Genealogy Trails

James A. Lowry and the Hardin County Gazette  

The Hardin County ( Illinois ) Gazette was “An Independent Weekly Newspaper- Devoted to the Agricultural, Mineral, Educational, and Other Interests of Hardin County.“ It began as the Hardin Mineral in 1870. >From 1873 until April 21, 1882 the Hardin Gazette was published and edited by James A. Lowry, seen by many as a fighting editor who stepped into the middle of the Oldham-Belt feud and took on the Ku Klux Klan and their leader, Logan Belt, and his band of assassins and nightriders. Others saw James A Lowry as a meddler and a trouble maker.  In April 1882 James A. Lowry sold the paper and it became the Hardin County Independent, still published today.

An educated man with far-flung interests, James A. Lowry was a naturalist and avid collector, was the County Superintendent of Schools, a Police Magistrate, farmer and dabbler in commodities. He was an active leader in the Democratic Party in this post Civil War era which 'twas not always a popular affiliation...even if one lived in deep Southern Illinois. James A. Lowry possessed a puckish sense of humor and great imagination. He suffered death threats, character assassination, the collective foibles of his own family, and watched his press, collection, resources, and nine years of hard work fire bombed into rubble. He sought to recover but crumbled under family, physical and financial troubles. He bore attacks on his family. He developed acute lead poisoning. Nearly bankrupt and to save his life, he sold his beloved Gazette. After taking the cure in Hot Springs , Arkansas he immigrated to Tyler County, Texas. There he later resumed his newspaper career. His marriage failed and he moved back to Hardin County where he married Martha E. Ginger. In 1910 James was back in Abilene , alone. He died September 19, 1925 in Abilene Texas of complications following a broken hip.

James A. Lowry (1841-1925) was the son of John Lowry (1820- 1899) and his first wife Mary. James A. Lowry was the grandson of Shadrick Lowry (1791 SC- c 1865) and the great grandson of John Lowry (1758 Frederick County VA - c 1848 Hamilton County IL ).   James A. Lowry is my half second cousin two times removed. I have salvaged some clippings from the microfilm chronicling the last three years of the Gazette and will post a few off and on. Enjoy one of two real live “country weeklies” run by a family member. The other was the Dahlgren Echo of Hamilton County IL, published and edited by my father, Euil Wayne Morgan. 

James A Lowry…The Abilene Texas Years...Feuds and Shootouts

Copyright Albert Morgan - Jul 13, 2009

James A Lowry…The Abilene Texas Years

We have previously posted the story of James A Lowry, our "half-second cousin twice removed" kinsman who published the Hardin County Gazette, a weekly newspaper that must be read to gain the flavor of these post Civil War times. >From 1873 until April 21, 1882 the Hardin Gazette was published and edited by James A. Lowry, who saw himself as a fighting editor who stepped into the middle of the Oldham-Belt feud, took on the Ku Klux Klan and their leader, Logan Belt, and stood up to the liquor interests. In April 1882 James A. Lowry sold the paper and it became the Hardin County Independent, still published today. We knew James A Lowry went back into the newspaper business in Abilene , Tyler County, Texas but details were lacking. Now we have new information.

James A Lowry was in failing health when he left the threats of the whiskey makers and the KKK supporters in Hardin County , IL . He took a recuperative trip to the Missouri (or Arkansas ) Hot Springs . James caught "Texas Fever" and headed for Abilene Texas , a new town promoted widely by railroad interests. He arrived in 1883 and took a job as a printer with Charles Edwin Gilbert's "Abilene Reporter", a new paper first published June 17, 1881 . In 1885 Gilbert was in a venomous competition with another new Abilene paper called "The Magnetic Quill". Gilbert convinced James to start a competitive weekly which he did. His paper, "The Taylor County News", first came off the press on March 27, 1885 .  

