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THE BYRON HERALD 1885
The first newspaper in Byron was the “Byron Herald”, published weekly,
by James Sleeth, editor and owner, who lived on the hill where James
Lucas now lives. The Herald Office was a little building just south of
the present Everett Orr residence. The first issue appeared on November
6, 1885. The publisher was a man of broad interests as the following
advertisements taken from Volume 1, Number 1 of the Herald indicates:
JAMES SLEETH
Attorney at Law, Solicitor in Chancery, Justice of the Peace and Notary
Public.
Office at Herald Office
Byron, Michigan
From 1885 until his death in 1905, the Herald appeared every week.
William McDonald, a son-in-law, then carried on the work for some years
and finally the paper was discontinued.
Three hundred copies of the first issue were printed and from the
following ads we can see that Byron was a flourishing village:
Dr. F.S. Ruggles - Drugs and Medicine
E.B. Welch - Groceries
Dudley Bros. - General Dr.
O.J. Perkins - Drugs and Medicine
E.G. Lynde - Harness
E.C. Gulick - General Merchandise
J.D. Williams - Hardware
Miss Kelsey - Millinery and Dress Making
George Goff - Byron Flour Mille
L.D. Norton - Pianos and Organs
J.A. Lacy - Meat Market
James Anderson - Boots and Shoes
Butcher Carpenter - Meat Market
A.J. Williams - Byron Hotel
Austin Richards - Justice of Peace
James Sleeth - Attorney
Perry Hadsall - Insurance Agent
Sam Reed - Trunk Shop
(Minnie Keyes father)
A Byron Herald of December 6, 1912 shows that a paper was edited by a
Thomas Mears and one of September 1913 indicates that Myron Gallagher
was the owner and editor. After a few years he gave it up and it wasn’t
until 1952 when Mr. And Mrs. Lloyd Hansen came to Byron that the town
again had a paper. For three years they published the Advertiser in
their home at the northeast corner of Church and Washington Streets.
Then they moved away. In 1968, Don Hetchler started the Byron Bulletin,
which ran from April of that year through August 1969. This was printed
in the old town hall.
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