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Look Back: Several newspapers in Parkersburg’s past

By Bob Enoch 2 min read
Photo provided by Jim Miracle I am frequently asked about where I get all the old newspaper items for Look Back. I am very happy to say that in my opinion, they are taken from one of the greatest preservation efforts ever. That being when technology advanced to the point that newspapers began to be microfilmed, and that newspapers had the foresight to preserve their early newspapers. Most of my microfilm viewing is done at the Parkersburg/Wood County Public Library on Emerson Avenue. One can currently go there six days a week, sit in a comfortable chair, and soon be looking into the life of everyday people as far back as the 1840s. Over the years Parkersburg has offered several different newspapers. While it can’t be said that the library has every copy of every newspaper, their collection is nearly complete. The library has two viewing machines that are capable of copying. Statewide newspapers on microfilm can also be found at the West Virginia Regional Collection in Morgantown and at the West Virginia Cultural Center Library in Charleston.

Paper delayed

Our paper was delayed yesterday, we are very sorry to say, by the breaking of one of the arms of our cylinder press, and though it did not do serious harm to the press, the delay was enough to try our patience. Still, every subscriber got his paper, and the true light he needs, and which he can find only in our paper.

The Parkersburg Daily Times

Feb. 9, 1966

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Our Present City Council seems to be very partial in their favors. They have passed a new ordinance, enumerating the various acts of misdemeanors, and ordered its publication in only one of our city papers. Is it supposable that every citizen will see it? Then why not have every new ordinance published in all the papers? The course of the Council in this instance is very unfair, if not worse.

The Parkersburg Daily Times

March 10, 1868

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The library and reading rooms

At the regular meeting of the Y.M.C.A. on Tuesday evening last, very favorable reports were received from the Committees on Subscription and Library and Rooms. Several of our citizens promptly answer to the call and the matter of Library and free Reading Rooms is now a fixed fact. Several cash donations have been received during the week and several valuable gifts of books have been made.

The Parkersburg Daily Times

March 13, 1868

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Our change of name

No doubt many of our subscribers will be surprised upon opening their paper to find it metamorphosed into THE EXAMINER, and we deem it proper that we should say a few words in explanation.

Our old name ORTHOPOLITAN had much to commend it to a certain class of readers, but it was never popular. To the great mass, the public generally, it conveyed no meaning, and its strange, foreign origin excited their ridicule and hostility, and in obedience to the demands of our friends and people generally, we conclude to yield our preference to the wishes of others and adopt some more homelike, popular name, therefore we have selected the name EXAMINER.

Excerpt from THE [Parkersburg] EXAMINER

Sept. 4, 1873

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Bob Enoch is president of the Wood County Historical Society. Would you like to help preserve our past for future generations? The society offers informative monthly meetings and an interesting, 20-page quarterly newsletter. Dues are just $20/year. Send to: WCHPS, P.O. Box 565, Parkersburg, WV 26102.

Starting at /week.