August 1, 1883, M. D. Stivers again became part owner of the Press, and the firm became Stivers, Slauson & Boyd, continuing for about seven and one-half years.
March 1, 1891, Mr. Stivers sold his interest to his partners, and the firm of Slauson & Boyd for the second time came into existence.
February 1, 1906, merged into the Times-Press, after an honored and prosperous record of more than fifty-four years.
The term of service with the Press of each proprietor in round numbers is: John W. Hasbrouck, seventeen years; Moses D. Stivers, nineteen years; John W. Slauson, thirty-three years; Charles J. Boyd, twenty-five years; Albert Kessinger, three years; F. Stanhope Hill, one year.
Reference has already been made to The Hardwareman's Newspaper (1855), The Sybil (1856), The Iron Age (1858), The Rising Sun (1866), The Mail, daily and weekly (1869), The Standard (1874?), The Argus, weekly (1875), daily (1876), The Liberal Sentinel (1881), The News (1883), The Jeffersonian (1886?), The Forum (1897), and the Worker's Advocate (1899?).
THE PRESS IN PORT JERVIS.
Printing was introduced into Port Jervis by a colored man, P. H. Miller. Of his personality the writer is unable, at this day, to learn a thing—whence he came or whither he departed. He began the printing here of an independent Whig paper, which he called the Port Jervis Express, early in 1850. It was neatly printed, a five or six-column folio, and reflected credit on its founder. It was printed in an office on West Main street, on the west side of the canal. That section was then about all there was of Port Jervis, though the Erie had arrived, and started a station near the Delaware River which it called Delaware. The people of "the Port" objected to this name, and for a long time strife was keen between the residents and the Erie company over the name, the advocates of "the Port" finally winning.
The Express saw the tail end of this fight, before its life of nine months drew to a close.
In November of the year (1850) when the Express passed away, the Tri-States Union was started. Its founder was Col. Sam Fowler, a Jersey-man who had acquired considerable land in the village, all within the boundaries of the present city. He was ambitious, had money, vim and a purpose. He built a palatial home on the banks of the Neversink, erected the Fowler House, and was proceeding to make Port Jervis the booming town of the east, when financial disaster overtook him, and, to the great loss of the town, he left it never to return, his vast interests involved in hopeless encumbrances.
But before he left he started the Tri-States Union, and it lives to-day. It was a Democratic newspaper, with John I. Mumford editor. The Union has had a number of owners, and had its ups and downs, but it always managed to appear on schedule time, and in usual form, though at times during the Civil War it was sorely pressed to imitate many of its exchanges—when it was almost impossible to buy, beg or steal white paper—and appear in wrapping paper, or in "any old thing." It is now a six-column quarto, with a large circulation, has an afternoon edition of the Port Jervis Daily Union, seven-column folio, has two of the latest Mergenthaler Linotype machines, and is of the concern that issues one of the leading agricultural papers of the country, The New York Farmer.