The History of Orange County New York

by Unknown

The Publications of the County.

IN ANCIENT GOSHEN.

The Goshen Repository was issued in 1788, by David Mandeville and David M. Westcott, at the Goshen Academy. The nature of the publication seems now unknown; nor is the size of the publication, or its character. In 1793 its office was near the court house. In 1800 it was sold to John G. and William Heurtin, thus showing a life of twelve years—a much better showing than that made by many of its successors there and elsewhere. Messrs. Heurtin changed its name to the Orange County Patriot, and in 1801 William Heurtin sold his interest to William A. Carpenter, when the name was changed to The Friend of Truth. In 1804 it passed to the ownership of Ward M. Gazlay or Gazley, and again its name was changed. This time it became the Orange Eagle. A fire in 1805 in the office singed the Eagle's feathers, but it was enabled to move about, and took its flight to Newburgh, where it became the Political Index.

Taking its name from an extinct Newburgh paper, Gabriel Denton, in 1804, issued the Orange County Gazette. Edward M. Ruttenber traces its history to Elliott Hopkins in 1807, to Elliott Hopkins & Co. in 1811, to Elliott Hopkins in 1812. to F. J. & A. D. Houghton in 1813, and to 1818, when it was "printed and published for the proprietor." How long after this it lasted is not known.

In 1808 Gabriel Denton started the Orange County Patriot and Spirit of Seventy-six. It was doubtless a patriotic publication, probably a jingo organ firing the American heart for another struggle with Great Britain, which came in 1812. In 1811 it was removed to Newburgh by Lewis & Crowell, where it was published as a "new series." T. B. Crowell became its publisher, and announced that its columns were "open to all parties" but were "influenced by none." In 1822 Mr. Crowell moved the paper back to Goshen, and sold it to R. C. S. Hendrie, who, February 22, 1834, sold it to F. T. Parson, who changed its name to the Goshen Democrat. In 1842 Charles Mead associated with Mr. Parson. Nathaniel Webb secured Mr. Parson's interest, and the firm became Mead & Webb, and later Charles Mead & Son, after the death of Mr. Webb. In 1843 R. C. S. Hendrie started the True Whig, two years later selling it to Charles Mead, who merged it with his paper under the title of The Goshen Democrat and Whig. Later the name Whig was dropped, and the paper remains to this day the Goshen Democrat. The firm of Mead & Son came into existence January 1, 1865, and continued until January 1, 1892, when the elder Mead sold his interest to Edwin L. Roys. William W. Mead and Edwin L. conducted the establishment under the firm name of Mead & Roys until September 1, 1902, on which date they sold the concern to J. R. Colburn, of Washington, D. C. Two months later (November 1, 1902), John F. Barringer, of Walden, bought the plant and, two months later (January 1, 1903), sold it to John B. Scott and George V. Gregg, who conducted the same under the firm name of Scott & Gregg, until September 1, 1905. on which date Mr. Scott sold his interest to George F. Gregg, who has since been its proprietor.

In 1820 Williams & Farrand started the Orange Farmer. Mr. Ruttenber speaks of this as the Orange County Farmer, but as the copies now in existence bear the title Orange Farmer, the writer is inclined to believe the word "County" is a slip of the usually very accurate pen of Mr. Ruttenber. Its founders were graduates of the Albany Plow-Boy, and aimed to make the Farmer an agricultural publication. How long it lasted is not known. A well-preserved copy of this Farmer is now in possession of Dr. James J. Mills, of Port Jervis. It is volume IV, No. 195, dated November 17, 1823.

About 1822 there moved into Goshen a lusty young pioneer, sixteen years of age, under the patronymic of The Independent Republican. This stripling was born at Montgomery, May 6, 1806, and there christened the Orange County Republican. Under the tutelage of Luther Pratt in 1812, in its sixth year, its name was changed to that of the Independent Republican, and in 1818 James A. Cheevey became its sponsor, and removed it to Goshen about 1822. In 1832 the Independent Republican plant was sold to Henry H. Van Dyck, who sold it in 1836 when he became State Senator, to Victor M. Drake, then a young printer twenty-seven years of age, who had for some time been employed in the office, as apprentice and journeyman printer. In 1841 Mr. Drake sold the establishment to Moses Swezey, who came to Goshen from Long Island in 1834 as a violinist and dancing master. He was a fine penman, a good bookkeeper, and an excellent accountant, and became the head clerk for County Clerk Lebbeus L. Vail. As editor of the Independent Republican he wielded a powerful and caustic pen, and became a power in Orange County politics. He was the father of the present Surrogate, John B. Swezey.

In 1846 Mr. Swezey sold the plant to Clark & Montanye. It continued, as it long had been, the local organ of the "Hunker" faction of the Democracy. Late in the '50's Mr. Clark went to Iowa and started a Republican paper. James J. McNally purchased the plant in 1853, and sold it to Isaac V. Montanye in 1857, only to repurchase it, selling it again in 1869 to Edward M. Ruttenber and H. P. Kimber. Mr. Ruttenber retired, and in 1874 Mr. Kimber sold it to Thomas P. McElrath, an ambitious New Yorker, who had some fond illusions which he hoped to engraft into Orange County journalism. He made friends and foes fast and furious—particularly the foes—and in 1876 retired to New York, utterly disgusted with journalism in Orange County.

Then Hon. I. V. Montanye and his son, Lucien, secured the paper. In 1883 the former retired, and Frank Drake secured an interest in the concern, under the firm name of Montanye & Drake. In March, 1892, Mr. Drake became sole owner, and remains such to-day (March, 1908).

The present proprietor of the Independent Republican, Frank Drake, is a son of that veteran Orange County journalist, Victor M. Drake, and is a "chip of the old block," a good newspaper man. He is making the paper newsy, keen, merry and bright. He changed it from a weekly to a semi-weekly edition, issued on Tuesdays and Fridays. It is a five-column quarto.