Mower County news (Austin, Minn.) 1920-1947 Browse the title

On October 4, 1920 Herman Roe, managing editor of the Northfield News and Joseph L. Gannon, foreman and assistant manager of that paper, bought the Mower County Transcript-Republican, a semi-weekly newspaper, published in Austin, Minnesota. A week later, on October 11th, the name of the paper was changed to the Mower County News. Mr. Roe, for many years secretary of the Minnesota Editorial Association, remained in Northfield, while Gannon went to Austin to become the business manager.

The News was eight pages with seven columns and considered Republican in its political leanings. It was published semi-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Roe and Gannon stated this about their vision for the paper, "News is the one commodity this paper will supply to its patrons—news that tells about all the happenings of the county, in the city, the village and on the farm—and store news in its advertising columns in which merchant and manufacturer, banker and business man can inform our subscribers of the service they can render..." The paper was designed to supply news not only to the city of Austin, but all of Mower County. Thus the name of the paper was changed to the Mower County News.

On September 18, 1922 F.C. Preston became manager of the paper. He had purchased the interest of J.L. Gannon who went back to work at the Northfield News. Preston was a long-time newspaperman who had worked as an editor in Illinois and Michigan before he moved to Austin. Just previous to his position with the Mower County News he had worked for six years as assistant manager and advertising director for the Aberdeen Daily American in South Dakota.

The management of the Mower County News changed several more times during its history, until it ceased publication on May 29, 1947.

Sources

Adams, Jean H. and John Kay. Tales of Mower County. Austin, Minn.: Mrs. Jean H. Adams, 1949.

"Buy Austin Semi-Weekly." Editor & Publisher, October 16, 1920, p. 11.