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This is a reprint from The Butler County News.
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| The first issue of the Butler County News was published in this upstairs office over the Butler County Bank (building across the street from Garner's Drugs) by those in the above photo. They were seated front, Moses Holmes Pride, father of Herman, Evelyn, and Roger Pride; standing left to right, Herman Pride, Evelyn Pride, an unidentifed woman, Willie Dale Chapman, Demobale Chapman, and Roger Pride, Jr. The women in the photo set the majority of the type of the newspaper by hand, one letter at the time. R. W. Pride told the present editor that snow was about six inches deep as they put their first issue in the Post Office. |
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| The Butler County News 57, (1929), years ago was located in the building we presently occupy. In photo, left to right, R. W. Pride, C. T. (Sonny) Sims, R. C. Traweek, and Herman Pride. |
The Butler County News
Celebrates
75th Birthday With This Issue
November, 1986
This week the Butler County News will celebrate its' 75th Birthday.
On Thanksgiving Day 1911 the first issue of The Butler County News rolled off the press.
The office was located upstairs ove the Butler County Bank (across the street from Garner's Drugs) and the type was et by hand. While printing the first edition on Wednesday evening, according to R. W. and H. Pride, it bagan snowing. During the night nearly a foot of snow fell and Thanksgiving morning woke up bright, sunny, clear and cold. R. W. Pride, Wilbur Morgan and Leamon Hutner spent Thanksgiving Day rabbit hunting in the snow.
R. W. Pride was the Editor of The Butler County News from November 11, until his death in March of 1957. He had been in the newspaper business in Mt. Holly, N.C., Hyattsville, MD., and Green Cove Springs, FL.
Georgiana at that time has a population of 999, and the city limits were round the center of the town being the concrete slab with the brass plate just north of the depot. At that time there were quite a few old settlers here wo came from Georgia and the Carolinas, but all have long since passed on.
In the first issue of The Butler County News, the following firms were advertisers: Butler County Bank, Ulay Black, Pres.; Georgiana Novelty Company; Farmers Union Exchange; O. H. Warren; W. H. Watson; and a full page ad by the Georgiana Bargain House feathured Headlight overalls for 89¢, ladies' first quality shoes, $1.39 pair. Also, A. H. Feagin; Warren's Hardware' W. T. Foster General Mercantile; Bryan Drug Store; Hood and Stinson; James Sims Hardware; and Pinkney Houston of Garland.
Georgiana had three doctors - Dr. J. C. Watson, Dr. W. E. Morris and Dr. R. H. Watson and two dentists, Dr. S. R. Hartley and Dr. H. H. Kendrick.
Among the first subscribers were: T. R. Hicks, T. L. Rose, W. H. Knox, A. N. Arant, W. P. Bishop, W. J. Weathers, M. D. Majors, W. R. Boone, Dr. W. E. Morris,Dr. S. R. Hartley, A. B. Mathis, W. R. Platt, Richard Dohring, A. E. Goodwin, Hugh Black, H. Y. Leysth, W. A. Davis, W. H. Barganier, Tulley Rigsby, A. A. Rigsby, R. E. Burkett, Gip B. Lee, J. W. Hester, J. C. Huggins, B. J. Griffin, C. D. Vickery, G. N. Sellers, Dr. H. R. Tippins, W. T. Smith Lumber Co., and many others.
At the completion of our 75th year of continual operation, The Butler County News would like to thank all our patrons, subscribers and advertisers, for your confidence in the past and continued patronage in the coming years. We appreciate each of you and will keep doing our best to serve your. Thank you, friends and neighbors.