.)~~ Spring 2009 ",' Celebrating 200Years of Newspapers in Michigan If, as it has been said, journal­ all from the same source at the ism is the first draft of history, then same time. And when the rush newspapers are the original history of daily life passed by yester­ books. Because of the close relation­ days paper, it was taken up by ship between reporters and schol­ historians, who continued to use ars, it is particularly appropriate that it for their own purposes. the Clarke Library's current exhibit Newspapers are a peculiar celebrates the 200th anniversary of institution because although Michigan's first newspaper's publication. they often assume a public On August 31, 1809 the Michigan function they are, nevertheless, Essay; or) the Impartial Observer, privately owned, commercial appeared on the streets of Detroit. It enterprises. People often was a small paper of only four pages, talk about "our paper" and one of which was printed in French, towns sometimes celebrate and, in the end, a very short-lived and at other times bemoan enterprise. But those few pages the quality of their local opened one of the most important newspaper. But the bottom windows on Michigan and its people. line is that almost every Americans, then and now, learned newspaper has a bottom about their world, exercised their line, and if the ink printed democratic rights, discovered what there is not black the paper will disappear, was happening in their community, however much the community may and planned their weekly shopping trips believe it to be theirs. Because of this herently contradictory, Michiganians dichotomy the history of newspapers have lived with the contradiction, and is an unusual mixture of an institu­ made it work, for two centuries. In this issue ... tion which serves public needs and is In creating an exhibit about often engaged in public education but Michigan's newspapers, there are Acknowledgment of Donors. .3 which is able to perform these tasks some significant limitations. One is Wilbur Storey. 4 because of private enterprise and that there is a dearth of easily found profit. Although this appears in- published information about Michigan's Speakers in the Library . .5 Continued on Page 2 Leonard Refineries Documented .. 6 A Final Word. 7 Continued from Page 1 newspapers. The irony that an industry newspapers IS not simply a matter newspaper to sell their wares. As that lives by the printed word should, of New York City doing it first, and a result of competition for the in fact, be documented in scattered everyone else sooner or later copying public's attention and for ad dollars, printed sources is obvious, but pain­ the papers of that ~ ......___ ~ circulation fell. For- fully true. city. merly profitable papers Another limitation is found in the Conventional began to lose money. geographic scope of most existing newspaper histories Many dailies simply national newspaper histories. These also suffer from a stopped publishing histories tend to focus on newspapers narrative that is focused while others merged along America's eastern seaboard, on the "progress" to survive. with a particular emphasis on New of newspapers from The newspapers York City. Without denigrating the small weeklies to that more often importance of newspaper developments great metropolitan flourished into the in that great metropolis, Michigan's dailies. These mass- twenty-first century, newspapers often prospered in ways circulation papers are were those most often either different from the New York usually represented as ignored in the national City press or in a manner that reflected the late nineteenth histories: community yet varied significantly from the century's arbiters of newspapers with no trajectory of the Eastern papers. The national policy. And national or interna­ history of America's and Michigan's it is certainly true tional aspirations. that the leading news­ Intensely focused on paper publishers in the late nineteenth community news that was too century, men like William Randolph voluminous to make the restricted - Hear-s-t-ef Je-se[>h- P-ulitzer, we:fe-a -time ef- a -televisiorr-flews broadcast well known to the public of their era and often considered too trivial for as network television's anchor newscast­ the major metropolitan dailies, and ers are today. serving as a vehicle for focused But the mention of television advertising, local papers survived and reminds us of awkwardness in presenting sometimes prospered. triumphal histories of ever larger and The history of Michigan's news­ more influential newspapers. By the papers is a peculiar arc that begins late twentieth century, with a few very with weekly newspapers, moves to notable exceptions, America's a period when newspapers in the great metropolitan dailies, state's leading cities became our first including those in Michigan, mass media, and then slowly returns were in retreat. Radio, again to local newspapers which find television, as well as a continuing social and economic the internet, could all niche that allows them to continue deliver "the news" more and in many cases prosper despite quickly and with equal the decline of the big city dailies. if not greater authority. The