About Painesville journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1871-1872
Painesville, Ohio (1871-1872)

Painesville Journal and Northern Ohio Journal

The Painesville Journal was established in 1871 in Painesville, the seat of Lake County, Ohio, by James E. Chambers, who shared ownership of the paper with his father, William C. Chambers, Jr. Previously, James E. Chambers had been a reporter for the New York Sun and had worked for several other Ohio papers, including the Toledo Daily Blade, the Cincinnati Daily Times, and the Cincinnati Daily Chronicle. The paper's name changed in 1872 to the Northern Ohio Journal to better reflect its geographical reach beyond the immediate locales of Painesville and Lake County.

A self-declared "family paper devoted to literature, science, agriculture, and general news," the Journal published a variety of content. From local to national and international news, children's columns, agricultural and household hints, weather reports, and editorials, the Journal had a mass appeal. Readers could also find legal and death notices. The "Ohio State News section" featured news from around the state, with particular interest paid to nearby towns and counties. It included a "Stranger's Guide" or "General Directory" that provided information about elected officials, local businesses, and area churches. The Journal prided itself on its business advertisement section and boasted the largest circulation of any paper in the area with the lowest advertising rates, making it the "best advertising medium in the vicinity."

According to Albert G. Riddle's History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, the Journal was initially "independent of parties in politics, and 'isms' in its religious and social departments," but this did not last long. In 1872, the paper led the independent opposition to the reelection of Republican James A. Garfield to his congressional seat, and later, it was among the first in the county to advocate for the "Greenback" movement, supporting Peter Cooper's 1876 presidential campaign. After the Democratic Party adopted a platform supporting financial reform in 1877, the Journal became Democratic in politics and served as the party organ for Lake and nearby Geauga and Ashtabula counties. In 1878, its motto became "A family paper, devoted to the interests of the people, and of the Democratic Party in the Nineteenth Congressional District." Starting in 1892, the Journal was also issued as the Daily Painesville Journal. By 1900, both the weekly and daily editions of the paper had been absorbed by the Lake County Advertiser.

Provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH