History's Echoes
The hometown news, Part I
By SHARON BAUMBAUGH

The first issue went "on the streets" of Greencastle Sept. 19, 1849. It was then the Conococheague Herald, owned and operated by E. Robinson with J. Kilbourn and Mr. Robinson as editors. The two men were members of the Mormon colony that had located on the McLanahan Farm along the Conococheague Creek west of town; the group had sought, and thought they had found, their "New Jerusalem."

Following the death of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in 1844, a fight for the leadership of the Mormon group, Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ, was waged between Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young. When Young was chosen by the majority, Rigdon and his followers continued their opposition and were excommunicated from the church. They came east from Missouri to Pittsburgh, where they began a church paper. Unable to make a success, they decided to move to a rural area and settle. Late in the fall of 1845 two of Rigdon's men traveled through the southern part of Franklin County, along the turnpike leading from Mercersburg to Greencastle (now Buchanan Trail). Reaching the bridge that spanned the Conococheague they saw the farm of Andrew G. McLanahan, Esq., and told the others that "there was the place the Lord had shown them in visions to be the site of the City of the New Jerusalem." Negotiations began with McLanahan for the purchase of the farm. While most of the members of this group stayed in Pittsburgh, Rigdon and a few others came to Greencastle and lived, for a time, in the house on the corner of Carlisle and Madison streets (later the home of G. Fred and Helen Ziegler and now Wilma's Photography).

The early newspapers were printed by hand using a small press that held the forms of type set, each letter put in place by hand, one at a time. Ink was rolled over the letters and then "pressed" onto paper that was mostly, at that time, of rag content.

Peter Boyer, a wealthy farmer from Alleghany County, contacted McLanahan coming to terms on the sale of the 400 acre farm at a cost of $14,700. A down payment of $600 was paid in cash and April 3, 1846, McLanahan received $5,400 and presented the deed, keeping a mortgage for the balance of the purchase price; $8,700 was due on or before April 1, 1847.

Taking possession of the property, Rigdon and between 100 and 200 of his followers took up residence on the farm. Among the people were professional men, mechanics and farmers, and others who had joined them in Pittsburgh. They began work on their "New Jerusalem," wanting to start factories, mills and other occupations. They also began a small building that would be their church, using the barn for services until completion. They began to try to convert some of the people of the town. Meeting with little success in conversion, Rigdon declared that there was not enough religion in the churches of Greencastle "to save a nest of woodpeckers" and prophesied that streets of the town would run with blood. By that April 1847 deadline, they were unable to meet the payment for the farm and it was later sold at sheriff's sale.

Among the colonists who stayed was Ebenezer Robinson, the church printer. He stayed in Greencastle when the others moved on to another site. In the summer and fall of 1846 he printed in the borough of Greencastle a few "Messenger & Advocate of the Church of Christ," a monthly publication. It was in September 1849 that he issued his first copy of The Conococheague Herald, a weekly newspaper. He would print 13 issues (none of which contained any mention of their religion or the group to which they belonged).

In 1849, the town had a population of about 1,000 residents, many in the area bounded by (today's names) Jefferson Street on the west, Madison Street to the north, Allison to the east and Franklin on the south. Most of the businesses were located on Carlisle and Baltimore streets. The post office was on North Carlisle Street (now part of Susquehanna Bank's parking lot), beside the Herald's office; the Franklin Hotel was also in this area. There were dry goods stores, one operated by George W. Ziegler on the corner of North Carlisle and "the Diamond," and others operated by Daniel Guitner, Rowe & Prather and another run by George H. Davidson. There were confectionery and variety stores, one owned by Jacob Barncord on the "Diamond" and East Baltimore Street corner, another run by Jacob Newcomer and two others operated by Adam Goetz and by Samuel Dome. William Fleming, in addition to serving as the town's postmaster, ran a "Hat, Cap, Boot and Shoe Store" in his building on North Carlisle and Dr. Adam Carl & Son ran their drug store on this street. S. Agnew and Co. also operated a drug store within the town's limits.

D. Hawbaker on North Carlisle, C.W. Stine on East North Street (Madison) and William L. Fotzinger, South Carlisle, ran butcher shops. Livery stables were located in the area, operated by Captain H.H. Rauch and another by A. Pensinger. Capt. C. Dietrich was a dealer in flour; James Barr in leather; and Wolf Rosenfeld dealt in lumber and iron. There were also six foundry and machine shops with Bradley & Chappell as iron founders and plow manufacturers on South Carlisle Street (later Leiter & Bro. operated here at foundry hill). Burke & Ovelman manufactured threshing machines on North Carlisle and Samuel Dome was also a coffee mill manufacturer. Abram Koons had a patent sausage cutting machine maker and C. Snider worked in brass while J. Drinkhouse was auger and gimlet manufacturer on South East Street (Jefferson).

There were lawyers, physicians, dentists, eight tailors and one hatter (for the men), but there were 22 milliners (for the ladies).

While in Greencastle, Mr. Robinson also printed a "Child's Book" and several editions of a small work titled "Legal Forms For the Transaction of Business," a "Set of Tax and Interest Tables" and a "Short System of Bookkeeping." Each of these were advertised in the early issues of the newspaper and sold well. Kilbourn, according to an advertisement in the newspaper, was the principal of the Greencastle Academy, which opened Oct. 15, 1849, "For the reception of pupils of both sexes."

The paper began as a four page, five column piece in what was known as the "Super Royal" size (about 12 1.2 x 20 1.2 inches). The issues, printed each Wednesday, contained stories, advertising and a lot of "miscellaneous." The subscription rate at the time was $1 per year, in advance; and advertisements were inserted at a cost of $1 per square, of 16 lines or less, for three insertions with "a liberal discount made on large advertisements." Stories and poetry were part of the pages, with obituaries placed; weddings under the heading of "Agreeable Contracts," and a summary of "Foreign News." There was also a column devoted to "The Farmers' Field" and many items taken from newspapers in other local areas and states.

In the continuing saga of ownership and name changes, next was Andrew Rankin, Esq., a native of Greencastle. He began the paper under the name of the "Weekly Intelligencer" in 1853.