Smithville News

A Digital Collection of Smithville's History 1897 - 1915

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Local merchants most likely published

Smithville’s first newspaper, Name It & Take It, in

1897.

Later it was named The Smithville News.

Destroyed in a fire in 1901, the newspaper was

revived in 1908 by Ralph B. Carter, a local

telephone exchange pioneer.

Under Carter, The Smithville News covered local

business, limestone, railroad news, and

happenings—society news, church events,

obituaries, the occasional criminal mischief, and

gossip about who was courting whom—in

Smithville, Harrodsburg, Sanders, Fairfax and

Clear Creek. Marketed as politically

independent, the newspaper took editorial

“digs” at some hot-button Progressive Era issues

such as prohibition, teacher pay, fair business

practices, transportation, and rural mail service.

A Timeline of Smithville Events is also available.

Acknowlegements 

We look forward to hearing from you about the project. Send your comments to the Indiana Room.