To understand James A Lowry's "Taylor County News" one must know the story of the "Abilene Reporter" and its rival, "The Magnetic Quill", and the shoot out between the editors on the streets of Abilene . Here is that story as taken from the writings of the Taylor County News and the 125th Anniversary Special Section of the Abilene Reporter-News (http://m.reporternews.com/news/2006/Jan/27/a-look-back-at-th
e-abilene-reporter-news/) (Friday, January 27, 2006)

"The Abilene Reporter-News is the city's oldest business, founded just three months after the town was begun, by 25-year-old Charles Edwin Gilbert. Gilbert, a native of Alabama , came to Texas in 1876 at age 21. For five years in Navasota he published The Navasota Tablet. That paper prospered, but Gilbert's attention was caught by an advertising campaign the Texas & Pacific Railroad was waging for a West Texas town called Abilene . The railroad was billing Abilene as the '' Future Great City of West Texas .''  (Note: This campaign was the source of much of the "Texas Fever" that infected so many in Southern Illinois . Many Hardin families made the move….AWM)

Gilbert sold The Navasota Tablet and moved to Abilene . He rented a three-room shanty for his family and pitched a tent on South First Street between Oak and Chestnut streets, where the first paper was printed. Gilbert published his first issue of the Abilene Reporter on June 17, 1881 , from his tent office. Gilbert purchased a one-page George Washington press from Buffalo Gap's newspaper, The Texas Eagle. The press was the same model, if not the identical machine, as the old press located in the Abilene Reporter-News lobby today. A fire destroyed his entire operation which he rebuilt only to later have problems with a rival newspaper which resulted in a duel.

Competition and a Gunfight
(http://m.reporternews.com/news/2003/Aug/12/competition-and-a
-gunfight)
Tuesday, August 12, 2003

"In an emerging town, Charles Edwin Gilbert soon had competition. "The Magnetic Quill" was established in 1882, exact date unknown, by William L. Gibbs, a part-time preacher who for a time preached a religion based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. (He believed in triple immersion, once for "The Father," once for "The Son" and once for "The Holy Spirit.")
"Gilbert and Gibbs took opposing positions on many issues. Gilbert pushed for immigrants to settle West Texas . Gibbs favored the open range cattlemen. Gilbert promoted the Fair. Gibbs suggested that some of the crops Gilbert had displayed in the 1884 Fair had not been grown locally. Gilbert wanted Abilene to incorporate as a town. Gibbs thought the village was doing well without that expense. Gilbert wanted the land to be fenced. Gibbs opposed fencing.

"The two fought their own printed version of the Barbed Wire War. The editorial battles soon became financial warfare. Gilbert was supported by farmers and struggling businessmen. Gibbs had support of the "cattle barons."

"Gilbert recalled later that for 18 months in a row he operated at a net loss averaging $150 per month. In March 1884, Gilbert took two bold actions. He turned his struggling weekly into a daily publication. And he helped promote a "back fire," a third newspaper.

"Gilbert had on his staff an excellent printer, James L. Lowry (James A. Lowry--AWM), a native of Illinois , resident of Abilene since 1883. Gilbert suggested that Lowry start a new paper, offering him several options. Lowry decided to go it alone. He began The Taylor County News on March 27, 1885 . It was a readable, informative journal, filled with news about the development of the rolling plains."

About a month after he started publication, Lowry had the opportunity to cover a big local event -- the duel between Gilbert and Gibbs. No copies of their papers are available, but Lowry proclaimed the story, " San Jacinto 's Day Celebrated by a Shooting Match -- An Editorial Encounter in Which They Try to Prove That the Sword is Mightier Than the Pen."
The Taylor County News printed the following story about the confrontation on April 24, 1885 .

"San Jacinto’s Day Celebrated by a Shooting Match—An Editorial Encounter In Which They Try to Prove That The Sword Is Mightier Than The Pen

"San Jacinto day was celebrated in Abilene by a shooting match between Gilbert and Gibbs. C. E. Gilbert and W. L. Gibbs, the former the editor of the Reporter and the latter of the Quill, had a difficulty in front of the First National Bank last Tuesday during which both parties brought their pistols into play. Five shots were fired in all, and after the smoke of the battle had cleared away, Gilbert was found to have received a glancing shot across the forehead, and Gibbs had a bruised arm by blow from a loaded whip. The difficulty is the result of the newspaper warfare which has been going on for some time, and was hastened, probably, by an attack made upon Taylor Thompson of the Quill force by Gilbert. Both parties were arrested and placed under bonds. It is an affair which all good citizens cannot fail to regret."

