THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Of the several known newspapers published in Weedsport, only the Weedsport Sentinel and the Cayuga Chief had relatively long life spans.

The earliest newspaper in Old Brutus Historical Society files is the Weedsport Advertizer, published every Wednesday morning by Frederick Prince. Publication began in July of 1827 and only issues 41 and are known to exist. Mr. Prince published the Northern Phoenix in Weedsport in 1SS0 but the termination date is unknown and no copies have been found.

In 1853 volume 4 of another Weedsport Advertizer appears. R. J. Becket was publisher - no other information at this time. In 1860 Smith and D. C. Van Allen started publishing the Weedsport Monitor. Publication probably stopped about two years later. The plant was idle until February 1867 when John Gibb & Son began publication of the Weedsport Sentinel.

Four years later the Sentinel was taken over by S. D. Lee and Brother. Then, on October 12, 1872, George R. Nash became owner and publisher. Mr. Nash continued publication until his death in 1988. Mr. Nash, as is true with most country newspaper editors, was a true individualist, ran his own show and spoke frankly. The barbed verbal shots exchanged with editors of other newspapers, particularly Dr. Ira D. Brown and the Cayuga Chief were frequently classic. Nash did, however, protect his integrity by proclaiming in every issue of the Sentinel, "I know not what the truth may be, I tell it as 'twas told to me." The Sentinel was printed on the third floor of 8911 South Seneca Street - the present site of Whittler's Green.

Dr. Ira D. Brown was also a man of independent mind who enjoyed verbal sparring with anyone who failed to agree with him. Dr. Brown and his son Harry brought out the first issue of the Cayuqa Chief on June 16, 1877. The company name was H. D. Brown & Son. By 1878 the paper had a circulation of 850. After his father's death in 1899 Harry continued publication of the Chief. He formed a partnership with Eugene C. Beach' and together they published the Chief and printed the Northern Christian Advocate, a Methodist weekly. The Brown-Beach partnership was dissolved and H. D. again became sole owner of the Chief, running the business until his death in 1915.

George W. Churchill managed the operation for the Brown Estate until it was purchased by George G. Valentine of Rockaway Beach, Long Island in 1916. In 1988 Mr. Valentine built the building now occupied by Old Brutus Historical Society at 8948 North Seneca Street. After the death of George Nash in late 1988, Valentine absorbed the Weedsport Sentinel but terminated the Sentinel name. Elfred C. Valentine, son of George, joined his father in 1988 as editor. The editors desk displayed a card designed to bring the New York Times classic slogan down to the local level - It read "A small town is where everybody knows what's going on and they read the local paper to see how much it dared to print."

In 1947 the Valentines purchased publication rights to the Port Byron Chronicle and Cayuga County News, F. Howard Hosmer in 1956 purchased both the Cayuga Chief and Port Byron Chronicle and three years later

consolidated the two weeklys into one publication, the Chief-Chronicle. Hosmer sold his "Community Newspapers" organization to Theodore L. Miller in 1960 and the Chief-Chronicle publication site was moved to Red Creek. Later Angelo F. Palerma bought out Miller and still publishes several regional weeklys under the name of Wayuga Community Newspapers.

Weedsport was the home of two other weeklies published by W. E. Churchill, later in parknership with his son, George. These included the Cayuqa Republican.which began publication in 1891 and soon became the Weedsport Republican, The last issue in the Old Brutus file is dated July 25, 1901. It is assumed that publication ceased soon afterward.

During the middle 19S0's The Burritt Press published a small weekly known as the Burritt News, It was a short-lived venture and only a few copies appear to be available.