About The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955
Huttig, Ark. (1907-1955)

The Huttig news

Huttig, in Union County, is in southwestern Arkansas near the border with Louisiana. Most of Union County is forested, and so it follows that Huttig began as a timber company town after the Union Saw Mill Company built a railroad there in 1904. The Frost-Johnson Timber Company built the company town and named it Huttig after industrialist William Huttig, a friend of company president Clarence D. Johnson. Soon after Huttig was built, it had the largest sawmill and was the second largest city in the county until the oil boom in the 1920s. The lumber industry listed Huttig as a model town that was well planned and had many amenities in addition to the sawmill operation. The timber company built segregated houses, schools, stores, and a community house for its timber workers and families. Ownership of the timber company changed throughout the years, but the sawmills remained in operation.

On May 4, 1907, just a few years after the town was created, Charles Arthur Berry published the first issue of the Huttig News. Before starting the Huttig paper, Berry had begun a newspaper in Felsenthal, Arkansas, the Felsenthal Press (1904-19??), and issued it from 1904 to 1905. Felsenthal was also founded in 1904 and is four miles to the northeast of Huttig. Though the two towns were founded in the same year, Huttig was ultimately more successful. A flood in 1906 contributed to the slow growth of Felsenthal, as it halted plans to build a courthouse to serve as center of the judicial district. Felsenthal was even unincorporated in 1911, though it was later reincorporated.

Like many others, Berry was drawn over to Huttig, where he published his new Democratic paper on Saturdays. The News was the first and only newspaper to come out of Huttig. Readers at the time said that it was one of the most popular papers in Arkansas. Berry himself served as president of the Press Association and vice-president of the Arkansas National Editorial Association. While publishing the News, Berry also worked as postmaster for Huttig. In 1921, Berry left the News and Fred Myers Johnson took over. Like Berry, Johnson served as Huttig postmaster. Johnson continued as editor and publisher of the News, and the paper eventually ceased publication in 1955.

Berry seemed to follow the trends of the time, as he continually moved his printing business to the newest thriving town. El Dorado attracted him next due to the oil boom, and in 1921 Berry purchased the El Dorado Daily News (19??-1974) from J. S. Goodman. Others noticed that Berry sold an oil lease that same year for $12,000, and they marveled that he continued working in the newspaper business after acquiring so much money.

Provided by: Arkansas State Archives