About The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867
McGregor, Iowa (1857-1867)

North Iowa Times and Weekly North Iowa Times

The first issue of the North Iowa Times was published in McGregor, Iowa, on October 10, 1856, with a masthead stating, "We march with the flag, and keep step to the music of the Union." The paper was established by Augustus P. Richardson to serve not only as the source of news for the town of McGregor, but also as a voice for the Democratic Party in Clayton County. The first issue contained a vivid description of the advantages of living in McGregor, advocated for the election of James Buchanan and John Breckenridge, and included numerous ads from businesses in McGregor and Monona.

Augustus Richardson was born May 28, 1818 in Philadelphia and spent most of his youth in southern Ohio. As an adult, he moved to northern Indiana where he became active in Democratic political circles. Richardson served one term in the Indiana state senate and was later appointed as a colonel of the state militia. After moving to Iowa, Richardson continued to engage with politics through his work on the North Iowa Times. During the paper's early years, Richardson's writing reflected his strongly partisan Democratic views and political news dominated most of the content. The North Iowa Times extensively covered political conventions, speeches, and elections at both the local and the national levels. Aside from political matters, the paper also published poetry, miscellaneous general interest articles, and correspondence from surrounding towns.

In the years leading up to the Civil War, Richardson wrote in support of the Fugitive Slave Act and accused abolitionists of disrupting the Union. After war broke out, the North Iowa Times increasingly focused on news from the troops, including correspondence from Iowa soldiers. A regular column of "Latest News" was devoted entirely to updates about recent battles and other developments in the war.

In 1857, Richardson was named postmaster of McGregor, and the following year George W. Tenney joined him as a partner at the paper. With Tenney's partnership, the Weekly North Iowa Times became politically independent. Richardson retired in 1861 and was succeeded by John H. Andrick. When Tenney retired in 1863, Richardson returned to the paper and the North Iowa Times resumed its support of the Democratic Party. Richardson continued as editor until his death in 1870. Andrick assumed the editorship and hired George H. Otis as an editorial assistant.

The North Iowa Times went through a number of different publishers throughout the 1890s. Anton Huebsch purchased the paper in 1897, and he became the sole owner and editor by 1899. He remained in this position until 1906 when he moved to North Dakota, but Huebsh returned to McGregor in 1908, repurchased the paper, and continued as editor into the 1920s.

The North Iowa Times continues to publish today and is one of the longest continuously published newspapers in Iowa.

Provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa