Histories >
Eau
Claire County Historical Accounts >
"History of Eau Claire County Wisconsin, 1914, Past and Present"
Chapter 37 - The Newspapers of the County
Augusta Eagle
(-as transcribed from page 506)
Augusta Eagle. The first newspaper established in Augusta was founded by the late Griff O. Jones, one of the prominent men of northern Wisconsin in his time. Mr. Jones was a native of Wales, born in 1836, and spending his childhood days among his native hills. He came to Cambria in 1847, and the education he received was in English and Welsh. His first newspaper venture was at Westfield, Wisconsin, in 1873, and in June, 1874, he came to Augusta and founded the Eagle, which he owned and managed for twenty-five years. At that time he was appointed postmaster and died January 14, 1901, before the expiration of his term of office. He was a man of unusual qualities of mind, a thorough scholar and poet. In a competition, which was national in its scope, he was pronounced the ablest Welsh poet in America. His editorials were widely quoted, and the Eagle was always looked upon as one of the strong Republican papers of the state. He was a Mason and was the first master of the Masonic lodge at Cambria. At the time he was appointed postmaster he sold the Eagle to D. S. Benedict, who ran it for a short time, finding it rather more than he had bargained for to keep up the reputation which had been achieved for it. He resolved to take up some other business, and in the fall of 1900 he sold the Eagle to Messrs. Wilson and Masters, who came from the office of Hoard's Dairyman at Fort Atkinson and assumed control. They made a success of the paper and continued in charge until 1907, when Mr. Masters retired and Mr. E. J. Wilson became the sole owner. He has run the paper on conservative lines, avoiding that which would work for discord and striving at all times for everything that would be for the best of the community. The paper enjoys a liberal patronage, and while not the factor politically that it was in the early days of its history, still it is a strong factor for making a home and its surroundings better.
"History of Eau Claire County Wisconsin, 1914, Past and Present"
Chapter 37 - The Newspapers of the County
Augusta Eagle
(-as transcribed from page 506)
Augusta Eagle. The first newspaper established in Augusta was founded by the late Griff O. Jones, one of the prominent men of northern Wisconsin in his time. Mr. Jones was a native of Wales, born in 1836, and spending his childhood days among his native hills. He came to Cambria in 1847, and the education he received was in English and Welsh. His first newspaper venture was at Westfield, Wisconsin, in 1873, and in June, 1874, he came to Augusta and founded the Eagle, which he owned and managed for twenty-five years. At that time he was appointed postmaster and died January 14, 1901, before the expiration of his term of office. He was a man of unusual qualities of mind, a thorough scholar and poet. In a competition, which was national in its scope, he was pronounced the ablest Welsh poet in America. His editorials were widely quoted, and the Eagle was always looked upon as one of the strong Republican papers of the state. He was a Mason and was the first master of the Masonic lodge at Cambria. At the time he was appointed postmaster he sold the Eagle to D. S. Benedict, who ran it for a short time, finding it rather more than he had bargained for to keep up the reputation which had been achieved for it. He resolved to take up some other business, and in the fall of 1900 he sold the Eagle to Messrs. Wilson and Masters, who came from the office of Hoard's Dairyman at Fort Atkinson and assumed control. They made a success of the paper and continued in charge until 1907, when Mr. Masters retired and Mr. E. J. Wilson became the sole owner. He has run the paper on conservative lines, avoiding that which would work for discord and striving at all times for everything that would be for the best of the community. The paper enjoys a liberal patronage, and while not the factor politically that it was in the early days of its history, still it is a strong factor for making a home and its surroundings better.