Mount Horeb Newspapers
The first newspaper in Mt. Horeb, the "Blue Mounds Weekly" - presumably so-named because of the area's political identity as the township of Blue Mounds-was founded in 1880 by Ed Breen. After 1885, it was called the "Mt. Horeb Weekly News" and was later merged with the "Black Earth Advertiser." In 1887, G.G. Mandt published the "Dane County Sun" at his print shop and home and now the site of Shuberts Restaurants. Five years later, J.N. Dahlen and T.G. Lingard began the "Mt. Horeb Progress." In 1895 , this paper and the "Sun" were combined and called the "Mt. Horeb Times."It was published by Mr. Dahlen in a building on the west side of North Second Street until 1922. After having several owners, the paper was absorbed by the "Mt. Horeb Mail."
The first newspapers were four page issues, six columns wide. Later, another four page section, printed elsewhere, was added, containing much foreign and national news, state and county items, jokes, household hints, articles of an editorial natures, and a serialized story., "The Times" in 1915 had a whole page of the serial and two columns of German material.
The "Mt. Horeb Mail" was founded by Ole M. Eidsmore in 1901, in a building just east of the Dahle store. Mr. Eidsmore, born in Perry Township,am taught in schools in Wisconsin and Illinois and in the late 1890s was assistant editor of "Amerika," a Norwegian language paper published in Chicago. When Eidsmore imported equipment from Chicago to publish a newspaper in Mt. Horeb, he engaged Krohn to take care of the mechanical and job departments. Krohn bought the "Mail" in 1904, and in 1911 he erected a new building on the same site, moving it four years later to 219 East Main Street. A later addition to the south end provided space for the printing presses. The seven Krohn children served their apprenticeships on the publication. Mr. Krohn retired in 1950. members of the family Elmer Krohn and Alice Krohn Fosshage, Julia and Robert Krohn, and Gary Greve published the "Mail" until 1977. The paper is now published by Curtis and Daniel Witte. Their office is at 118 East Main Street.
The first page of the first issue of the "Mt. Horeb Mail", in 1901 had four columns of local and personal news and two columns of advertisements: Tore Fosshage Furniture, Yellow Front Jewelry (JH Brager) and Gesme and Field Furniture and Undertaking. The second page had state and national news and two columns of ads: soda crackers, 5 1/2 cents a box; 5 lbs of prunes, $.35; dress material, 4 and 4 1/2 cents a yard. The third page had news from Black Earth and Vermont and items from Dane County. G. M Helland, druggist, advertised "Good Samaritan Hair Tonic to hold at bay and cure baldness." Page four had three columns of ads and a three column continued story, "A Hard Day's Work." The townspeople were informed "On the Chicago and Northwestern, trains run west at 8:27 am and 2:58 pm, east at 11:30 am and 4:42 pm" "Nine carloads of stock were shipped from Mt. Horeb during the week by Sam Martin. Prices paid were: hogs, $4.75 to $5.35 per hundred weight; cows, $150 to $3 per hundredweight."
In 1924 the "Mail" became an "all home print" edition. The paper and the "Town and Country," a four-p[age advertising sheet distributed free of charge throughout a large rural and village area, are printed at the News Publishing Company, Inc., at Black Earth.
Another weekly Newspaper, the Mt. Horeb Grit," was published by A. G. Paulsen. The November 8, 1894, four-page issue at the Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society is the only copy on file, so other information about the paper is unnamable. Most of this issue carried election news and stressed the Republican gains on a nationwide basis. Parties mentioned were Democrats, Republication, Precisionists, and Populists. A list of the number of votes for each state candidate in each township in Dane County covered a large part of one page. One article referred to the violence with fights and brawls, many arrests and deaths, at voting places in Chicago; St. Joseph, Mo; Lexington, KY; White Springs, NY and Augusta GA.
Another article told of a clockmakers' strike in New York City. A short story and several other interesting articles were included in the paper. Advertisement praised the merits of Parker Pens, Dr. Kilmer's headache cure, "Winchester Cartridges - best in the world," Webster's international dictionary, Wheeler and Wilson's sewing machines, Eldridge sewing stove polish, and Lydia E. Pinkham's vegetable compound. Local ads read as follows; A. G. Paulsen, Justice of the Peace,and Real Estate Agent, Accident and Livestock Insurance, Steamship tickets to and from Europe on all lines", "Mt. Horeb Marble Works, A.G Pausen, A.E. Thompson, G.G. Mandt, Medicines and Chemicals"; and "S.C. Huseth, Watches, Clocks, Jewelry and Silverware."