About Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910
McCrory, Ark. (1901-1910)

Woodruff County news and The News-informer

McCrory is in Woodruff County in northeastern Arkansas. In 1862, the Arkansas legislature established Woodruff County, naming it for William Edward Woodruff, founder of Arkansas's first newspaper, the Arkansas Gazette (1819-1836). In 1870, town founder Cyrus McCrory purchased 400 acres of land. His son, Cyrus Wade McCrory, inherited the land and farming business. In 1886, Wade McCrory allowed the Iron Mountain Railroad to build a depot and track on the south side of his property. Industry flourished in McCrory after the first train came through in 1887. A hotel, school, churches, stave plant, furniture store, drug stores, grocery stores, and lumber mills opened. Cotton was the main crop, in an industry dominated by a few farmers who had large amounts of land and field workers. In 1890, Wade McCrory incorporated the new town and continued investing in its development, donating land for churches and schools. In 1902 he opened the Bank of McCrory, which is the oldest and largest in the county and the only local bank that remained in operation during the Great Depression.

In 1901, Gustave W. Kramer established the Woodruff County News in McCrory. The News was the first newspaper in town, and it continued to be the only paper there through most of its run. Kramer issued the Democratic paper on Thursdays. The News focused on county issues and included a listing of the Iron Mountain Railroad schedule. During this time, Walter Wilson Raney worked in Kramer's printing office, assisting with publishing the News. After two years, Raney left to work as assistant postmaster.

Around the same time Raney left the paper, Gustave Kramer also left and sold the paper. In 1903, Ernest Carl Kramer took over as editor and publisher. He lived in McCrory for just a few years, publishing the News in addition to working as City Attorney, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of Woodruff County, and judge in the Arkansas Supreme Court. In 1906 Ernest Kramer hired Charles M. James and both men worked as editors on the News under the News Publishing Company. Shortly after James was hired, Raney returned to the newspaper business by purchasing a half interest in the News, buying out Kramer's interest. Kramer moved to California and served there as District Attorney and judge on the state's Supreme Court.

In 1906, Raney bought full interest in the paper and continued publishing it until 1909. Raney left the News, but later continued his newspaper career by establishing several other papers in McCrory. In 1910, Charles James again bought into the paper, this time as sole editor. James merged the Woodruff County News with the Informer, which was founded that year, to create the News-Informer (1910-19??). The consolidated paper published under the News-Informer Publishing Company and continued to issue the Democratic leaning paper on Thursdays. There is no record of the News-Informer being published past 1912.

Provided by: Arkansas State Archives