Paper has long history in Decatur

— Looking at archival issues of the Decatur Herald in the Iva Jane Peek Library gives a glimpse into Decatur’s past and into the history of the newspaper.

According to the History of Benton County by J. Dickson Black, the Decatur Herald was founded in 1896 by W. T. Gann, who later sold it to Arthur Tallman who also owned the Gentry Courier for many years. Later John L. Buckner published the Decatur Herald, but there are no dates as to when he bought it or when he quit publishing, the book states. It does list Buckner as the publisher in 1915.

The Decatur Herald drops out of sight for a while, but resurfaces again in 1954. A March 1955 article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, on Decatur’s All-American City award alludes that the Decatur Herald was closed for more than twenty years - perhaps because of the Great Depression. The article was reprinted in the book, “Lloyd Peterson and Peterson Industries: An American Story.”

“A newspaper, the first in twenty years, is giving the town a try. It’s a weekly called the Decatur Herald,” the article states.

Archives of the newspaper in the Iva Jane Peek library list the publisher and as Ralph Progue and associate editor as Joe McGuire in 1954. Subscriptions cost $1 in Benton and surrounding counties and $2 for those living outside the area.

The newspapers were addressed to Ford Buckner. The archives don’t begin with the first issue, but an article in the October 1955 issue celebrates the newspaper’s first anniversary.

Political cartoons showthat some things have changed and others have stayed the same over the years. One cartoon encourages the idea of allowing other countries to sell their products in the United States instead of handing out foreign aid. Another depicts a sweaty taxpayer pushing a fat “political power group” up a hill in a padded wagon labeled “federal power.”

Advertisements also show the changes over the past fifty years. For example, Tom North Motors, Inc., of Southwest City Mo., advertised a long list of cars for $95 starting with a 1948 four-door black Buick. The most expensive vehicle in the advertisement was a 1955 Ford custom two-door, V-8, three-tone, blue Fordomatic, with a heater and a guarantee, for $1,895.

Rollers Grocery store advertised two pounds of popcorn for 25 cents, one pound of Kraft cheese for 45 cents and Bacon for 19 cents. The Decatur State Bank also advertised regularly and featured pictures of local children with catchy phrases.

The grand opening of the Decatur State Bank on Aug. 5, 1954 made big headlines, with a celebration that included barbecued chicken. The installation of new gas lines for Arkansas Western Gas and the formation of an association to promote the “black-topping” of Arkansas Highway 102 also made the news in 1954.

On Jan. 27, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower sent a telegram congratulating Decatur Mayor Charles Daves on Decatur’s All American City Award. Former President Harry Truman also wrote a letter to Decatur Chamber of Commerce president Judge David Compton, congratulating him on the award. Both correspondences were published in the Decatur Herald.

According to a scrap book in the Iva Jane Peek library, Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. and Rena Tucker came to Decatur and bought the Decatur Herald in April of 1956. They bought a building from the Chamber of Commerce for $3,000 and purchased modern printing equipment for $9,700. Remodeling the basement, installing the necessary gas, electric and sewer lines and adding a flower box to the front window cost a total of $800 according to the scrap book. The Tuckers cleaned up the lot behind the building and changed the paper from a five column tabloid to a short six column paper.

An article in the Sept. 19, 1957 issue of the Decatur Herald reminded customers that the paper came out on Thursday and was not mailed until Thursday afternoon. Tucker wrote that deadlines were changed to noon on Wednesday so the paper could be mailed late Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.

“Don’t be confused, the Decatur Herald has not been late but twice since wepurchased the name,” Tucker wrote.

The Sept. 19, 1957 issue also announced that after necessary reports, records and examinations, the Decatur Herald had received second-class mailing privileges that would change its status from a box holder to a newspaper.

“Because of certain laws governing same it gives your paper a better rating in many ways,” the article states.

A Statement of Ownership printed in the Oct. 1, 1959 issue shows Roy L. Tucker as the owner, editor, managing editor and publisher, and states the Decatur Herald has a average circulation of 443.

Roy Tucker attended every Chamber of Commerce meeting and supported all civic activities, according to a notation in the library scrapbook.

“A city as small as Decatur is indeed fortunate to have a modern printing plant. In fact we are the smallest town in Arkansas to have a print shop. As proof of the Tuckers interest in Decatur they have purchased a lovely home on Main Street,” it said.

Community, Pages 2 on 03/17/2010