This "Wild West Shoot Out" has generated a number of scholarly historical papers as well as a few dime novels and supposedly even served as the plot for a western movie.
In her thesis on The Abilene Reporter-News, Mrs. Naomi Kincaid wrote that "the old timers said the fight came about because of Gibbs' remarks about Gilbert's opposition to labor unions."

"The two met on Pine Street , Gilbert armed with a loaded buggy whip and a pistol, Gibbs with a "pepper" pistol. Five shots were fired. "Gilbert received a glancing blow across the forehead and Gibbs had a bruised arm from a blow with a loaded whip," Lowry wrote, "Gilbert, who had gone hunting before the fight, was charged with aggravated assault and fined $25 and costs. Possibly as an act of apology, Gilbert resigned as Methodist Sunday School superintendent."

(Abridged from Katharyn Duff's April 19, 1981 "The Story of a Prairie Newspaper")
The Magnetic Quill went out of business in September 1885, and The Abilene Reporter and The Taylor County News continued. The papers were competitive, but without personal bitterness. The Reporter was a sometime daily, sometime weekly paper, according to the degree of local prosperity.

Gilbert sold The Reporter in May 1886 to Dr. Alf H.H. Toler of The Colorado (City) Clipper and moved to Dallas where he purchased The Dallas Times. Later, he merged The Times with The Dallas Herald and for many years was editor-publisher of the newspaper which bore the name he created for it (The Dallas Times-Herald) until it ceased publication.

The Taylor County News was purchased by the Abilene Reporter in 1911. Under new owner Hanks, the newspaper grew. The Reporter added a morning edition called the Abilene Morning News on Sept. 1, 1926 , while keeping the Abilene Reporter name for the afternoon edition. The names were combined in May 1937 to become The Abilene Reporter-News, with morning, evening and Sunday editions.

More On The Taylor County News:
The US Historical Newspaper Guide (Library of Congress) has this information.
Title:     The Taylor county news. : ( Abilene , Tex. ) 1885-19??
Place of publication:     Abilene , Tex.
Geographic coverage:     Abilene , Taylor , Publisher: Lowry & Neely
Dates of publication:     1885-19??
Description:     Vol. 1, no. 1 (Mar. 20, 1885)-
Frequency:     Weekly
Language:     English
LCCN:     sn 86088256
OCLC:     13913063

I do not know who Neely is and I must get the existing microfilm to get the data. I also would like to know more about the paper itself and what sort of mischief James A. Lowry may have stirred up in Texas .

When he printed comments on the severe drought that plagued the Panhandle of Texas, James A. Lowry flashed the same dry wit shown in the Hardin County Gazette. "The weather has been so dry here for the last three weeks," Lowry noted in the Taylor County News, "that the wells are empty and the fish in the creeks are carrying toadstools for parasols."

When hot and dry weather extremes in the 1880's caused the tragedy of cattle dying, people moving, and crops withering, they didn't keep hardy pioneer Texans from joking (and James A. Lowry from reporting) about the situation. Though the first Lipscomb County settlers (North of Taylor County) maintained that the rainfall was sufficient, this drought in 1885 and 1886 over the Texas Panhandle area hit the cattlemen hard. This dry spell was such a rough one that an early settler wrote on a board nailed across the door of his cabin:

250 miles to nearest post office.
100 miles to wood.
20 miles to water.
6 inches to hell.
God bless our home.
Gone to live with the wife's folks.

"Through out his life, James A Lowery had an inquiring intellect. He had a wide range of interests including history, archaeology, mineralogy, natural history, agriculture and climatology. He was a self educated man, and for his day, he was well educated.
Perhaps James's own words describe his life the best. He saw himself as a "... soldier, editor, prospector and recluse..." This passage is from Ed. Ferrell's 1999 Heritage Book publication, "Biographies and Genealogical Abstracts from Hardin Co IL Newspapers 1872-1938", pp 241-244. Many details may also be found in "The Hardin County Independent", September 1925.

