NEWSPAPER
INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE
The Farmington News was founded in 1883 by T. P. Pigg, present publisher of the Arcadia Valley Enterprise, who continued to publish it until May 11, 1900 when he sold it to Harry and Clint H. Denman. On August 21, 1907, the business was incorporated under the firm name of The Farmington News Printing Company with a capital stock of $15,000, one-fifth of which was owned by C. B. Denman and two-fifths each by Harry and Clint H. Denman. In December, 1915, Harry Denman bought the interests of his brother, Clint H. Denman, and a few years later Mrs. Harry Denman bought the interest of C. B. Denman.
For 38 years Harry Denman has been editor and business manager of The Farmington News, and for the past 20 years Mrs. Denman has been secretary-treasurer of the firm. For the past twelve years Mack F. Denman has been assistant editor of The News.
The Farmington News has been a pioneer in this section in the use of modern equipment. One of the first cylinder presses to be brought to Southeast Missouri was installed in the plant of The Farmington News. This was followed a few years later by steam power and a folding machine. In March, 1903, a standard Mergenthaler linotype was purchased--the first standard typesetting machine to be placed in any printing office between St. Louis and Memphis. Following the installation of the linotype machine other new and modern equipment was added from time to time until today the plant is one of the most complete to be found in towns several times the size of Farmington. It includes two model "C" three-magazine Intertype machines, an eight-page web-perfecting model "A" Duplex newspaper press, which prints and folds at one operation an 8-page, 8-column newspaper complete at a speed of 3500 per hour; four Gordon job presses; a 24X36 two-revolution Lee pony press; a 32-inch C. & P. power paper cutter; No. 7 Boston power stitcher; two electric cut casting machines, saw, router and ten electric motors, and much other modern equipment.
The Farmington News has for 55 years published each week without missing a single issue, featuring a complete coverage of all the important news and happenings of St. Francois County. On three special occasions it issued a daily edition--the sessions of the St. Louis Conference of the M.E. Church and the M.E. Church, South, and during the annual St. Francois County Fair.
During the years it has published many special editions, the most noteworthy of which was the Historical number, published on September 9, 1927, the occasion of the dedication of the new St. Francois County Court House at Farmington. This edition consisted of 72 pages and 7000 copies were printed and distributed.
The Farmington News has always enjoyed a large circulation. For many years this circulation has averaged 4000 copies weekly. Of this number, about 3200 copies have gone each week to subscribers living within the St. Francois County trade territory.
The reporting of news happenings of St. Francois County accurately and concisely is the one thing the newspaper has particularly laid stress on. As a result of these efforts in the weekly newspaper field, it was recognized in 1927 by Prof. John H. Casey of the University of Oklahoma as one of the outstanding country newspapers in the United States and placed that year on Casey's mythical All-American Newspaper Eleven.
NEWSPAPER
INDEX PAGE
HOME PAGE
The information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to MOGenWeb to make it available online.