Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Sullivan Daily Times and the Poynter Family

 

"A Home Owned Democratic Newspaper"

That Spawned a Modern Media Empire

 No photo description available.
 
The Sullivan Daily Times was founded as a Democrat Party affiliated paper. They were very clear about where their political loyalties stood. HOWEVER, they reported the news and left their political opinions to the Editorial Page, for the most part.
Murray Briggs started the Sullivan Democrat during the heated era leading up to the Civil War. He was a staunch supporter of the "Peace Democrats" (or Copperheads) and of their popular leader US Representative Daniel W Voorhees of Terre Haute. The radical anti-war organization Knights of the Golden Circle had a strong presence in Sullivan County, but the Democrat politicians and the press distanced themselves from the group (at least publicly). Murray Briggs toned down his anti-Lincoln rhetoric over the course of the war, but maintained his opposition to the war and Reconstruction policies.
"The Sullivan Daily Times was established by Paul Poynter in 1905 as the daily edition of his weekly newspaper, the Sullivan Democrat. The Democrat, born in 1854 a year after Sullivan was incorporated as a town, had been published by its founder Murray Briggs for 42 years."
"In 1897, Poynter, a Putnam County native who just had been graduated from DePauw College, bought the Democrat from the Briggs estate with money he’d earned as business manager of the DePauw student newspaper."
"Poynter was a very active acquirer and originator of newspapers. He bought or started newspapers in Kokomo, Bedford, Franklin and other Indiana towns. He ventured to Florida in the first boom and bought the daily newspaper — the St. Petersburg Times — in the little backwater fishing village the same day in 1912 that he rolled into town."
"His son Nelson, who started his career as a lad reporting courthouse news in Sullivan, later turned the St. Petersburg paper into one of the most-respected newspapers in America. In time, Paul Poynter’s wife, Alice Wilkey Poynter, and daughter Eleanor Poynter Jamison acquired the Times from him. Jamison became general manager in 1933 and served as publisher from her father’s death in 1950 until 1972."
The Poynter family sustained a prominent presence in Sullivan County publishing and politics for nearly 70 years until selling the Times to Rex E. Pierce in 1972.
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies continues to serve as a legacy of the Poynter family. Founded by Nelson Poynter, the Poynter Institute is a non-profit journalism school and research organization in St. Petersburg, Florida. Nelson Poynter was born in Sullivan in 1903 and died in St Petersburg in 1978. The school is the owner of the Tampa Bay Times newspaper and the International Fact-Checking Network and operates PolitiFact.
Today the Poynter organizations no longer acknowledge any political allegiances to any political parties, and now claim that they are unbiased arbiters of the FACTS. 
 
 
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May be an image of text that says 'POL IFACT The Poynter Institute' 

Monday, June 28, 2021

Matthew Cleghorn - Southern California homesteader, rancher, logger and citrus packer

 

Matthew Cleghorn was brother to our ancestor Joseph Cleghorn of Parke County, Indiana. Our common ancestry is though their parents, Rev. Lorenzo D. Cleghorn and Mary (McClain) Cleghorn.  Joseph Cleghorn was the great-grandfather of Leroy Yowell.

Matthew and his sons have left the Cleghorn name scattered throughout southern California, primarily in the valley in San Bernardino County and in the mountains near the El Cajon Pass. Their ranch was located along Baseline Road, in what is now part of Highlands, CA.  

There are numerous places in the area which are named for Matthew Cleghorn, including: Cleghorn Mountain, Cleghorn Road (I-15 exit 129) and Cleghorn OHV Trails which were once their old logging roads, Cleghorn Canyon, Cleghorn Creek, and Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness (dry lakes) located about 16 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms.

 

Cleghorn Logging Camp

Matthew Cleghorn arrived in the San Bernardino Valley in 1863 shortly before the US Civil War, and soon began logging operations in the San Bernardino Mountains, in the neighborhood of Cajon Pass.

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ROOTED IN THE PASS - Richard Claghorn walks along Cleghorn Fire Road, named for Matthew Cleghorn and his son, John, who felled timber here in the 1870's.
. . .
     Matthew Cleghorn — for whom the Cleghorn Fire Road is named — was born June 14, 1829, in Knox County, Ky., the second son of the Rev. Lorenzo Dow Cleghorn and Mary McLain Cleghorn.
He left home in 1841, when he was only 12, and later enlisted in the 16th Kentucky Volunteers.
For eight months during the Mexican War, Cleghorn served as an express rider between Veracruz, Mexico City and Lalusa. After the war, he wandered throughout the Midwest and West, ending up in Oregon.
In 1863, intending to settle in Mexico, Cleghorn and his wife, Serena, stopped off in the San Bernardino Valley. Struck by its beauty, they decided to stay.
Matthew Cleghorn paid $16 to homestead 160 acres on Baseline Street, in what is now Highland. In addition to raising cattle, he ran a livery stable in the city of San Bernardino.
Four of the Cleghorns’ children survived: a daughter and three sons. One son, John, following his father’s example, became an express rider between Mineral Peak and Fort Mohave. Later, father and son cut timber on land leased in the San Bernardino Mountains.
According to Lewis Garrett, author of “San Bernardino County Place Names” (1996), Cleghorn Mountain, Cleghorn Ridge, Cleghorn Canyon and Cleghorn Pass, all east of the Cajon Pass, were named for Matthew and John.
As for a second Cleghorn Pass and the Cleghorn Dry Lakes — both of which lie within the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center north of Twentynine Palms — Garrett says, “It is assumed they were named for the same Cleghorns.”Matthew Cleghorn died of heart failure June 19, 1903, and was buried in San Bernardino.

