Wyoming County Newspapers Through The Years
from Lest-We-Forget Wyoming County Pioneers Vol. 6 #1 (15 Sep 1986) and Vol. 6 #2 (15 Feb 1987)
Today Wyoming County has one local newspaper, the New Age Examiner [Update: Wyoming County Press Examiner in 2016]. Going through the old newspapers from the Metcalf collection (purchased and returned from NY State in 1981) we find the following papers were at one time published in our county.
Luzerne Democrat and Farmer’s and Mechanic Journal – 7 May 1841 thru 29 Oct 1841, published by William S. Yahne and John V. Smith
Wyoming Patrol and Republican Standard – 14 Jun 1843 thru 14 Feb 1849, published by William Bolton. In the 8 Apr 1849 issue, it states S. S. Winchester has bought the establishment of Wm. Bolton and changed the name of the paper to “Wyoming Co. Democrat”.
Wyoming County Democrat – 3 Apr 1849 thru 24 Aug 1854, published by S. S. Winchester
Wyoming County Record – 25 Sep 1844 thru 17 Sep 1845, published by O. N. Worden
Wyoming County Whig – 3 Jan 1849 thru 23 Dec 1852, published by C. E. Lathrop
North Branch Democrat – 15 Feb 1854 thru 12 Mar 1856, published by D. A. Yarrington and J. V. Smith; 19 Mar 1856 thru 3 Mar 1858, published by A. R. Conklin and F. G. Osterhout; 10 Mar 1858 thru 26 Dec 1860, published by Alvan and John Day; Gap between Dec 1860 and Aug 1861; 14 Aug 1861 thru Aug 1867, published by Harvey Sickler who changed the name to “Wyoming Democrat” for the 7 Aug 1867 issue.
Wyoming Democrat – 7 Aug 1867 thru 26 Jul 1871, published by Harvey Sickler; 2 Aug 1871 thru Jul 1907, published by Alvin and his son, James Day.
The Wyoming Intelligencer – 16 Jan 1861 thru 15 Nov 1861, published by Benjamin Emory
Wyoming Republican – 8 Feb 1860 thru 13 Feb 1861, published by S. LeRoy Tiffancy; 20 Feb 1861 thru 15 Mar 1865, published by William Burgess; 22 Mar 1865 thru 17 Oct 1867, published by Ira Avery and later by A. F. Yost.
Tunkhannock Republican – Col. Perry Marcy began publication of the paper on 1 Aug 1869, mainly to advocate the cause of Temperance, education and Republican principals. Editor was Albert F. Yost. Mr. Yost had come to Tunkhannock circa 1866 to start a newspaper in the office of the defunct “Wyoming Republican.” In 1873, Yost and Judson Furman leased the “Tunkhannock Republican” from Col. Marcy and ran it until Furman left in fall of 1875. Col. Marcy took over the paper again with Miss S. E. Bower as editor. In 1876 he sold out to Cyrus D. Camp and he later sold it to George Lyman Brothers “New Age” in Feb 1904.
New Age – The “New Age” began publication in 1882, however, little is known about those first years. In 1886 it was bought by Victor Lyman and George Young. In 1887 Berkley Lyman bought out Young and Lyman Bros. was born. In 1876 Berkley and Ellen Atkinson were married and in 1881 brother Victor married Ellen’s sister, Lucinda. The Lymans worked together to keep the paper going. In 1892 Frank Hefferan, aged 16, came to work for the “New Age.” He worked without vacations for 65 years, even hating to take holidays off. He was killed while crossing the street in Tunkhannock on 26 Apr 1957, aged 82 years. Lucinda Lyman died in 1902 and the other three Lymans carried on and expanded the business. In Feb 1904 they purchased the “Tunkhannock Republican” from Geo. Baldwin and on the 18th of that month the first “Tunkhannock Republican and New Age” came off the press.
Tunkhannock Republican and New Age – The three Lymans continued at the paper until the death of Berkley on 14 Sep 1931. Brother Victor, and Berkley’s widow, Ellen, were left at the helm. Victor died 20 Aug 1935 leaving his sister-in-law Ellen alone at the paper. The editorial reins were immediately taken up by niece Lucinda Luce (adopted daughter of Berkley Lyman) and her husband, Cecil K. Krewson. Cecil Jr. began working at the paper while still a student at THS. In 1946 the other Krewson son, Lyman, came to work at the paper. Eventually the daughter-in-laws and even grandchildren took on jobs with the paper, making it a real family affair. On 26 Dec 1947 Ellen Lyman died aged 100 years and 3 months. Summer of 1966 the Krewson family started publication of a second paper, the “Trail Examiner,” in Nicholson. They operated the two papers until Nov 1977 when Cecil Jr. sold them to the “Scranton Times.” The last “Trail Examiner” was published 4 Jan 1979 when the papers were incorporated into “The New Age Examiner.”
The New Age Examiner – First issue 11 Jan 1979 to present.
Nicholson Examiner – a weekly paper published by S. L. Tiffany from ca. 1871 to 1877, when the “Nicholson Item” was founded by E. L. Day; it was removed to Tunkhannock and the name was changed to the “Tunkhannock Standard.”
Laceyville Messenger – first linotype in county used here by Jan 1937 the machine was being used in “Tunkhannock Republican” office.
Meshoppen Enterprise – Kiah Mott publisher/editor
Nicholson Record – published was Moses Shields Jr., and after the fire in 1904 that destroyed the Examiner office.
Noxen Vandette – this newspaper was short-lived.
Factoryville tried two papers, both were also short-lived.