VICKSBURG, MI HISTORY
Vicksburg Commercial Print Shop Page 3
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Door of the restored Commercial building that acknowledges the Penfield and Clark families |
The History of the Vicksburg Commercial
Property of the Vicksburg Historical Society
| Historic Village - VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL PRINT SHOP PAGE 3 |
| The Print Shop and Printing History |
| Vicksburg Commercial History |
| Historic Village - VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL PRINT SHOP PAGE 4 |
| Historic Village - STRONG SCHOOL |
all contemporary photographs taken by Dick Branch
THE PRINT SHOP & PRINTING HISTORY - CONTINUED
THE LINOTYPE
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A German immigrant, Ottmar Mergenthaler, a watchmaker, worked as inspector and repairman for the government in Washington D. C. during the 1860's. He removed to Baltimore and in the 1880's invented and patented the Linotype. Previous to 1884, all type for printing had been set by the hand typesetter as described above. Mergenthaler's invention caused a worldwide revolution in typesetting and effectively spelled the doom of foundry type. It took half a century before this machine, too, was rendered obsolete by the computer. |
COMPOSITION AND LOCKUP
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After the form has been put together and proof
read, the compositor must adapt the form to the size of the paper on which
the printing is to be done.
By the use of spacing material - leads and slugs - the compositor shortens or lengthens the form to the size he wants. To make sure the form does not come apart he ties twine about the form thus preventing pi-ing ( the form coming to pieces ). He then places the form on a galley until needed. Before print can take place, the form must be securely locked before it can be placed in the press. And he does this by the use of wood furniture and quoins. All secured, he places the chase in the press. |
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PRESS WORK
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MAKE READY:
The pressman first inks his press with the proper color. He then places the chase on the press bed, then prints on the tympan paper so that he can position the paper in relation to the type. He does this by the use of gauge pins, insuring the proper register of every printed sheet. Pulling a proof he will continue examine the sheet to see that everything in the form is printing properly, not too much pressure, all elements of the form printing properly. By the use of underlays or overlays he can produce a properly printed sheet. Everything being ready, the pressman piles paper on the feed table, adjusts the speed of the press and runs the specified number on the order. A journey at the Commercial, Johnny Gilchrist, was able to feed up to 3000 an hour on the press shown here. |
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| The Vicksburg Commercial, one of Michigan's oldest weekly
newspapers, was established January 20, 1879. Two
families, PENFIELD and CLARK , were primarily responsible for achieving
this long history.
The restored building is a tribute to the role the newspaper has played in recording area history and to the publishers who made it all possible. click on image to enlarge it  Vera Penfield, publisher from 1931 to 1947 The Vicksburg Commercial, established by THORNTON & CROSS in 1879, was the town's third newspaper following the Vicksburg Union (1873 - 1877) and the Vicksburg Monitor (1875 - 1877). The Commercial began publication in rooms located over a store on Main Street. Soon after its establishment, Mr. Thornton sold out to Mr. Cross, who also published the Wakeshma Sentinel. JOHN B. PENFIELD served as the Commercial's second and fourth publishers. He was listed as publisher in 1881, but after a few years he decided to devote himself to job printing in Three Rivers, Sturgis, and Centreville. CHARLES BALDWIN purchased the newspaper in 1884 and moved it first to the old wool house on the north side of West Prairie Street, and later to rooms upstairs at 103 East Prairie Street. click on image to enlarge it  Vera and John Penfield JOHN B. PENFIELD repurchased the newspaper in 1892. After his death, in 1917, his daughter, ELISE, ran the office for a short time until her death in 1919. The publisher's mantle then fell to John's son, JOHN L. PENFIELD, who stayed at the helm until his own death in 1931. John L.'s wife, VERA, brought the paper through the Great Depression and the difficult days of World War II, then sold it to MEREDITH and BERNICE CLARK in 1947. click on image to enlarge it  Meredith and Bernice, at left, Mason Bishop, Peggy Zonyk, and Ed Waldron got out the paper in the 1950's. In 1972 the paper purchased the Schoolcraft Express and, eventually, the newspaper's name was changed to the Commercial Express. The Clarks sold out to WEST MICHIGAN PUBLISHERS in 1977, which was succeeded by VICKSBURG PUBLICATIONS in 1979, MICHIGAN WOMEN'S TIMES in 1994 and PATRIOT PUBLICATION, Inc., in 1996. |
The Commercial Documents Vicksburg History
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Vicksburg?s Written History Starts With the Vicksburg Commercial From an article written by Mabel Hawkins Except for personal reminiscence, the details of the growth of the village of Vicksburg from the days of John Vickers? mill in 1830 to the latter part of the 19th century are as the pages of a closed book. But with the establishment of the Vicksburg Commercial in 1879, the pages of local history open to us. The Commercial has published continuously from the date of its beginning, andexcept for some early copies burned by a misguided hireling, the files are still available to the interested student of local history. The first copies of the Commercial consisted of four pages. General national news, literary bits, and a local business directory made up the front page. All local items were on page three. Today, our newspaper has an up-to-date format, and news coverage is complete and impartial. However, those old issues have something of the personal and the unexpected that keep the reader fascinated, even though he may be unfamiliar with the names in the news. Copies of the Vicksburg Commercial are available to the public on microfilm at Vicksburg District Library. |
