Goodspeeds, 1890
The history of the press of Johnson County, may be thus briefly recounted:

The Herald was established at Clarksville in 1877, by R. C. Hite; during 1883 it's name was changed to Laborers' Herald and it was edited by the Brothers of Freedom, a secret order among the farmers of the county.

In March, 1882, the first number of the Clarksville Enterprise was published by O. C. Ludwig, who moved his printing material from Springdale.

The Register was printed at Clarksville for a short time, about ten years ago by McCord and Pennington. The material was afterward moved to Paris, Logan County.

In 1885 O. C. Ludwig sold the Enterprise to the Brothers of Freedom, J. R. Tolbert becoming editor, and the name of the paper was changed to Brothers of Freedom. The paper suspended within a year and the outfit was purchased by P. C. Stone, who began the publication of the Economist.

In 1885 the Democrat was established at Knoxville by one Boyd and lived a few months.

In the fall of 1885 the Arkansas Valley was launched at Coal Hill, by Robert Stonecipher. Mr. Stonecipher soon sold out to Mr. Cox who, in turn, sold to P. C. Stone, and the paper was then called The Lancet. It suspended in the year 1887. In 1886 the Economist suspended.

The Clarksville Western Journal was started in March, 1887, by J. W. Adams.

The Lamar News was started early in 1887, by Robert Moffit and Samuel Maysfield. It soon suspended.

The Coal Hill Monitor is now in its third volume. After editing it nineteen months, B. F. Grigsley was succeeded, October, 1890, by Talbert and Wilburne.

In 1888 O. C. Ludwig began the publication of the Arkansan. Subsequently he discontinued it and connected himself with the Herald-Journal. In 1890 he resumed the publication of the Arkansan.

The Herald, eleven years after its establishment by Mr. Hits, was consolidated with the Western Journal, which had been started in 1886, by J. W. Adams. The consolidation was effected March 26, 1888, and the new paper became the property of a stock company with an authorized capital stock of $2,500, all of which was paid in. J. W. Adams was elected editor and business manager. He was succeeded, September, 1888, by O. C. Ludwig, who sold his interest to H. B. Milner, May 8, 1890, when the latter was elected editor and business manager. The paper has been quite prosperous since the consolidation.

Some of these papers were but short lived; some had but a precarious existence, though they lived longer; and a few, it is believed, are established and may be long continued with honor and profit to their publishers. All are entitled to credit, and their founders should be numbered among Johnson County's most enthusiastic and practical friends. Each has, in its turn, done its part in the work of advancement, bearing messages of cheer to remote townships and pointing out public needs and influencing men and money to supply them. The country editor seldom waxes opulent, but he almost invariably does good to the community with which his lot is cast; and this county has been fortunate in the editors of its local journals.