St Elmo Banner ~ P.O. Box 10 ~ St. Elmo, IL 62458
Office: 618-829-3246 ~ Fax: 618-483-5177 Email: Altnewsban@frontiernet.net

St. Elmo Banner over 129 years of Service

Webster's Dictionary defines a newspaper as: "A weekly or daily publication which contains recent news and information." This is something the town/city of St. Elmo has had almost from the beginning. St. Elmo was founded and laid out in the fall of 1876 and recorded at the courthouse in Vandalia on January 20, 1869. The history of St. Elmo newspapers shows that there was a St. Elmo Banner dated March 15, 1876.

This seems to show that wherever there are people and towns being established, newspapers will soon follow. The first paper, the St. Elmo Banner, was a four column quarter sheet, measuring 12x14 inches and was conducted (I assume this means edited) by E.N. Carpenter, at a subscription rate of $1 per annum. Just like newspapers of today, they went out to sell as many ads as possible.

Businesses advertising in this first paper were J.N. Edwards, dry good and groceries; John Pfieffer, groceries, shoes, and notions; Johnston & VanBrimmer, St. Elmo Mills; Elk House Hotel, Martin Kramer; proprietor; Issac Zeigler, dry goods, groceries, boots, shoes and fresh garden seeds; Tyner and Ainsworth, family groceries and post office; J.A. Zellers, carpenter; L.T. Penwell, furniture, frames, pictures and coffins; D.W. McKenzie, physician; W.H. Smith's Lumber Yard; J. Pinkley blacksmith; Dunceford & Woodworth, druggists; Koster’s clock and watch store; S.J. Bassett, physician and surgeon. (Writer's note: That sounds like a large number of businesses for such an early date. Also sounds like a booming town.)

The next paper in St. Elmo was the St. Elmo Chronicle, published in 1883 by E. Hougue Elliff. I found nothing about this family in the history books or census records. As a genealogist, I assumed that Hogue was a surname from another generation, but I couldn’t find anything about that family either. I know there were Hogues in the early history of Greenville, one of the very oldest buildings on the Greenville College campus is named Hogue Hall.

Next on the list of St. Elmo newspapers in the St. Elmo Times, dated from 1888-1893 and edited by C.F. Coleman. I found that Coleman was born in February of 1844 in Missouri. His father was born in Delaware and his mother in Ohio. His wife, May, was born in April of 1844 in Indiana. Her parents were born in Pennsylvania and Ohio. They were married for 18 years in the 1900 census records and no children had been born to them. Their address was Third Street in Vandalia. In the 1900 census, his occupation was listed as editor/paper.

In 1893 there was a paper called the St. Elmo Record edited by John M. Beer. I found some Beers in the records, but no John M. So I have nothing about him to report. We don’t know exactly how long he printed his paper, because the next one says in the 1900s and the next one is dated 1899. In the Industrial Review of St. Elmo history book in an article about newspapers it says: "The St. Elmo Record, established in 1893, has now reached its fourth volume and at present enjoys a large and remunerative patronage, is an octavo sheet of 48 columns, containing the latest news of the day, compiled by telegraph from the four quarters of the Earth. The office is thoroughly equipped with modern devices of the print art and employees only expert journeymen. Our facilities for doing job work are not excelled by any other office in Southern Illinois, and the extensive circulation of the paper places in the front ranks as an advertising medium. Subscription $1.00 per annum. A full line of all kinds of stationary is kept constantly on hand, and orders for work will receive prompt attention. Orders for funeral notices will always precede all other work. A full line of funeral goods kept in stock at all times." Also in this book I found this tidbit: "The Record is the only paper publication in St. Elmo, and it devotes about 12 columns to local news."

The paper listed for the 1900s was the St. Elmo Banner, edited by H.G. Fletcher. Fletcher was born in February of 1870 in Illinois. He lived in the household with his sister Josie who was also born in Illinois. Their home was in Avena Township of Fayette County. Fletcher was 30 years old in 1900, and Josie was 35. In the census his occupation was listed as insurance agent. My assumption is that he either had not started the paper or was finished with it by the time they took the census in 1900, probably the first because I think they usually did the census early in the year.

