J.H. Powers, appointed secretary. On motion the articles that had been circulated for the purpose of eliciting stock were presented, the blanks filled, and were unanimously adopted as follows: "The stock of the association shall consist of shares of ten dollars each, and each share be entitled to one vote. The stock shall be paid in installments as follows, to wit: one-half dollar down, two dollars in four months, and the remainder in six months. "The stockholders shall at the annual meeting on the second Wednesday of November, elect by ballot a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, and an executive and such other committees as they shall see fit, whose duties shall be as prescribed by the by-laws of the association. " The treasurer shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, give bonds in the sum of two thousand dollars, said bonds to be approved by the president and filed with the secretary. "The stockholders shall have power to make by-laws not inconsistent with these articles. "No share shall be entitled to a vote after an installment becomes due, until paid. "One-half of the shares taken, represented by at least five stockholders, shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business. "These articles may be amended at any annual meeting by a majority of shares represented, by giving two months’ notice prior to said meeting." These articles were signed as follows:
The proceedings of the meeting were
continued as follows: Officers
Executive Committee
Committee On By-Laws
Shares were limited to two hundred at ten dollars each, and the installments were made payable as follows: five dollars down, two dollars in three months and three dollars in six months. The corporation began its existence on the 14th day of November 1857, and was to continue ten years, subject, however, to dissolution by a two-thirds vote of all the shares taken. Private property was exempt from the incorporate debts, and the indebtedness of the association was never to exceed three hundred dollars at any one time. Isaac Watson’s assignment of the property is as follows: "For the consideration of the sum of six hundred dollars in hand paid, I hereby assign and sell to the Chickasaw County Republican Association, all the material and fixtures of the office of the Republican, Chickasaw County; also the stock and books on hand, the job type now at the river, and all the stock now on hand connected with the office; and authorize the association to appropriate the same to the use of the association." --Isaac Watson After a brief and unsatisfactory existence the Chickasaw County Republican Association, which had been started with such careful preparation, sold The Republican to L.J.Young , who moved the material to New Hampton and with it began the publication of The New Hampton Courier, in connection with W.E. Beach. In payment for the material Young executed the following instrument: "Be it remembered that I, L.J. Young , for valuable consideration in hand paid by J.H. Powers, as agent of the Chickasaw County Republican Association, do hereby sell and deliver unto the said Powers as the said agent, one yoke of white faced oxen, now used by me, and one spotted cow; and make and deliver unto the Chickasaw County Republican Association a good and sufficient warrantee deed of lot number three in block eighteen in the village of Chickasaw, Chickasaw County, Iowa, or at their request to any person that they may direct instead thereof; and to give over to him the following donations, to-wit: "Gardner & Hamlin , $20; D. Edwards , one lot in New Hampton; H. Gurley , $10; S. Cotant , $10; D.A. Jackson, $10; E.T. Runion , $10; Powers , balance due him on note holden by H. Gurley ; said donation to be collected by the said agent. "Witness my hand and seal this 11th day of November, A. D. 1859. -- L.J. Young " The New Hampton Courier made its first appearance on the 16th day of January 1860, as a six column folio, Beach & Young editors and proprietors. The first number was evidently put together under difficulties, not the least of which was the scarcity of proper type. On the fourth page the proceedings of congress are set in double column measure, in great primer type, but the proceedings not "filling out" the double column, capitals of the German text alphabet are inserted to fill the vacancy. An item from the Charles City Intelligencer, predicting the early demise of the new venture, is quoted in this number, with appropriate comments to the effect that The New Hampton Courier, has come to stay, etc., an assertion which was proven more than usually correct in regards such enterprises, The New Hampton Courier, being at this writing in its twenty-third year, and so far from showing signs of decay as to evince, on the contrary, increased vigor, ability and prosperity with its increasing years. Of the home advertisers in this first issue of The New Hampton Courier, we note the following, doing business at that time in New Hampton, except where otherwise stated:
W.E. Beach subsequently sold his interest to G.M. Reynolds, who, after a time purchased the L.J. Young interest also. G.M. Reynolds continued to publish The New Hampton Courier until his death in 1878, on June 22d, of which year the paper passed into the hands of W.R. Edwards and J.R. Carleton, who continued its publication until Oct. 11, 1882, when W.R. Edwards sold his interest to C.F. Geer. The New Hampton Courier is now published by Carelton & Geer , editors and proprietors, is an eight-column folio, republican in politics, and in every way creditable to its owners and the County of Chickasaw. Source:
History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties IOWA 
Thanks to Chris for the generous use of her graphics
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