[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
TENNESSEE'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER SALUTED
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HON. DON SUNDQUIST
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 2, 1994
Mr. SUNDQUIST. Mr. Speaker, while this House stood in recess
Tennessee's oldest newspaper, the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, marked
its 185th anniversary. I rise to ask that my colleagues join me in
extending the congratulations of this body to my friend, Gene Washer,
the Leaf-Chronicle's publisher; and to my friend Bob Atkins of
Multimedia, Inc., which owns the newspaper; and to all whose work has
made the newspaper not only the oldest in Tennessee, but also one of
the most honored.
Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. The newspaper,
founded in 1808 as the Clarksville Chronicle, has written on its pages
the history of a community which has grown to be Tennessee's fifth-
largest city. One finds it all here--the great fires that struck the
largely wooden buildings of the early downtown district, the great
floods that inundated the city before TVA controlled the Cumberland
River, the arrival during World War II of the military post that would
grow to become Fort Campbell.
The Leaf-Chronicle also gave its readers a window on the world,
covering in detail the presidencies of the three Tennesseans who rose
to the Nation's highest office and the heroism of ordinary citizens who
took up arms for their country in conflicts around the world.
The newspaper broadened its reach as it grew. In 1890, it merged with
the Tobacco Leaf and extended its circulation area into nearby
Kentucky. In this century, it has become a paper of regional reach and
influence, and the flagship newspaper of the Multimedia group of the
newspapers in Tennessee.
The late Walter Lippman's description of a newspaper's role, I
believe, aptly applies to Leaf-Chronicle and to the women and men who
have made it--and who preserve it today--as a paper of record. Said
Lippman:
We make it our business to find out what is going on, under
the surface and beyond the horizon; to infer, to deduce, to
imagine and to guess what is going on inside--and what this
meant yesterday and what it could mean tomorrow. In this way
we do what every sovereign citizen is supposed to do for
himself. This is our job. It is no mean calling, and we have
the right to be proud of it and to be glad that is our work.
That is the attitude I have always found present in those who publish
and produce the Leaf-Chronicle. I am proud to join in saluting the
185th anniversary of this fine newspaper, and I ask that the following
article, detailing the Leaf-Chronicle's history, be reprinted in the
Congressional Record.
[From the Clarksville (TN) Leaf-Chronicle, Dec. 3, 1993]
A Mirror of the World--The Leaf-Chronicle Dates Back to 1808
(By Jimmy Settle)
Tennesee's oldest newspaper--today called the Leaf-
Chronicle--has mirrored the most significant events in
Clarksville, Tenn., the United States and the world
throughout the greater part of this country's history.
The founding of the Clarksville Chronicle around 1808 is
credited to George Crutcher and William Kendall.
Crutcher is thought to have been the son of Anthony
Crutcher, who had been the city clerk of Clarksville in 1795.
Little is known concerning the operation of the paper in its
earliest years.
Francis Richardson was the owner and publisher in 1828.
During part of the period that Richardson operated his
paper it was edited by Judge W.W. Overton.
No issues of the Chronicle under the management of
Richardson have been found, but several issues of the paper
under the management of E.P. McGinty are available in the
period from March 28, 1839, to Aug. 13, 1840.
Between 1840 and 1857 the title of the newspaper was
changed from the Clarksville Chronicle to The Weekly
Clarksville Chronicle.
Early in 1857 J.A. Grant bought from R.W. Thomas the entire
facilities of The Weekly Clarksville Chronicle. Then, on Oct.
1, 1857, J.S. Neblett bought a half-interest from J.A. Grant.
When a newspaper transferred to new ownership, new
management generally considered it necessary to make a
statement to the reading public regarding the policies of the
paper.
Policies were often expressed in the form of slogans which
would appear in the newspaper for long periods of time.
The oldest statement found in the Clarksville newspapers
between 1808 to 1857 was in the oldest available issue of The
Weekly Chronicle, dated Feb. 18, 1818. The statement was
published on the occasion of the transfer of the newspaper's
ownership from Wells and Peebles to the individual ownership
of Burrel H. Peebles.
It read, ``The business in the future will be carried on by
Burrel H. Peebles who will continue the newspaper and job
printing with neatness and accuracy.''
The available issues of the Clarksville Chronicle contained
no specific statements or objectives, however, all of the
issues from March 28, 1839, to Aug. 13, 1840, bore a slogan.
Composed in Latin, it read, ``Nimium Altereande Veritas
Amittitur,'' which translated, meant, ``By arguing too much,
truth is lost.''
Early Clarksville newspapers were printed on paper made
from linen or cotton cloth rags.
The standard page size of the newspapers from 1818 to 1820
was 14 inches wide and 22 inches long with five columns to
each page. (By the 1950s, The Leaf-Chronicle pages were 17
inches wide and 23 inches long with nine columns to each
page).
From 1808 to 1857, the standard number of pages in the
newspaper was four.
Major sources of income for the paper in the early years
were circulation subscriptions; printing and publishing for
federal, state and local governments; advertising; paid
political announcements; and special personal announcements.
The editorial writing in the Clarksville paper and
selection of material from other newspapers was often in
accordance with a firmly established editorial policy.