In 1899 we have the St. Elmo Banner edited by S.E. Moore. I found lots of Moores in the records, but no S.E. or name beginning with S that matched in any way. He only edited the paper for a short while, because the next one on the list is dated 1900. O.H. Dibble edited the St. Elmo Banner from 1900-1904. Dibble was born in October of 1871, and his wife, Amy, was born in July of 1878. In 1900 they were married three years and had no children. They lived in Avena Township, Fayette County. They and their parents were all born in New York. Amy Dibble’s Father, John C. Coney, lived with them in 1900. In the 1900 census Dibble is listed as journalist/editor. From 1904-1905 Mrs. O.H. Dibble is listed as the editor of the paper. I can only assume that her husband died in 1904.

There is a period of 1905-1915 where Samuel W. Kelley is listed as editor, and a person with the last name of Brown. I checked the 1900 census and found nothing on either of them. I looked at all the Browns and found none with the occupation of editor or journalist. I did find some businessmen (insurance salesman and lawyer, etc.) that could have published the paper for a little while. I found one Samuel Kelley, but he was 12 years old in the 1900 census. That would have made him 17 in 1905. I doubt he would be editing a paper at so young an age, but who knows? If this could possibly be the one, he was born in Indiana, the son of Enos and Mary K. Kelley. He was born in Illinois and his parents in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

From 1915-1919 the editor of the St. Elmo Banner was Robert H. Pilcher & Sons. I checked the 1900 census and found no Robert Pilcher. I found several heads of households with that last name, but no Robert with sons. He may have moved to the area after the 1900 census was taken.

Fred W. Hasemeier edited a paper called the St. Elmo Press in 1921. I found nothing on him in the history records. He edited the paper for only a short time, because on the front page of the paper dated April 1, 1924, there was a noticed that read, in part: Due to illness since March 1, Hasemeier was compelled to make different arrangements for the paper. Whereby Miss Rubye Jones had taken over as editor. He also says that he hopes everyone will support Miss Jones, as they have him for the past three years. From 1924-1943 Rubye E. Jones edited the paper in St. Elmo.

The St. Elmo Free Press ceased publication in 1925, and the name changed back to the St. Elmo Banner that was published by Rubye until 1943.

From 1924-1934 Rubye published a paper called the Friendly Farmer. Although Rubye stopped publishing the newspaper in St. Elmo in 1943, she lived a long life in the city of St. Elmo. In her obituary in the March 31, 1977, edition of the Banner, it gives a long list of her accomplishments. She became a businesswoman in 1924 when, at the age of 21, she bought the St. Elmo banner. She was backed in this undertaking by St. Elmo businessman P.M. Johnson. He put up the money for her with only her word as security. Some of her activities were: She was a supporter of the high school band and started a girls glee club; she was interested in politics and served a term as city treasurer and ran for county clerk; was instrumental in organizing a PTA and served as their president in 1931-32; she did a good deal of traveling; encouraged and was instrumental in getting Jarvis Brothers and Marcel to go into the oil business; she served on the medical committee and worked to get doctors to come to St. Elmo; she was director and vice-president of the Fayette County Bank for many years and was a life member of the National Federation of Press Women and was an active member of the First Christian Church and as a young girl she did janitorial work at the church. Rubye, the daughter of Ulyses Grand and Senith Edna Jones, was buried in Maplewood Cemetery.

The September 7, 1945, St. Elmo Banner reads: Well, folks, here is your old St. Elmo Banner back in action again, in a new form but still the same old paper that has served with community for so many years. The Banner had to take a vacation during the latter half of the war, like more than a thousands other weeklies hard-hit by shortage of prints, but it is back on the job now, and back to stay. The new editor has spent two strenuous weeks getting the machinery back into condition to resume operation, and as this is written there is still lots to be done before the shop is in tip-top shape. We could easily have used another two weeks getting everything cleaned up after it long idleness and lined up the way we wanted it, but thought it best to start getting out at least a small paper again. We hope and expect to be able to produce a better paper in succeeding weeks. We will need one or two men to fill out our crew. Mrs. Harriet Howe has taken charge of gathering the news, but other positions still need to be filled. This editorial was several columns long and gave the details of how the paper was going to be run and the last paragraph contained the following: “And now just one closing word. The new editor and his family are establishing their new home in St. Elmo - for many years to come, we hope. We like the people we have already met, and hope to get acquainted with many more of you in the months to come. We want to become a real part of the community, and to make the Banner once again a valuable asset to St. Elmo. This editorial was written by Everett Smith.

