In addition to the above-mentioned so-called "regular publications," there have been numerous amateur, church, society, labor, semi-literary, and other more or less sporadic productions throughout the county from the time of the introduction of printing into the county at Goshen in 1788 to the present time.
An enterprise of importance that may be classed under this heading was that of the Franklin Printing Company, starting in Middletown, in 1879. At the head of the concern were James H. Norton, Isaac F. Guiwits, of Middletown and William H. Nearpass, of Port Jervis. A considerable building was erected on Mill street, Middletown, next to the residence of Mr. Norton, and several presses and a finely equipped printing establishment was installed, to print "patent insides." A big business was there built up, and continued until the purchase and absorption of the plant by the New York Newspaper Union, and the transfer of the same to that city.
From 1884 to 1886 the United States Official Postal Guide for New York City was printed by W. H. Nearpass at the Port Jervis Gazette office. Anthony M. May & Co. had the contract for this work.
About 1886-7 lawyer T. A. Reid, of Middletown, amused himself for a few months with a paper he called The Jeffersonian.
Soon after, the Rev. Charles M. Winchester, a Free Methodist, came to Middletown, probably in 1879, he started a daily paper which he called The Standard or The Standard-Bearer. It was published in the interests of the temperance cause, and made a considerable excitement during the eight or ten months of its existence.
The Pine Bush Herald is a lateral production of the Walden Herald, and dates from 1904, with George W. Jamison as editor.
Town Life was a weekly issued in Middletown from June, 1904, to January, 1905, by Nelson W. Dix. It was a humorous publication with illustrations by the young publisher, who has a taste and a remarkable aptitude for drawing and cartoon work.
The Orange County Magazine was started in Newburgh in 1906, and in the same year the Goshen Independent Republican issued a side edition called the Chester Independent Republican, with George W. Ball as editor.
The first number of the St. Paul's Herald was issued in August, 1892, and each month thereafter for about one year. It contained eight pages, 9 by 12 inches to a page, and a cover. The Herald was issued in the interest of St. Paul's M. E. Church, and Middletown Methodism. The editor and proprietor was Henry P. Powers, the present City Editor of the Middletown Argus, and it was printed at the Times office.
The Worker's Advocate was started in Middletown about 1903, and conducted several years by W. H. McCarter, as an independent weekly paper.