Historical marker notes importance of journalism past, present and future

I had to smile the other day at an unveiling of a new state historical marker occurring in downtown Findlay. The marker celebrated the city's contribution to free speech and political commentary of a city journalist known nationally for his political satire during the Civil War era. I smiled because if you think your local newspaper is too political these days, you haven't seen anything like the days in which Findlay newspaperman David Ross Locke, author of the Nasby Letters, wrote in the mid-1800s. Today readers might say the newspaper leans too far left or too far right, depending on the crowd you're with at the time. Personally, I always thought we must be rather balanced if I heard complaints from both sides. Not so for most of the early days of journalism in the country, where newspapers were blatantly on one side of the political spectrum or the other. Still other newspapers might be published as a pro-labor information source or pro-agriculture. And, in a city such as Findlay, several newspapers often competed against each other to offer readers news of their political leanings. At the time that the Nasby Letters were published there were two newspapers in Findlay – the Hancock Courier, with a distinctive Democrat leaning voice, and the Hancock Jeffersonian, with a distinctive Republican and Unionist voice. Locke was affiliated with the Jeffersonian. The newest historical marker is a fitting recognition of Locke and the Nasby Letters – which offered biting satirical commentary about politics leading up to, during, and after the Civil War. Highly sought after, they had a following not only locally but even with President Abraham Lincoln himself. And, in an historical nugget in researching this column through old newspaper archives, the Jeffersonian was founded by another Speer in Findlay's journalistic history – Samuel A. Spear. Originally called the Home Companion, Spear changed the name of his newspaper to Hancock Jeffersonian in 1857. One would think the readers of the Jeffersonian, with the Nasby Letters regularly in print, would support the newspaper's editorial stance. After all, the letters were a regular part of Lincoln's reading each week, and one would have thought if they were good enough for the President, then they should have been good enough for regular readers. But no, some things never change. In 1879 another newspaper opened in Findlay, this one the Findlay Republican, because area Republicans believed the Jeffersonian wasn't representing all their viewpoints enough. As we celebrate the country's 250th birthday this summer, I believe it was quite fitting to recognize the important role journalism has played here in Findlay. The Nasby Letters quite literally helped shape the future of the country. The impact of the written word is powerful, and Locke's pen helped shape the ideas and positions of the union at a time when the country was divided to the point of war. The historical marker reminds me that journalism today is just as important as it was then to the community. No, we might not have a Locke among us today, but the reporters and staff at your local newspaper are working hard each day to chronicle for you the history of the communities they serve. Are they always perfect? Hardly. But they are professional and they take seriously the role they play of being the local historians for future generations. It's nice to see this marker in the heart of the city that recognizes the contributions of one of our own. Bill Speer is the former publisher of The Alpena (Mich.) News and is a current Findlay resident. He can be reached at speers@chartermi.net.