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The earliest use of the name ''Minden Herald'' dates to 1895, after publisher and editor William Jasper Blackburn (1820-1899), an [[Arkansas]] native, settled in Minden, then a part of Claiborne Parish, and established the newspaper. He was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], a supporter of the Union during the [[American Civil War]] and opposed [[slavery]]. He was [[mayor]] of Minden for a single one-year term from May 1855 to May 1856. Blackburn published his ''Minden Herald'' for about six years. It was not the first newspaper in Minden. That distinction was held by the former ''Minden Iris'', which was established in 1848 at the same time as the founding of neighboring Bienville Parish.<ref name=agan>John Agan, "Minden Press-Herald story goes back more than 150 years", ''Minden Press-Herald'', 2007</ref>​

The earliest use of the name ''Minden Herald'' dates to 1895, after publisher and editor William Jasper Blackburn (1820-1899), an [[Arkansas]] native, settled in Minden, then a part of Claiborne Parish, and established the newspaper. He was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], a supporter of the Union during the [[American Civil War]] and opposed [[slavery]]. He was [[mayor]] of Minden for a single one-year term from May 1855 to May 1856. Blackburn published his ''Minden Herald'' for about six years. It was not the first newspaper in Minden. That distinction was held by the former ''Minden Iris'', which was established in 1848 at the same time as the founding of neighboring Bienville Parish.<ref name=agan>John Agan, "Minden Press-Herald story goes back more than 150 years", ''Minden Press-Herald'', 2007</ref>​

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The Minden political climate shifted to favor the [[Know Nothing Party]], which repudiated "non-native" ideas, and Blackburn moved to Homer in Claiborne Parish,  where he founded the ''Homer Iliad'' newspaper. He published in opposition to the [[Confederate States of America]]. Tried in Confederate District Court in [[Shreveport]], Blackburn escaped conviction by a single vote on charges of having produced counterfeit Confederate currency. Had the conviction verdict been unanimous, he would have been hanged.<ref name=agan/> ​

The Minden political climate shifted to favor the American Party (better known as the Know Nothing Party), which repudiated "non-native" ideas, and Blackburn moved to Homer in Claiborne Parish,  where he founded the ''Homer Iliad'' newspaper. He published in opposition to the [[Confederate States of America]]. Tried in Confederate District Court in [[Shreveport]], Blackburn escaped conviction by a single vote on charges of having produced counterfeit Confederate currency. Had the conviction verdict been unanimous, he would have been hanged.<ref name=agan/> ​

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Blackburn remained in Homer during the [[Reconstruction]] era. He was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] as a [[Republican Party|Republican]], serving from 1868 to 1869. Thereafter, he was a member of the Louisiana State Senate until he was defeated in 1878 by a Democrat allied with the pro-Confederate Redeemer government. Blackburn relocated to [[Little Rock]], where he published the ''Arkansas Republican''.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000510 BLACKBURN, William Jasper - Biographical Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

Blackburn remained in Homer during the [[Reconstruction]] era. He was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] as a [[Republican Party|Republican]], serving from 1868 to 1869. Thereafter, he was a member of the Louisiana State Senate until he was defeated in 1878 by a Democrat allied with the pro-Confederate Redeemer government. Blackburn relocated to [[Little Rock]], where he published the ''Arkansas Republican''.<ref>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000510 BLACKBURN, William Jasper - Biographical Information<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>​

The name ''The Minden Herald'' was revived briefly during Reconstruction, but few, if any, issues of the newspaper of that period are extant. A quotation from ''The Shreveport Times'', which began publication in 1871, refers in 1872 to ''The Minden Herald.'' A later ''The Minden Herald'' was published in 1924 under the direction of printer Clifton Harper (1902–1982), a native of [[Mississippi]]. Harper attended [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]] and worked at another publication called ''The Webster Signal.'' ​

The name ''The Minden Herald'' was revived briefly during Reconstruction, but few, if any, issues of the newspaper of that period are extant. A quotation from ''The Shreveport Times'', which began publication in 1871, refers in 1872 to ''The Minden Herald.'' A later ''The Minden Herald'' was published in 1924 under the direction of printer Clifton Harper (1902–1982), a native of [[Mississippi]]. Harper attended [[Minden (Louisiana) High School|Minden High School]] and worked at another publication called ''The Webster Signal.'' ​

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''The Signal'' was published by Thomas Wafer Fuller, a Democratic state senator from 1896 to 1900 and as Webster Parish school superintendent from 1908 to 1920. After Fuller's death in 1920, his widow, the former Alma Bright, continued publishing ''The Signal'' for several years thereafter. ​

''The Signal'' was published by Thomas Wafer Fuller (1867-1920), a Democratic state senator from 1896 to 1900 and as Webster Parish school superintendent from 1908 to 1920. After Fuller's death in 1920, his widow, the former Alma Bright, continued publishing ''The Signal'' for several years thereafter.  

 

Clifton Harper studied printing under the direction of his brother, William Harper. He worked for the new ''Minden Tribune,'' edited for a time by J. Frank Colbert (1882-1949), who was a state representative from 1920 to 1925 and the [[mayor]] of Minden for a single two-year term from 1944 to 1946.<ref>"Official Returns Given for Minden Primary Election, ''Minden Herald,'' April 14, 1944, p. 1.</ref>​

Clifton Harper studied printing under the direction of his brother, William Harper. He worked for the new ''Minden Tribune,'' edited for a time by J. Frank Colbert (1882-1949), who was a state representative from 1920 to 1925 and the [[mayor]] of Minden for a single two-year term from 1944 to 1946.<ref>"Official Returns Given for Minden Primary Election, ''Minden Herald,'' April 14, 1944, p. 1.</ref>​

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Clifton Harper left Minden in 1924 to attend [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], [[Texas]], and then [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. For eight years he taught at the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the [[University of Georgia]] in Athens.<ref name=chservices>"Clifton Harper Services Today," ''The Minden Press-Herald,'' April 5, 1982, p. 1.</ref> Harper and his wife, the former Myrtle Buckley (1904–1990), both completed their degrees in business administration and [[journalism]] and returned to Minden. Clifton’s brothers, William Harper (1894–1971) and Clinton Harper (1904–1978), along with Prentiss W. Lowe (1905-1992), had founded the ''Webster Sentinel'' there in October 1928. Clifton Harper joined the paper as editor.<ref name=agan/>​

Clifton Harper left Minden in 1924 to attend [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas|Waco]], [[Texas]], and then [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. For eight years he taught at the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the [[University of Georgia]] in Athens.<ref name=chservices>"Clifton Harper Services Today," ''The Minden Press-Herald,'' April 5, 1982, p. 1.</ref> Harper and his wife, the former Myrtle Buckley (1904–1990), both completed their degrees in business administration and [[journalism]] and returned to Minden. Clifton’s brothers, William Harper (1894–1971) and Clinton Harper (1904–1978), along with Prentiss W. Lowe (1905-1992), had founded the ''Webster Sentinel'' there in October 1928. Clifton Harper joined the paper as editor.<ref name=agan/>​

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On November 17, 1949, Clifton Harper started the ''Minden Press'' and remained its publisher until 1956, when he sold the publication.<ref name=chservices/>​

On November 17, 1949, Clifton Harper started the ''Minden Press'' and remained its publisher until 1956, when he sold the publication.<ref name=chservices/>​