In the September 10, 1925 issue, the "Hardin County Independent" reported, "J.A. Lowry, pioneer newspaper man of Abilene , 84 years old, is in a local hospital suffering from a broken hip. He was resting well Tuesday however." ( Abilene , Texas clipping.)

James Lowery, Hardin County 's pioneer editor, died in Abilene , Texas on September 19, 1925 . ( Taylor County Texas , Death Certificate 34103)

Hardin Gazette News July 4, 1879 Travel Reports

July 4, 1879 Volume IX Number 27
Letter from California and a Kansas Report: (Note: Residents of Hardin County were extremely mobile in the 1880’s. Traditionally families would encourage some members to move to “hot” new territories, evaluate prospects, and report back. In this issue James A. Lowry received and printed notes from J. A. Ledbetter in California and from his correspondent “Strata” in Kansas .)

Santa Barbara, Cal, June 19th 1879

Mr. Editor:- This is my birthday, and according to promise I now undertake to give the readers of your valuable paper an account of Santa Barbara and lower California, so far as I have learned.

As before stated, Santa Barbara is the most beautiful place in the world for one to live in. The climate is so perfectly moderate and regular, now, at this time of year, (which is more or less hot in Southern Illinois), the days are perfectly pleasant, and the nights cool enough to sleep under two blankets; and it is just that way all the year There is no rain to bother anything; neither do we need it. The growing crops all look vigorous, and the loose soil is perfectly moist within two or three inches of the surface.

The people do not work their crops any after planting, except there comes a rain afterward, in which case they work their crops once, but never any after the rain stops. It don’t need it, as the weeds don’t grow and the soil is perfectly loose and moist. Every kind of produce and fruit that grows any place in the world grows here, even to the olive spoken of in holy writ, the fruit of which I have this day eaten. I have been shown gardens here that are said to contain every variety of fruit, shrub, and flower to be found on the face of the earth; and from its appearance I think ‘tis certainly correct.

And then our little city is the most beautifully built and ornamented of any place I ever saw. We have nine churches, two high schools and several common schools, a forty-five thousand dollar court house, with jail and jailer’s residence to correspond. Assessments are low, taxes low, and county orders worth 100 cents to the dollar.

There is one building in the center of the city, three stories high, with a large spire cupola on top in which is constructed a huge clock with four faces, and a bell as large as an ordinary church bell, which can be heard all over the city.

As a place of business, Santa Barbara is entirely overdone in every department; and the hard times has stopped all kinds of work, so it is full of idle mechanics and laborers, and a great many are leaving for want of employment. So you see, the only thing inviting about this city is its comfort and health, which can’t be beat. Should any one come here at present to make money they would get deceived.

We have a good ocean view, and an excellent harbor; but it is of the country that I wish to speak most. It is generally mountainous, but with large and very rich valleys that produce every variety of crops abundantly. Our hays are different to those of Illinois ; they are of barley and native oats. The pastures contain something similar in appearance to red clover called alfalfa: it has a root that goes numbers of feet down in the ground. Wheat, corn, potatoes, and all other products grow abundantly and yield largely. This is also a fine stock raising country. Sheep are never spoken of here except by the thousands- never as so many head, or so many hundreds, - but as so many thousands. It is also a fine country for cattle. There is a native growth here called bur clover which grows very abundantly in the spring, and after the dry season sets in it dries down in beds, with a kind of burs, which stock is very fond of, and thrive well on it all summer. The rains commence about the last of October, and then everything is green again until about the middle of May.

There is no timber in this part of country except live oak, and just enough of that for cooking and warming purposes. It dies not require much for warming purposes, as the climate is so mild we do not need it. All the fencing is done with either posts and plank or posts and wire, and stock is not allowed to run at large here except in charge of a herder.

Good land is so high here that I would not advise anyone to come here with a view of farming unless he has a large capital to invest, as land fit for farming ranges from $25 to $100 per acre, according to quality and improvements. The price of produce is about as low as in Illinois , and all kinds of stock are about as low; but merchandise will average 25 per cent higher than in Illinois . So you can see that there is nothing inviting to the poor man either in the country or the town, unless, as I said before it is the health and comfort to be found here. This is about as far as I can report at present, and it is about as correct and unvarnished a statement as I can give.

