By the time Robert J. Skinner came
to Dayton, Ohio in 1816, he knew how to set type.
And he must have had a passion for news because
historian, John F. Edgar tells us that he
"at once made preparations to publish the
"Ohio Watchman" by purchasing the
"good will" and materials of the
"Republican." The motto of his
choosing: "Truth, equality, and literary
knowledge, the three great pillars of republican
liberty" reveals the nature of his
character.
"Robert
J. Skinner came to Dayton in 1816, and at once
made preparations to publish the "Ohio
Watchman" by purchasing the "good
will" and materials of the
"Republican." The first number was
issued on November 27, with the motto
"Truth, equality, and literary knowledge,
the three great pillars of republican
liberty." On April 5, 1818, Mr. Skinner
enlarged his paper and changed the motto to
"A free press is the palladium of
liberty." On November 7, 1818, he married
Mary Hollis, of Philadelphia, their bridal trip
to Dayton, on horseback, taking six weeks. When
Market Street was opened, Mr. Skinner gave to the
town the ground for the street and one-half of
the Main Street front on which the market-house
now stands. He also built a large three-story
building on Market Street, known for many years
as "Skinner's New Building." Thomas
Buchanan Read, artist and poet, took the lady's
part in a play given in the large hall of this
building by the Thespian Society.
In
December, 1820, Mr. Skinner took into partnership
George S. Houston, and the name of the paper was
changed to the "Dayton Watchman and Farmers'
and Mechanics' Journal." On August 6, 1822,
Mr. Skinner sold his interest in the paper to
A.T. Hays, and George S. Houston & Company
published it. On January 15, 1826, Mr. Houston
sold his interest to A.T. Hays and Ephraim
Lindslay, but they only published the paper until
November 21 of the same year, when it was
discontinued.
In
1830, President Andrew Jackson appointed Mr.
Skinner receiver of the United States Land Office
at Piqua. He, in company with Joseph Barnett,
Peter Aughenbaugh, and a Mr. Wiles, purchased the
land and laid out the town of Wapakoneta, and the
land office being removed to that place he, as
receiver, removed his family there, and continued
to serve as receiver until the office was moved
to Lima. During this period the celebrated specie
circular was issued and many two-horse wagon
loads of gold and silver coin were hauled to
"the settlements," Dayton and
Cincinnati."
Also,
in a book published by BEERS, 1882 entitled
"History of Montgomery County, Ohio, the
authors saw fit to talk about the "free
press" of Dayton. They mention that:
Isaac
G. Burnet and James Lodge were editors and
proprietors of the Ohio Republican, a
continuation of the Centinel, similar in style
and using the same type and press.
The
first number was issued October 3, 1814, flying
this motto as indicating the policy of the paper
– Willing to praise, but not afraid to
blame.
A
month later, Mr. Burnet having been elected to
the Legislature, sold his interest in the paper
to his partner, Mr. Lodge, who conducted the
paper until October 9, 1816, when he was obliged
to discontinue its publication, because his
subscribers would not pay up – two-thirds of
the list never paid a cent.
Flying
the motto, Truth, Equality and Literary
knowledge, are the three grand pillars of
Republican Liberty, the first number of the Ohio
Watchman was issued November 27, 1816 by Robert
J. Skinner, who had bought press, type and the
good will of the wrecked Republican. On the 5th
of June 1817, the motto was changed to A Free
Press is the Palladium of Liberty, and April 9,
1818, the paper was enlarged to a sheet 12x20
inches in size, five columns to a page ruled. Its
political principles were Genuine Republicanism a
very vague political expression.
Christmas
Day, 1820, the name of the paper was changed to
that of the Dayton Watchman and Farmers' and
Mechanics' Journal printed and published by
George S. Houston and R. J. Skinner.
In
August 1822, Mr. Skinner retired from the firm,
and in the following winter A. T. Hayes became
one of the proprietors became one of the
proprietors. Mr. Houston retired from the paper,
upon his appointment as Postmaster, in 1821 ; but
he controlled the editorial department until the
paper was discontinued, November 21, 1826, A
portion of this time the Watchman was published
by A. T. Hays and E. Lindsey, From August 6,
1822, up to December 24 of the same year, the
paper was published under the name of George S.
Houston &; Co. At the latter date the second
volume commenced, and was published by G. S.
Houston and A. T. Hays. In April, 1823, the style
of the title was changed from the old English to
script. and that in September, 1823, was
displaced for gothic. " Democracy,
Literature, Agriculture, Manufactories and
Internal Improvements the Pillars of our
Independence." was added as its motto, on
the 16th of March. 1824. The paper was 12x20
inches in size, five columns ruled, price, 82 per
year. and "flour, beef, pork, whisky, wood,
wheat, rye, corn, oats, sugar, tallow, beeswax,
honey, butter, chickens, eggs, wool, flax,
feathers, country linen, and clean linen and
cotton rags received in payment. "George B.
Holt, as editor and publisher, issued the first
number of the Miami Republican and Dayton
Advertiser, September 2, 1823; a weekly
Democratic paper, 11x21 inches in size, that was
continued until September 7, 1826.
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