The Hunterdon County Democrat

Last updated
The Hunterdon County Democrat
Type Weekly newspaper
Owner(s)Penn Jersey Advance, Inc.
Founded1838
Language American English
Headquarters Raritan Township, New Jersey
City Flemington, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
Circulation 21,000(as of 2008) [1]
ISSN 0018-7844
OCLC number 4094634
Website www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/

The Hunterdon County Democrat is a weekly newspaper that serves Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Currently owned by Penn Jersey Advance, Inc., its offices are in Raritan Township. It is one of the largest paid weekly newspapers in New Jersey, with an estimated total circulation of more than 21,000. [1] It is published every Thursday. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

The first newspaper to serve Hunterdon County was the Hunterdon Gazette and Farmers' Weekly Advertiser, established at Flemington on March 24, 1825, by Charles George, who shortened the paper's title to the Hunterdon Gazette in 1829. [5] He discontinued the Gazette on May 2, 1832, but retained his shop in Flemington and periodically published issues of the paper. [6] George sold the Gazette to John S. Brown, who returned the paper to weekly publication beginning with his first issue, published on July 18, 1838. [7] [8]

On the Gazette's editorial page, Brown state that he was "'an old-fashioned Democrat,' which was in reality an admission that he was a Whig and opposed to the Jacksonian administration." [8] While the Gazette retained a strong readership among Whigs and independents, Hunterdon County had become Democratic with the election of Andrew Jackson as president in 1828. [9]

In 1838, the same year that Brown bought the Gazette, a rival newspaper appeared under the name Hunterdon Democrat. The Democrat's editor, George C. Seymour, ensured that his newspaper held to the principles of the Democratic Party. [10] Within months, the rival editors began making personal attacks on each other in addition to their sniping on political topics. [10] However, it "took more than politics to support a newspaper. The fight between Brown and Seymour was essentially one of trying to win readers and advertisers." [9]

In 1843, Brown sold the Gazette to John R. Swallow. [11] The new owner hired Henry C. Buffington as editor. Earlier in his career, Huffington had worked at Philadelphia area newspapers with Seymour, the Democrat's owner and editor. "Seymour did not welcome his old colleague to Flemington" and within months he initiated a new personal feud. [11] Early in 1844, Swallow sold the Gazette to Buffington, then moved to Lambertville where he started a newspaper. This venture lasted only three or four years before Swallow sold out and headed west. [12]

"In the meantime, Seymour of the Hunterdon Democrat and Buffington of the Hunterdon Gazettepursued their respective ways without much change or improvement. ... Actually, both editors were probably skating on thin financial ice at all times."

In 1852 Seymour sold the Democrat to Adam Bellis, also a staunch Democrat. [13]

On July 3, 1867, The Hunterdon County Democrat made its debut, taking the place of both The Hunterdon Democrat and the erstwhile Gazette (which had changed its name to The Democrat after having been transformed into a Democratic paper in 1866). The editor during this time was Robert J. Killgore. His son, Anthony Killgore, later took over the editorship, serving until 1922. Alex L. Moreau and D. Howard Moreau then became the owners of The Democrat. Following the death of A.L. Moreau in 1933, D. Howard Moreau became sole owner of the newspaper, until his death on June 7, 1963. After Moreau's death his son-in-law H. Seely Thomas Jr. became publisher of The Democrat. Thomas hired Edward J. Mack as editor of the newspaper in 1965. [13]

Family ownership continued in the 1980s when Thomas was joined in the publication of the newspaper by his three children, Catherine, John, and Howard. Catherine's husband, Jay Langley, became editor in 1988, while Mack rejoined the newspaper in 1989 as general manager. [13] Catherine Langley succeeded her father as publisher after his death in 1994. [14]

In February 2001, Penn Jersey Advance, Inc., a unit of Advance Publications (Newhouse), bought The Democrat and its sister publications. Based in Somerville, New Jersey, Penn Jersey Advance is the parent company of NJN Publishing, a network of newspapers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. [14]

Sister publications

The Democrat purchased The Frenchtown Star in 1932, which had been published in Frenchtown since 1879, and renamed it The Delaware Valley News. In 1949 The Milford Leader was also purchased and combined with The Delaware Valley News. [13] The newspaper was shut down in September 2008. [15] [16]

The Democrat launched a free-circulation weekly newspaper, The Hunterdon Observer, in August 1987. [13] Another free weekly, The Warren Reporter, serves Warren County. A monthly magazine, Horse News, is also a member of The Democrat's publishing group. Penn Jersey Advance bought The Delaware Valley News, The Hunterdon Observer, The Warren Reporter, and Horse News in its 2001 acquisition of The Democrat.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunterdon County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 census, the county was the state's 18th-most populous county, with a population of 128,947, an increase of 598 (+0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 128,349, which in turn reflected an increase of 6,360 (5.2%) from the 121,989 counted in the 2000 census. Its county seat is Flemington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 12</span> Highway in New Jersey