From 1818 to 1820 the paper showed little partisan
political policy. Then, it changed.
The Clarksville Chronicle of 1839-1840 was outspoken in its
support of the Whig Party. It had grown up in opposition to
Andrew Jackson and was strong in some sections of Tennessee.
There were few changes in the editorial staff from 1858 to
1877. R.W. Thomas was political editor until the Chronicle
suspended operations in February 1862 amid Union occupation
of Fort Donelson and Clarksville during the Civil War.
When the paper resumed operations in 1865, J.S. Neblett and
J.A. Grant acted as publishers and editors until Thomas
resumed the position of senior editor in September 1865.
Dr. Daniel F. Wright became senior editor of the chronicle
in May 1876. He was a native of England and had come to the
United States in 1838. He had been a surgeon in the
Confederate Army during the Civil War, and had previously
edited a medical journal.
From 1858 to 1877, the Clarksville Chronicle went through
significant changes in format and general presentation of the
news. Many of the changes were caused by the great social and
economic upheaval before, during and following the Civil War.
As the economic situation changed, the Chronicle modified its
operations to meet the new conditions, making it a durable
newspaper.
During most of the period the newspaper was continued as a
regular four-page weekly journal.
News and advertising became difficult to procure in the
early years of the Civil War. The scarcity of newsprint and
other materials, and labor, forced the suspension of
operations in February 1862.
In the last issue before that occurred, the paper made an
effort to report the events transpiring at Fort Henry and
Fort Donelson.
This final policy statement was published: ``Let every man
be calm, firm, fearless and leave panics to cowards. Our
cause is just, our trust is in God, and we will prevail!''
Financial difficulties within the newspaper compounded
until by 1861, it announced that it had operated at a
financial loss. During part of that period, the newspaper
even accepted flour, meal, bacon, firewood or vegetables as
payment for subscriptions or advertising.
When the paper resumed operations in 1865 it was published
on smaller pages which were 22 inches long and 17 inches
wide. After a few months it was increased to a standard pre-
war four-page size and dimensions, having been a two-page
paper for a time.
Among the Clarksville Chronicle's competing newspapers by
1869 was the Tobacco Leaf. It was edited and published by
M.V. Ingram and H.M. Doak.
As the name indicated, the Tobacco Leaf considered itself
to be the true representative of the tobacco business in
Clarksville and Montgomery County. Thus was created one of
the most heated newspaper rivalries in Clarksville's history.
After its stint of supporting the Whig Party, the
Clarksville Chronicle had for a time thrown its support
behind the American or Know Nothing Party, which never became
a strong national organization.
The Chronicle supported conservative political policies
throughout the eventful period of 1858-1877.
After resuming operations in 1865, the Chronicle strongly
supported policies of the defeated South and criticized
Washington, D.C. The newspaper pursued its policy despite the
fact that Southern states were still under Union military
occupation.
As a result of an editorial published Sept. 8, 1865, which
was fiery and critical of the Union armies, Neblett and Grant
were arrested and taken to Murfreesboro for a hearing before
military authorities. At that time the Chronicle was ordered
to suspend all publication, but the suspension was
immediately lifted.
The newspaper's criticism during the Reconstruction Period
slackened. Neblett and Grant were ordered by Union forces in
Middle Tennessee to use more discretion in the Chronicle's
editorial content.
Even before the Civil War came to Tennessee the Clarksville
Chronicle operated as a reporter of war news.
It was serious in what it believed to be its duty to inform
its readers on the progress in the War Between the States,
but it was not content to stop there. The newspaper also
assumed that it had the responsibility of motivating its
readers to come to the aid of the Southern cause. It even
tried, through its Kentucky circulation, to convince the
people in the neighboring state that they should secede and
join the Confederacy.
Following the Civil War, a series of management changes
came at the Clarksville Chronicle.
Grant was the first to give up as a partner in the
ownership.; He sold his half interest to W.P. Titus in 1878.
Titus and Neblett were designated as publishers and D.F.
Wright was retained as senior editor.
In 1885, Neblett sold out to Titus due to failing health.
D.F. Wright had become senior editor of the newspaper in
1876, and continued there until 1877. He resigned in 1881 to
resume his medical practice in Clarksville.
By 1883, R.H. Yancey had become editor for a brief period,
followed in 1886 by Frank N. Duffy, W.J. Broadus in 1887, and
later that same year, T.O. Hall.
One of the most significant developments in the newspaper's
history in the late 1800s came when the Clarksville Chronicle
merged with the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf.
By 1881, M.V. Ingram and Clay Stacker, owners of the
Tobacco Leaf, sold out to W.O. Brandon and W.W. Barksdale.
In 1878, one of the greatest fires in Clarksville's history
occurred. A third of the town was burned including the
Tobacco Leaf's facilities.
The Clarksville Chronicle shared its presses with the
Tobacco Leaf during that period.
On March 6, 1890, Brandon and Barksdale of the Tobacco Leaf
purchased the Clarksville Chronicle. The new newspaper was
called the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf Chronicle. The bulk of
the Chronicle's circulation had been south of the Cumberland
River, while the Tobacco Leaf was read north of the river and
in Kentucky.