In a paper dated September 24, 1945, I found an item I felt was interesting. The headlines were: Sorry- We Ran Out of Papers! The items read, in part: “New subscriptions poured into the Banner office at such a rapid clip last week that we fell short in estimating the number of papers we were to print. Beginning this week, a supply of papers will be sent to the Red Raven Cafe, where they may be purchased for five cents each. The rate at which the subscription list is growing is highly gratifying and gives the promise of building our circulation to the point where we can provide unusually good service for our advertisers. Making it possible for us to then print an increasingly better paper for our readers. Mr. and Mrs. Everett Smith owned and published the St. Elmo Banner from 1945 when they purchased it from Rubye Jones until 1973 when they sold the paper to Mr. and Mrs. Gossett.

Sale of the Banner marks the end of long newspaper careers for Mary and Everett Smith. The Smiths were married in 1934 and she worked with him in the newspaper business. During their careers as editors they were awarded numerous awards for their work. Mrs. Smith is listed in Who's Who of Newspaper Women for her accomplishments as a woman publisher. The Smiths remained in St. Elmo, where they took part in a variety of activities. Mr. Smith worked part time in model railroad manufacturing and sales. The headlines of February 28, 1973, states: Banner Will Have New Publishers Tomorrow. The article continues with the following information: Mary and Everett Smith, publishers for nearly 28 years-since August 1945-have sold the paper to Jay Gossett, prominent Chicago area magazine editor, and his wife Betty.

The Gossetts and their six children moved to St. Elmo the following week, where they lived in the former Leonard Haslett Home on North Main Street. Mr. Gossett, who was 49 years old at the time, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and he married Elizabeth Norton in 1955. There was a long litany of Mr. Gossett's educational activities and hobbies in this article. He said that he wanted to come to St. Elmo because it seemed a good place to live and raise children. In the Wednesday, August 31, 1988, Banner there were two articles about the death of Mr. Gossett. One was written by his son and one by his daughter. Both of these attest to the fact that he was a dedicated, very hard working, newspaperman and had just run out of time. He had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer seven months earlier. His son said that: he died in the harness. He had to get one last paper out, then he could rest. Mrs. Gossett, with the help of a son and daughter, edited and published the Banner for a number of additional years.

In December of 1994, Greg Hoskins, owner of Better Newspapers Inc. in Mascdoutah, Ill., purchased both the St. Elmo Banner and The Altamont News.

In 1998 Barbara and Clyde Barr were promoted from their advertising sales and sports writing positions to become manager and editor of both the papers. Barb has lived in the area since 1979. Clyde has lived in the Altamont area all his life. The Barrs were married in 1991 and live in the house where Clyde grew up in rural Altamont. The couple have three children, Greg, Jeff and Amanda. Greg graduated in 1992 and currently lives in the Shelbyville area. Jeff graduated from St. Elmo High School in 2000 and lives in the Troy area and Amanda attends Altamont High School. Clyde and Barb are involved in SEBA, Barb is the vice-president and Clyde is a past officer . As editor and manager of the Banner, the Barr's would like the community to know that they look forward to providing the best hometown newspaper possible. In the future they hope to become more involved in the community. Their combined goal is to make the St. Elmo banner a valuable asset to the community. They will be working to increase subscriptions. By increasing the subscriptions it will help them provide better newspapers for the readers and advertisers. In 2002 the newspaper started using process color on special editions and the public response was so good they soon started using the process color on the front and back pages on a weekly bases. 2006 the newspaper went from being manually transported to a printer to being sent via the internet. This process cut down on how many times the newspaper was handle before being printed and provided photo's that were much clearer. The Barr's have recently added another way to better improve the service to customers by providing a web site. The Banner went on-line in November of 2007, also providing on-line subscriptions along with options to purchase photo's along with local links. The theme throughout this history of the St. Elmo newspaper seems to be that people need newspapers and of course newspapers need people! Besides Clyde and Barbara Barr other employee's include: long time employee's Casey Kessler & Nancy Barr , Alvin Oliver, Curt Becker, April Stuemke, Marsha Nolan, Ann Marsh, Anna Jean Rhodes, Panzi Blackwell, and Justin Stock. History and news items were contributed by Ellie Maroon.