history of Michigan's papers Those same alternative documents this story. It is our story media could also deliver to tell, and we hope you will visit us mass audiences to to view the exhibit which shares this advertisers, who no story and will run through the end of longer needed to rely August. on the pages of a widely distributed 2 7hanl{ 1fou {of' 1fOUf' SUffOf'f Each year the Library's collections and activities are enhanced and supported through the generosity of our many friends. As in the past, we are pleased to acknowledge those who, through their kindness and concern, have made it possible for the Library to continue to grow. Thank you for your help. List of 2008 Financial Donors List of 2008 Material Donors American Chemical Society, Midland Karen Adams, Mount Pleasant Ms. Carol Baker, Richland Barb Baedder, Lawrence, KS Mr. Geoffrey Bardett, Mount Pleasant Aaron Bauer, Saginaw Valerie and Frank]. Boles, Mount Pleasant LeRoy Barnett, Grand Ledge Mr. George Borel, Ann Arbor Marilyn Beckh~m, Beverly Hills Dr. Mary Ellen Brandell, Mount Pleasant Bendey Historical Library, Ann Arbor Mr. and Mrs.)ames A. Bruss, Harper Woods Valerie and Frank]. Boles, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Karen Louise Chapman, Puyallup, WA Fel Brunett, Fife Lake Robert and Susan Clarke, Harbor Springs Dale Bunker, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Sandra B. Croll, Harbor Springs Kevin lk Elizabeth Campbell, Midland Dr. Janice]. Hartwick Dressel, East Lansing Monroe Causley, Boynton Beach, FL Mr. Tom Endres, Mount Pleasant Dr. & Mrs. Norman Clarke,Jr., Beverly Hills Mr. Michael Federspiel, Midland Charles Cleland, Norwood Follett Corporation, Rivergrove, IL Mrs. Clarence Clohset, Birmingham Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Graham, Mount Pleasant William T. Clynes, Saginaw Dr. and Mrs. John Grossa, Mount Pleasant CM Life, Mount Pleasant Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Helwig, Mount Pleasant CMU Park Library, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Kathleen Flynn Jackson, Cass City CMU Program Board, Mount Pleasant Ms. Susan R. Kaltenbaugh, Jefferson, MD CMU Public Relations, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Christa Kamenetsky, Mount Pleasant CMU Residence Halls, Mount Pleasant Mr. and Mrs. J. Hudson Keenan, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Harold Cook, Mount Pleasant M~. Kie.rap, l5-een~n, Wh~at9n, IL . Mrs. Sandra R Croll, Harbor Springs Dr. A. M. and Ul~na ' Klymyshyn, Mount Plea;a~t John Cumming, 'Mount Pleasant Mr. Ira Kreft, Naperville, IL Sue Ellen Deni-Owen, Mount Pleasant Michigan Business Education Association, Cedar Springs Department of Natural Resources, Lansing Mr. and Mrs. Thomas]. Moore, Mount Pleasant Wendell Dilling, Midland Ms. Nathalie E. Osborn, San Diego, CA Dennis Fas, Levering Mr. Brian A. Palmer, Corvallis, OR Michael Federspiel, Midland Ms. Helen Perry, Grand Blanc Richard Fidler, Traverse City Mrs. Holly Perry, Grand Blanc Mary Jane Flanagan, Mount Pleasant Ms. Gretchen Robert, Holland Sandy Folsom, Mount Pleasant Ms. Robin Melvin Sabo, Mount Pleasant Tanya Fox, Coleman Ms. Susan Sadenwater, Freeland Friends of the Archives, Detroit Conference, Clinton Mr. and Mrs. David Salisbury, Blanchard Gary Giaffone, Mount Pleasant Dr. James Schmiechen, Saugatuck John Grossman, Tucson, AZ Dr. Susan Stan, Mount Pleasant Pamela Grudzien, Mount Pleasant Mr. William Strickler, Mount Pleasant Darby Gwisdala, Mount Pleasant Ms. Kathy Swem, Fishers, IN Mitch Hall, Mackinaw City Mr. Jerry Tutde, unknown Thomas Hall, Mount Pleasant Mr. and Mrs. John Weatherford, Mount Pleasant Jeff Hancks, Macomb, IL Mr. Jack Westbrook, Mount Pleasant Keith Harrison, Holt Mr. Eugene E. Woodward, Midland Ruth Helwig, Mount Pleasant Mrs. Marilyn Jean Zorn, Mount Pleasant Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Midland Vivian Hilfiger, Hillsdale Florence Hill, Crystal Brigid Hinkley, Mount Pleasant Kirk Hise, Genoa, OH Ryan Hoffman, Mount Pleasant Hope College, Holland Continued on Page 4 3 Continued from Page 3 Diane Reed O'Keefe, Pointe Shores Off Campus Library Services, Mount Pleasant List of 2008 Material Donors Wayne Osborn, Delavan, WI Joan Hornak, Mount Pleasant Marie Plude, Gladwin Hoyt Library, Saginaw Public Relations and Marketing, CMU, Mount Pleasant !MC Library, Mount Pleasant Registrar's Office, CMU, Mou~t Pleasant Elaine Jacobsen, Cedarburg, WI Lawrence Robbins, Browns Mills, NJ Joyce Joslin, Mount Pleasant C. Robinson, Bellwood, IL Susan Kaltenbaugh, Jefferson, MD Lance Ruter, Mount Pleasant Sue Karmon, Mount Pleasant M. David Samples, Brooklyn, NY Deborah Kohn, Traverse City John Schroeder, Butler, WI Evelyn Leasher, Blanchard Casey Seiter, Mount Pleasant Charles Lentz, Midland Jules Serbenski, Paw Paw Rod Leslie, Clare David Shirley, Mount Pleasant Library of Michigan, Lansing W. Sidney Smith, Mount Pleasant Robert Madden, Mount Pleasant Bill Spear, Alpena Richard Maltby, Midland Astrid Swanson, Mesa, AZ Sue Ann Martin, Mount Pleasant Al Tennant, Holland Prad Mather, Midland Eric Torgerson, Mount Pleasant . Marian Matyn, Clare Toward a Fair Michigan, East Lansmg Michael McDonnel, Kalamazoo Jeff Tuma, Mount Pleasant Dr.