The following appeared in the Rock County Star Herald on March 27, 1958.
Star-Herald Begins 86th Year Today
With this issue, the Rock County Star-Herald begins its 86th year of weekly publication.
This is issue No. 1 of Volume 86, which means that the Star-Herald has been bringing news and shopping bargain advertisements to its readers for 85 years.
The newspaper represents the continuation of the county’s oldest business. S. J. Jenkins launched the newspaper with the first number May 23, 1873.
Many Changes
Many things have changed since then. Rock County and its communities have grown and prospered. Wider and more intense coverage of events in the county have been added in the Star-Herald news columns since the early days.
It is interesting to note, however, that the local subscription price for the paper has increased only $1.50 a year since 1873.
The paper was started under difficult conditions, but Mr. Jenkins was a tough pioneer and was determined to give the community a good paper that would serve the community.
He said this after the first year of publication, “While it is the custom of many frontier papers to suspend publication through the winter months, the Herald has not failed to visit the fireside of each subscriber once a week through the long winter.”
Stuck In Mud
Jenkins brought his printing equipment to Luverne in an oxen-drawn wagon, which became mired in the mud south of town and then, as today, townspeople were helpful and friendly and helped him get his equipment into town. Establishment of the newspaper was welcomed by the community.
In pioneer communities of the west the establishment of the first paper was always an item of great importance. A new settlement required a champion and not until the settlement boasted a news journal was its permanency assured.
Now, with good times and bad, the Star-Herald has moved along with the community and continually strives to bring its readers all the news of life and times in Rock County.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.