Route 12 is a state highway located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. It runs 11.69 mi (18.81 km) from the Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge at the Delaware River border with Pennsylvania in Frenchtown east to an intersection with U.S. Route 202 and Route 31 at the Flemington Circle in Flemington. The route is mostly a two-lane undivided road that passes through rural areas of woodland and farmland. It intersects Route 29 and County Route 513 in Frenchtown, CR 519 in Kingwood Township, CR 579 on the border of Delaware Township and Raritan Township, and CR 523 in Raritan Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandria Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Alexandria Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 4,938, reflecting an increase of 240 (+5.1%) from the 4,698 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,104 (+30.7%) from the 3,594 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Delaware Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Part of the township is on the Hunterdon Plateau, while the southern portions are in the Amwell Valley. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 4,563, reflecting an increase of 85 (+1.9%) from the 4,478 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 34 (−0.8%) from the 4,512 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Amwell Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

East Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 4,013, reflecting a decline of 442 (−9.9%) from the 4,455 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 123 (+2.8%) from the 4,332 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flemington, New Jersey</span> Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Flemington is a borough in and the county seat of Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,876, an increase of 295 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census enumeration of 4,581, in turn reflecting an increase of 381 (+9.1%) from the 4,200 counted in the 2000 census. Most of the borough is located in the Amwell Valley and the Raritan Valley. Northwestern portions of the borough sit on the Hunterdon Plateau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frenchtown, New Jersey</span> Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Frenchtown is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Frenchtown is located along the banks of the Delaware River on the Hunterdon Plateau thirty two miles northwest of the state capital Trenton. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,373, reflecting a decline of 115 (−7.7%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 40 (−2.6%) from the 1,528 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holland Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Holland Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,291, reflecting an increase of 167 (+3.3%) from the 5,124 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 232 (+4.7%) from the 4,892 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingwood Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Kingwood Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Hunterdon Plateau. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,845, reflecting an increase of 63 (+1.7%) from the 3,782 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 457 (+13.7%) from the 3,325 counted in the 1990 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milford, New Jersey</span> Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Milford is a borough located in western Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,232, a decrease of one person (−0.1%) from the 2010 census count of 1,233, which in turn reflected an increase of 38 (+3.2%) from the 1,195 counted at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raritan Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Raritan Township is a township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 22,185, reflecting an increase of 2,376 (+12.0%) from the 19,809 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,193 (+26.9%) from the 15,616 counted in the 1990 Census. The township is located within the heart of the Amwell Valley and Raritan Valley regions, as the South Branch of the Raritan River flows through the center of the township. The northwestern portion of the township is located on the Hunterdon Plateau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockton, New Jersey</span> Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Stockton is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The borough sits on the Delaware River at the western end of Amwell Valley. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 538, reflecting a decline of 22 (−3.9%) from the 560 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 69 (−11.0%) from the 629 counted in the 1990 Census.

Delaware Valley Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and school district, that serves students in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The high school is located in Alexandria Township. Students hail from the townships of Alexandria, Holland and Kingwood along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunterdon Central Regional High School</span> School district in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Hunterdon Central Regional High School is a comprehensive, four-year public high school, and regional school district that serves students from five municipalities in east central Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. Students hail from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington, Raritan Township and Readington Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambush of Geary</span> Skirmish of the American Revolutionary War

The Ambush of Geary, also known as the Amwell Skirmish, was a skirmish of the American Revolutionary War fought on 14 December 1776 in Amwell Township of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Cornet Francis Geary, the leader of a company of dragoons, was shot in an ambush set up by local militiamen led by Captain John Schenck.

The Frenchtown School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Frenchtown, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

The Milford Borough School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Milford, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunterdon Plateau</span>

Hunterdon Plateau is a plateau in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It borders the higher Musconetcong Mountain to the northwest, the Delaware River to the west, Amwell Valley to the south and the lower lying areas of the Newark Basin to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ.com</span> Website for local news from New Jersey

NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in The New York Times in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore reports that NJ.com has an average of 12.1 million unique monthly visitors consuming a total of 70 million pageviews per month.

References

  1. 1 2 "US Newspaper - Search Results". Audit Bureau of Circulations. 2008-09-30. Archived from the original on 2012-10-27. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  2. ↑ OCLC   4094634, ISSN   0018-7844
  3. ↑ "NJPA Member Directory". New Jersey Press Association. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ "About Hunterdon County Democrat. [volume] (Flemington, N.J.) 1847-current". Library of Congress. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  5. ↑ Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 9.
  6. ↑ Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. pp. 11–12.
  7. ↑ Myers, William Starr (1945). The Story of New Jersey. Lewis Historical Pub. Co. p. 179.
  8. 1 2 Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 13.
  9. 1 2 Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 19.
  10. 1 2 Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 15.
  11. 1 2 Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 24.
  12. ↑ Schmidt, Hubert G. (1961). Written at Hunterdon County Historical Society. The Press in Hunterdon County. Flemington, N.J.: The Democrat Press. p. 26.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Stothoff, Mrs. Frederick (1989). "Ch. 6, Communication" (PDF). The First 275 Years of Hunterdon County, 1714-1989. Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  14. 1 2 Perone, Joseph R. (2001-02-01). "Advance unit purchases five publications". The Star-Ledger . p. 17.
  15. ↑ Lausch, Brandon (2008-09-22). "Frenchtown-based weekly newspaper to cease publication after 129 years". MyCentralJersey.com. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
  16. ↑ Brickman, Rachael S. (2008-09-23). "The Delaware Valley News closes". Delaware Valley News. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
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