The newly formed newspaper was edited by Barksdale and
Ingram was assistant editor.
The newspaper formed by the merger remained in continuous
operation with few title and ownership changes through much
of the 20th century, and was the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
until the late 1970s when it became The Leaf-Chronicle,
recognizing its broader regional circulation.
The Tobacco Leaf had operated as a weekly newspaper for
many years, until 1883, when it was increased to a semi-
weekly publication which it continued as until the merger.
In January 1886, the Clarksville Chronicle began publishing
a daily paper called the Evening Chronicle along with its
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle.
News coverage and content began to increase in the late
1800s. In addition to local, regional, national and
international news, sports news increased along with farm
news, weather, society and personal news and newspaper
comics.
After the two papers merged in 1890 the publication
schedule included the Evening Tobacco Lead-Chronicle which
was issued daily except Sundays, and the semi-weekly Tobacco
Leaf-Chronicle, which was issued Tuesdays and Fridays.
The period from 1914-1931 included a big war and the
beginning of the Great Depression, all covered by the
Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.
Barksdale died in 1922 as editor and publisher. His wife
continued the operation of the newspaper until 1924.
At that time, Edgar M. Foster bought the newspaper, after
having been associated with The Nashville Banner for 30
years. Just two years later, however, Foster, who was the son
of former U.S. Sen. E. H. Foster died.
Then, his son, Stratton Foster became owner and president.
Frank Goodlett of Clarksbville became vice president and
general manager in 1927 and Foster returned to Nashville to
become advertising manager of the Nashville Tennessean while
still owning the Leaf-Chronicle Co.
In 1924, the Leaf-Chronicle began publishing a special
Sunday edition, replacing its Saturday edition with it. The
Sunday newspaper included a magazine and a comics section,
and sometimes contained 40 pages. It wasn't until 1982 that
the Saturday edition reappeared.
The next major management change came in 1940, when the
Leaf-Chronicle purchased the Clarksville Daily Star, which
was published until 1941.
Goodlett resigned and returned to the insurance real estate
business.
James E. Charlet was brought in to become vice president
and general manager, while Stanley Gower became executive
editor of both newspapers and Stratton continued as owner and
president.
The political and editorial policy of The Leaf-Chronicle
had been Democratic since 1865. It supported the policies of
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S Truman.
Also, the paper backed Democratic nominees during the 1948
and 1952 elections.
World War II and the development of Camp Campbell (now Fort
Campbell) were just a cou0le of the major news events covered
in the local newspaper during the first half of the 20th
century.
From 1932 to 1958, some of the business decisions of The
Leaf-Chronicle were unique in Tennessee newspaper history.
A group of community weekly newspapers in Middle Tennessee,
owned and operated by The Leaf-Chronicle, was developed.
Today that group still exists, and includes The News
Examiner in Gallatin, The Ashland City Times, The Robertson
County Times, The Dickson Herald, The Stewart-Houston Times,
The Nashville Record and the Hendersonville Star-News--all in
the fold of Middle Tennessee Publishing Co.
Charlet ran the paper until 1978 when he relinquished
management to his son, Jim Jr.
Charlet Jr. stepped down in September 1979, and Bob
Atkins--today publisher and chief executive officer of Middle
Tennessee Publishing Co and publisher of The News-Examiner--
was general manager of The Leaf-Chronicle and ran the
newspaper in the interim.
Luther Thigpen, who had been executive editor of The
Asheville, N.C., Citizen Times, became publisher in January
1980 and remained until January 1991.
F. Gene Washer became the newspaper's 17th publisher at
that time, and remains at the helm today. He started his
newspaper career as a cub reporter in Clarksville in 1963,
working his way up to editor before moving to the business
side of the newspaper.
Dee W. Boaz, who joined the newspaper in March 1983, a
month before it converted from an afternoon daily to a
morning publication, is editor. She had been editor of The
News Examiner.
In 1974, The Leaf-Chronicle was purchased by Multimedia
Inc. of Greenville, S.C.
Multimedia is a diversified media communications company
with four operating divisions. It publishes 11 daily and 49
nondaily newspapers, owns and operates five television and
eight radio stations and a video production company, operates
more than 100 cable television franchises in five states and
produces and syndicates quality television programming,
including Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer
and Rush Limbaugh.
According to Washer, the most significant change in the
paper from 1963 to today has been in the way it is produced.
The Leaf-Chronicle helped pioneer the offset printing
process during that period, after having used the hot metal
production process whereby each letter in print was formed in
lead.
Today, the newspaper is produced entirely by electronic
technology. Production software for the new method was
introduced at The Leaf-Chronicle and is now distributed
nationwide. The paper was also a test site for Microtek two
years ago. Color photography, charts and graphics have also
become an integral component of newspaper design.
The company continues to modernize and employs an average
of 115 people in Clarksville.
(Excerpts for this story were taken from earlier research
on The Leaf-Chronicle's history, done in 1957 by Dr. Lewis
Paul Hyatt of George Peabody College for Teachers.
Also contributing was Leaf-Chronicle Publisher F. Gene
Washer.)
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