About Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927
Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis. (1896-1927)

Eagle River Review, Eagle River Democrat, Vilas County News, and Vilas County News-Review

The Eagle River Review was first published in 1890 and, shortly after, acquired by Orrin Moon, who had previously run the town's first newspaper, the Eagle River Vindicator. At the time, 1,150 people called the Town of Eagle River their home. Residents were mostly lumberjacks and those involved in the fur trade. The growing availability of automobiles in the late 1920s rang in a new era in the remote area of the state. The newly gained mobility made Eagle River more accessible for tourists and helped the logging town transition into a popular travel destination.

Ojibwe and Potawatomi settlements predate the establishment of the town, and Native Americans continue to reside in the area. For the most part, however, the local newspapers neglected to print the news of these communities. Only occasionally did incidents involving American Indian community members appear in print, such as a feud between Ojibwe and Potawatomi locals that turned deadly on January 22, 1893.

The year 1893 also saw the first issue of the Eagle River Democrat. Among its editors was James R. Howe, who would later become a prominent newspaper publisher in Milwaukee. Three years later, under the editorial leadership of C. Francis Colman, the title was changed to Vilas County News. On August 10, 1896, the editor assured his readers in the first issue published under the new name that the renaming by no means reflected a change of political affiliation but was rather a deliberate effort to unite communities and address the growing "agricultural interests of Vilas county." Henceforth, a bird's-eye view illustration of the area including the river, the forest, and fields embellished the masthead.

Despite its new focus on the area's agricultural development, the Vilas County News remained a treasury of logging folklore, publishing several special Paul Bunyan editions in 1921 and 1922 and reporting on the discovery of Paul Bunyan's camping spot on March 15, 1922. In 1920, the newspaper's column "Just Fish Stories" won high praise from other publications.

The two newspapers, the Review and the News coexisted until their merger in 1927, when they formed the new Vilas County News-Review. Both publications leaned conservative Democratic, and there is little evidence of rivalry or acknowledgement between the competitors, even when Editor O. E. Bowen left the News after 4 years in 1905 to join the Review.

Provided by: Wisconsin Historical Society