[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 116 (Thursday, September 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1860-E1861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THE BEDFORD GAZETTE

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                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 15, 2005

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Bedford Gazette, 
a daily newspaper serving Bedford County, Pennsylvania. On September 
21, 2005, the Bedford Gazette will celebrate its 200th anniversary. A 
solid institution in Bedford, I grew up with the Gazette in our 
family's home.

[[Page E1861]]

  While there is no definitive list of the oldest newspapers in the 
United States that are still published under their original names, it 
is believed the Bedford Gazette is among the 30 oldest newspapers in 
the country. The motto of the paper: ``Published continuously since 
1805. One of America's oldest newspapers'' stakes its historical claim. 
What began as a four page weekly containing mainly political reports 
and stories has grown to publish daily since 1950.
  As with so much of my district, Bedford, Pennsylvania has had a front 
seat to American history. The Bedford Gazette was there as eyewitness, 
recording the first steps of a new nation, and there are documented 
reports of Gazette editors as players in that history. One editor wrote 
of playing billiards with John Brown when he stayed in Bedford (under 
an assumed name) on his way to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, to carry 
out his infamous raid. Another Gazette editor announced to the country 
that Pennsylvanian James Buchanan would not seek re-election to the 
U.S. Presidency. The proximity of the famous Bedford Springs Hotel 
allowed the Gazette access to centuries of America's movers and 
shakers. Presidents James Polk, Zachary Taylor, William Henry Harrison, 
John Tyler, James Garfield, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan all 
spent time at the Hotel and the Gazette was there to record it.
  The Frear family of Bedford has a long history with the Gazette. In 
1935 Hugo Frear became editor of the paper, and when he volunteered for 
service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, his wife Virginia stepped 
in and ran the paper herself. His son Ned would become editor, serving 
for 30 years and eventually his grandson Chris would take the reins for 
another 10. All in all, three generations of the Frear family were 
owners, publishers, and editors for almost 60 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the historical milestone of the 
Bedford Gazette, a newspaper found on all kitchen tables across the 
county, including my own. The Bedford Gazette is more than just a daily 
newspaper. It is an established tie connecting Bedford's rich history 
and promising future.

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