Oh! I had nearly forgotten to mention that two very large whales passed Santa Barbara yesterday morning; they were seen rolling up the channel by quite a number of people.
[Insert by James A. Lowry: Oh, please sir, have one placed in alcohol and sent to the Gazette office; the editor has always wanted a whale very badly. –Ed.]

Nothing more at present. Respects to all friends.   J. A. Ledbetter

Kansas Correspondence

Editor Gazette-
Thinking that perhaps a little Kansas gossip would not be unwelcome reading to your readers, I therefore endeavor to interest them for a short time.

The most important thing to a Kansan, more especially the merchants and farmers, is
The Corn and Wheat Crop

In this portion of the State the winter wheat is decidedly the best, especially that put in with drills; the straw is short but well headed, and in most cases tolerably thick on the ground. Spring wheat is almost, if not entirely a failure. Acres upon acres headed out and the straw was not six inches long, while there are numbers of acres that will not head at all. Oats are light and won’t be what is considered a half crop. When you strike us on corn we have you. Corn is looking splendid. Farmers generally have taken great pains to cultivate it thoroughly, and you can pass field after field without detecting a sprig of   grass or seeds in any of them. The acreage too, is almost double that of last year.

As you have all no doubt, read of our cyclone that passed over Kansas a short time ago, I will skip that and proceed to expand on Beloit’s latest sensation, viz:
A Genuine Hail Storm
Which occurred here on the night of the 10th inst (June 10, 1879). We had been having prospects of rain all day, but none fell, and towards evening the atmosphere became heavy and oppressive. About 8 o’clock it began to rain, mingled with the hail. The wind was from the north, but it suddenly changed to the northeast, and then the destruction began. Hailstones fell weighing all the way from nine to seventeen ounces, and perhaps larger. (No one cared to risk getting his cranium cracked by hunting up larger ones.) For fifty-eight minutes this was kept up without ceasing, each stone seeming to fall heavier than the ones before it. There was no regularity about them, some falling that were round, while others were square, oblong, &c. There was not a building with windows facing the northeast but what had the glass totally demolished. Tin and iron roofs stood not show at all. The hail passed through them almost as though made of paper. In many cases, after passing through roofs and sheathing, it passed on down through the ceiling, falling on the floor beneath. The damage to the town, as near as could be ascertained, was about eight thousand dollars. Luckily for the farmers the track of the storm was not more than one mile in width, so the crops were not much injured. The next day we had a glass famine, there being not enough glass in the town to repair the broken windows; however a new supply has been received since, and once again the town presents its usually pleasant aspect.

We bow come to the theme nearest and dearest to a Beloitites heart, the great Kansas Pacific Railroad.  

You are aware that the Central branch of the Union Pacific R. R., runs through this place, this being the terminus until recently. Now the H** Pacific or ***** Valley branch of it, the present terminus being Minneapolis, Ottawa, Co., has submitted a proposition to our county that if we vote them fifty thousand dollars, bonds, they will build the road to this place.   There will be an election held July 8th, next, so that it is a matter of some doubt yet whether the bonds will carry or not. Should they carry, Beloit will profit thereby. But she has not been lying dormant since the Central Branch went on; not by any means.

We have a foundry just completed and numerous business and dwelling houses. Our hotels are crowded all the time.

Soldiers and Sailors Reunion   which is to be held at this place July 3d, 4th and 5th; already a great many companies have been organized in the northwest, and a grand time is expected. As usual, earnest speakers are to be present, one of whom, it is rumored, will be Gen. John A. Logan. A cavalry company has been organized by the boys in town, and the sport in drilling every evening is immense. A grand ball is to be given by the band boys on the night of the 4th in the Opera House, and let me remark right here that we have a home Minstrel Troupe that has met with success from the beginning.

We must either close this letter or you must enlarge the paper; so with kindest regards to the Gazette I remain Yours Truly, STRATA