| A History of Vicksburg, Water Over The Dam, chronicles the Vicksburg Commercial: |
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click on image to enlarge it  The Vicksburg Commercial is the oldest business concern in continuous existence at Vicksburg. It began publication Jan. 20, 1879, and went on to succeed where others had failed. The establishment of a newspaper ranks with the arrival of railroads, in terms of giving permanence to a community. The newspaper provides the only comprehensive record of local affairs and as guardians of our heritage, editors deserve special study. The first newspaper in Vicksburg, the Union, was founded by a Civil War veteran, Louis E. Jacobs, in 1873. Jacobs died in 1883 and the Union was taken over by Charles P. Sweet. Little is known about either men and no copies of the Union survive. The Union shut down in 1877. Another newspaper, the Vicksburg Monitor, was established in 1875 by C. W. Bailey & Brother. The 1880 History of Kalamazoo County indicates the weekly paper had a circulation 300 and was printed on a hand press. The Monitor continued publication until 1885. The early career of this paper was a checkered one,' reported the Commercial retrospectively. In 1901, Cross-hatched might have been a better adjective, for the paper was launched by Thornton & Cross, of Sturgis, in conjunction with Samuel Cross of Centreville, and managed by Fred W. Cross, also of Centreville. The History of Kalamazoo County, 1880, described the Commercial as a eight-column folio sheet, issued weekly. 'Politically it was independent; had a circulation of between 800 and 900. Mr. (Fred) Cross also issued a paper called the Wakeshma Sentinal, edited locally by Rev. D. H. Reiter, of Wakesma (later of Vicksburg). It was later printed in the office at Vicksburg. A hand press of the 'Washington' hoe pattern was used." The office was located in rooms above R. Baker's store. 1884 proved to be an important year in the history of the Commercial. Charles A. Baldwin purchased the Commercial and moved its office to what was known as the "wool house" located west of the post office. Accord to Chapman's Biographical record, "Charles A. Baldwin, the efficient Postmaster of Vicksburg, is well known throughout this section of country as the editor and proprietor of The Commercial, a bright and spicy paper which is independent in politics and devoted to the social and business interests of the community. Baldwin moved The Commercial office to the 'new' Kimble block in 1885, and installed a new press. This was a Fairhaven cylinder press, which the retrospective account said, ' was the object of great curiosity on the part of many of our citizens, who came in on 'press day' to witness it in operation.The new press made a big difference. Unlike the old hand press that would print but two pages, the cylinder model printed four pages. so the 'ready prints' or 'canned' patent sheets printed in Chicago were abolished, and (the paper) has ever since been printed at home entirely, enabling us to make our own selection of matter fitted especially to the tastes of this particular locality.' Thus the Retrospective added without undue modesty, 'Giving our readers the best of everything in the news line. In 1902, during the Commercial's Penfield-Clark era, described above, the paper was relocated to the Smalley Block, south of Mrs. E. Rawson's Millinery Store. But, by 1902 The Commercial faced new competition when Dudley Axtell began publishing the The Herald, but it lasted only 13 months. In 1906 The Herald was revived by Edwin Pace as a semi-weekly, gaining about 900 subscribers at its peak. The second effort fared a little better, lasting about 5 years.In 1904, Louis C. Rapp and Edwin A. Mackey, his son-in-law, began publishing the Wolverine Crank semi-weekly. Its office was located in a building on E. Prairie Street - that later housed the Brady Township Offices. Publication ended in 1905 click on image to enlarge it  Wolverine Crank 1904 To See articles from the Wolverine Crank see the Vicksburg History Pages Both papers were used by the Grand Trunk Rail Road for advertising - see the Vicksburg Deport page. Webmasters note: The Commercial one hundred years ago was not confined to local news as it is today, but carried national news and subscribed to national news services. The Commercial was a semi weekly newspaper from 1901 - 1933 according to the Library of Michigan Newspaper History Project.) See: EXCERPTS FROM THE VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL November 11, 1892 to get a flavor of the newspaper at that time
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Samples from the Vicksburg Commercial
Friday Edition, November 11, 1892.
| WAKESHMA Marriage, Epworth League Concert, Personals, &c. FULTON, Nov. 9, 1892. Mr. A. Teed is on the sick list. Mr. J. Mott is home for a few days. Born, to Mr. and Mrs. B. Hazard, a girl. Miss Vira Carr has closed her school in the Lynn district. Miss Grace Bowman closed her school in Brady last Friday. Mr. A. Snyder and wife, of Athens, are in town for a few days. Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Gates have returned from their western trip. Mr. W. E. Carr, of Battle Creek, spent Sunday with friends here. Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Blood, of Athens, were the guests of Mrs. B's mother. The Epworth League will give a concert in the G.A.R. hall Friday night. Miss Ada Barnum, of Schoolcraft, was the guest of the Misses Ames Sunday. Mrs. E. Hess and Miss May Hubbard, of Kalamazoo, are visiting with friends here. Mr. Ward, who has been very sick for some time, is still in a critical condition. Messrs. Ellis and George Bidleman, of Schoolcraft, were in town Saturday on business. The L. O. T. M. served dinner in the hall election day for the accommodation of the voters. T.J. Overholt, who is attending school at Ann Arbor, is at home for a few days. He came home to vote. Sheridan Mapes, formerly of this place, but now of Detroit, was married to Miss Minnie Eldred, of Climax, last Wednesday.
Married.
SEE SUPPLEMENT TO THE VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL |
VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL PRINT SHOP PAGE 2
VICKSBURG COMMERCIAL PRINT SHOP
PAGE 4
Kalamazoo
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