By Jolene Farley
For more than 100 years the Hills Crescent has chronicled the history of Hills, Beaver Creek, Steen and the surrounding communities. The Crescent has had a long-standing relationship with this area of southwestern Minnesota.
The Crescent, founded by Frank M. Bailey and Orrie Haislett, has a long, colorful history. This history is detailed in the Hills Centennial book as follows:
Back in 1890, Bailey, who had fallen victim to a job scam in Beaver Creek and Valley Springs, inquired if Hills needed a community paper. Joe Wright answered, yes, the community did, and suggested Bailey travel to Hills to discuss the issue.
Bailey wanted at least 200 subscribers among the good people of Hills. In return, he promised a paper they wouldn't be ashamed to show their friends. Bailey invested $97 in cash, which he put into type and materials; however, he did not have enough to buy a press. Sam Haislett came to the rescue. He agreed to furnish the press if Orrie, his son, could also be a partner in the enterprise.
The press was an old Rampage. It was the oldest press in the United States and printed only one page at a time. The Crescent was printed on that press for three years.
For five years Haislett "stood manfully behind the guns, but the town held no charms for him. So in October 1895, Orrie flitted away, leaving his interests in the paper in the hands of B. F. Heastand for the magnificent sum of $5.00.
Ben was not much help as his work kept him at Bruce, so in a few months he stepped out without consideration, and Bailey became the sole owner and proprietor," reads an Aug. 20, 1903, Hills Crescent.
On March 4, 1896, Bailey sold his interest and good will to a stock company made up of businessmen of Hills with J.R. Wright as president.
This company engaged James W. Simmons as editor. The stock company asked A.C. Finke to return to Hills and secure control of the Crescent plant.
In 1896, Finke returned to Hills. Arrangements were made whereby Mr. Simmons should furnish the experience and Mr. Finke the credit. The two men secured possession of all of the Crescent stock company. Again, the Crescent was in the hands of private parties, according to a 1903 Crescent.
Simmons, who had newspaper experience that extended into every state in the Union, had formed a style of which the readers did not approve.
"One particular elopement case did not meet with the approval of the good people of Hills, so several of the more prominent businessmen at that time notified Mr. Finke that Simmons would have to leave or else they would withdraw their support from the paper. So on July 25, 1896, Mr. Finke purchased the interests of Mr. Simmons for $10 and enough Illinois Central mileage to land him in Chicago."
Does anyone have that deja vu feeling?
Residents of Hills in 1896 probably never considered that what was written among the pages of the paper would be read by someone decades later.
The relationship between Hills and the Crescent has had its ups and downs, but one thing has remained constant: the history, both good and bad, of Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen is chronicled among the pages of the Crescent for residents, both present and future.
And tomorrow, the Hills Crescent will be here to continue serving the communities of Hills, Beaver Creek, Steen and surrounding communities as it has for the past 107 years.
The Crescent remains a paper you would not be ashamed to show your friends.