Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Directory and Historylished west of Cincinnati was the Missouri Gazette, founded at St. Louis, by JosephCharless, July 12, 1808. It, too, has had a continuous existence, and is now the wellknownMissouri Republican."The first newspaper printed in the territory of Illinois, was founded by MathewDuncan at Kaskaskia, and the first issue was published September 6, 1814. It was namedthe Illinois Herald. John Reynolds, in his history of Illinois, fixes the date of its firstissue as early as 1809, or soon after the passage of the act creating Illinois a separateterritory. In this, however, he is mistaken. He wrote much from tradition, and was notat all times absolutely correct in his dates. He, as well as others who have investigatedthe subject, agree that the first paper published in the territory was called the IllinoisHerald, and that it was published at Kaskaskia, and that Mathew Duncan was the publisher.The best evidence is the paper itself. I hold in my hand a copy of the IllinoisHerald, No. 32 of Volume 2, printed at Kaskaskia, Thursday morning, April 18, 1816,by Mathew Duncan, 'Printer to the Territory and Publishers of the Laws of the UnitedStates.' Presuming that the publication continued regularly from its first issue, then thefirst issue could not have been made earlier than September 6, 1814. I have searched invain for reference to it in the files of the Missouri Gazette, its only contemporary in thewest, but found no allusion to it prior to 1814. The towns of St. Louis and Kaskaskiawere then, as now, connected by water-way; they were the principal cities of the west.There was frequent interchanging of visits between the citizens, of a social and businesscharacter, but yet no reference is made to the Herald or its editor and publisher. ThereforeI conclude that there is no evidence of the existence of a newspaper in the territoryof Illinois, prior to the date above mentioned, except the single unsupported statementof Governor Reynolds."The Herald was in form, a three-column folio, wide columns. A small space wasgiven to professional cards, and the remainder to the publication of the laws of theUnited States. The mission of the Herald, if it had any, was to publish the Acts ofCongress which affected the territory, and give them a certain validity through publication.Mathew Duncan sold the paper to Daniel P. Cook and Robert Blackwell. Thedate of sale was August 2 5, 1817."Mathew Duncan, the pioneer publisher and journalist of Illinois, was born inBourbon County, Kentucky, and was a brother of Joseph Duncan, who succeeded JohnReynolds as Governor of the State. He was a practical printer—that is to say he couldset type, make up the forms and work off the paper."Messrs. Cook and Blackwell changed the name of the paper from the Herald tothe Illinois Intelligencer, and increased its form from three to four columns. Daniel P.Cook was the editor. At that time he was an officer under the Territorial government.He was elected to Congress soon after the State was admitted to the Union, and representedhis district in that body for several terms. He was an able member and waschairman of the Ways and Means Committee during his last term. He died in 1827.Prior to his election to Congress he sold out his interest in the paper to Elijah C. Berry.The firm of Blackwell & Berry continued the publication of the Intelligencer until in1820, when Mr. Berry became the sole owner. In the latter year the seat of governmentwas moved from Kaskaskia to Vandalia, and from that time Kaskaskia, with its historyof nearly a century and a half, began to decline. During that time it had occupied theproud position of being the seat of French Empire in America. It had witnessed theoverthrow of that power by English arms, and in 1778 it yielded to the prowess of ahandful of American soldiers led by the gallant George Rogers Clark. Then it becamethe Territorial capital and in 1818 the capital boasted of a population of 8,000 souls.But its glory has departed. Nothing remains to mark its former greatness but a few