The Winona County union-free press (St. Charles, Minn.) 1919-1922 Browse the title

On September 5, 1919 the St. Charles Union merged with the Lewiston Free Press to create a new newspaper, the Winona County Union-Free Press. The new publication was to combine the best of both of its predecessors, including general news, editorials and other articles printed as general interest to all of Winona County. The paper also devoted part of each of its issues to the many small communities in Winona County. Communities represented in the newspaper included St. Charles, Lewiston, Bethany, Utica, Saratoga, Fremont, and even Dover and Elmira in Olmsted County.

Of the two former papers, the St. Charles Union was much older. At the time of the merger it was in its forty-third year and L.A. Warming was the editor and publisher. The Lewiston Free Press was the successor to the former Lewiston Leader, and was eight years old at the time that the papers combined. The Leader had originally been started in Lewiston, Minnesota by A.W. Klein, who sold out to F. E. Franks on April 15, 1915 when the name had been changed to the Lewiston Free Press.

The Winona County Union-Free Press was published weekly, as an eight- to ten- page paper with six columns. It was under the general direction of editor and manager C. L. Franks, who handled the news and editorials. It was owned by F. E. Franks and Thorwald E. Warming. T. E. Warming took charge of all printing and had general supervision of the mechanical end of the business, and F. E. Franks was circulation manager. The Press was considered politically independent.

On February 10, 1922 the Winona County Union-Free Press changed its name again, to the Inter-County Press.