from "High Desert history buff traces his Claghorn and Cleghorn forebears"; (Victorville CA) Daily Press, dated 28 Aug 2002; Story by STUART KELLOGG, Daily Press Staff

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Cleghorn Brothers Citrus Packers

Matthew Cleghorn and his sons bought out the citrus ranches of George W. Sells and started Cleghorn Brothers & Company, based in Highlands, CA. They built it into one of the largest Independent fruit packing operations in California during the early part of the twentieth century.  Their house brands included oranges and grapefruits sold under the following labels: Banjo, Cleghorn, Constitution, Good Taste, Highland Terrier, Independent, Judge, Prospector, West Highlands, and Judge.

The “Cleghorn Brothers” (John, William and Lorenzo Dow) were 1st cousins to our ancestor John Martin Cleghorn, grandfather of Leroy Yowell.  (There were also two Cleghorn sisters, Mary and Sylvia).

 

Now and Then: History of the Cleghorn Brothers Citrus labels

- Sep 19, 2007

https://www.highlandnews.net/entertainment/now-and-then-history-of-the-cleghorn-brothers-citrus-labels/article_9cdf029f-410c-552a-a73a-73e2caa6ee58.html

     Highland San Bernardino County Thistle Orange Citrus Fruit Crate Label Art  Print Advertising Merchandise & Memorabilia Labels

 

Labels used on some of their citrus boxes

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 Matthew Cleghorn's Biography (dated 1904)

  MATHEW CLEGHORN, late of San Bernardino, was born Jun 14, 1829, in Kentucky, the son of the Rev. Lorenzo Dow Cleghorn, a minister of the Christian Church, and of Mary McLain Cleghorn, of Scotch parentage. He left home at the age of twelve and later served in the Mexican war, entering the 16th Ky. Vols and later being transferred to the 11th Ky. Vols. For eight months he carried express between Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico and to Lalusa. On account of sickness he was sent to the Marine Hospital in New York city in 1848. After the end of the war he traveled over the western states and finally located in Iowa. In 1860 he came to California and located at Watsonville, Monterey county. In 1863 he came to San Bernardino county and homesteaded 160 acres on base line near what is now Highland. Here he built a residence. He carried on a livery business in San Bernardino for several years and engaged in raising fine stock.
     He married Miss Serena, daughter of Isaac Hendry, in the state of Indiana, about 1860. There are now four living children -- Lorenzo Dow, Mary C. William J. of Redondo, and John M. Cleghorn.

Ref: INGERSOLL'S CENTURY ANNALS OF SAN BERNADINO COUNTY, 1769 to 1904; LOS ANGELES: L.A.INGERSOLL, 1904, page 867
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Matthew Cleghorn's Biography (dated 1890)

Matthew Cleghorn, a farmer of San Bernardino County, was born in Knox County, Kentucky, in 1829, a son of Rev. Lorenzo D. Cleghorn, who was a native of Virginia and a minister of the Christian Church.  His mother, Mary (McClain) Cleghorn, was of Scotch parentage.  They had five children, of whom our subject was the second. He left home at the age of twelve years and subsequently entered the Mexican war.  He enlisted in the Sixteenth Kentucky Volunteers, but was afterwards attached to the Eleventh.  He carried the express for eight months from Vera Cruz to the city of Mexico and thence to Lulusa.  On account of sickness he was sent to the Marine Hospital in New York in 1848. After the close of the war he traveled over parts of Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana, Iowa and Oregon, and while in the "Hoosier" State he met and married a lady who has since been the companion of his life, Miss Serena Hendry, a native of that State and a daughter of Isaac Hendry.  After his marriage he moved to Iowa and thence to Oregon, where he remained until 1860. He came then to California, first settling in Watsonville in Monterey County, where he remained three years.  In 1863 he came to San Bernardino County and located on the farm where he now resides. He arrived here December 25, 1864, and homesteaded 160 acres of land, which cost $16. For several years he was engaged successfully in the livery business. He is now one of the leading stock-raisers in the valley, owning some thoroughbred stock, the Glencoe, of Kentucky being the principal.  He has a magnificent residence four miles east of San Bernardino on Base Line, which commands an imposing view of the fertile valley and the surrounding mountains. He owns valuable property in various parts of the county and is a man of considerable wealth and influence.

Ref: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:  EMBRACING THE COUNTIES OF SAN DIEGO, SAN BERNARDINO, LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE, AND THE PENINSULA OF LOWER CALIFORNIA - from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of their prospects, also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day. THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, CHICAGO 1890