Changes

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/>

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/>

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>

 

==Harper Brothers and Lowe==​

==Harper Brothers and Lowe==​

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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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/>​

 

On November 14, 1929, the name ''Minden Herald'' was restored by the Harper brothers and Prentiss Lowe, the fathers of the "The Herald" half of the ''Minden Press-Herald.'' At the time, ''The Webster Sentinel'' explained that the resumption of the name ''Minden Herald'' was intended to clear up confusion over another journal, ''The Webster Signal-Tribune,'' which had begun in 1926, when the ''The Webster Signal'' merged with ''The Minden Tribune.''<ref name=agan/>​

On November 14, 1929, the name ''Minden Herald'' was restored by the Harper brothers and Prentiss Lowe, the fathers of the "The Herald" half of the ''Minden Press-Herald.'' At the time, ''The Webster Sentinel'' explained that the resumption of the name ''Minden Herald'' was intended to clear up confusion over another journal, ''The Webster Signal-Tribune,'' which had begun in 1926, when the ''The Webster Signal'' merged with ''The Minden Tribune.''<ref name=agan/>

 

In May 1936, ''The Herald'' was voted the best newspaper in Louisiana by a panel that included the journalist and State Representative [[Rupert Peyton]] of Shreveport. At the time ''The Herald'' carried no "boiler-plate" news but only original local reporting. It was cited for layout, news, and editorials.<ref>"Herald voted best in Louisiana," ''Minden Herald,'' May 8, 1936, p. 1.</ref>​

In May 1936, ''The Herald'' was voted the best newspaper in Louisiana by a panel that included the journalist and State Representative [[Rupert Peyton]] of Shreveport. At the time ''The Herald'' carried no "boiler-plate" news but only original local reporting. It was cited for layout, news, and editorials.<ref>"Herald voted best in Louisiana," ''Minden Herald,'' May 8, 1936, p. 1.</ref>​

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==The Spivas' Webster Printing Company==

==The Spivas' Webster Printing Company==

Under Clifton Harper’s leadership, the weekly ''The Minden Herald'' was published on Friday. His editorials called for economic growth and modernization. Harper Brothers and Lowe acquired ownership of the other local paper, the ''Signal-Tribune,''published on Tuesday.  In February 1932, the ''Minden Herald'' purchased the ''Webster News'' and changed its name to the ''Minden Herald'' and ''Webster News,'' published as a single newspaper. This arrangement continued until April 1937, when the Harper Brothers left the local newspaper market. The papers were sold to the Webster Printing Company, owned by Hubert Tamblyn Spiva, Sr. (1899-1939) and his wife, the former Lilla Ellenor Stewart (1906-1959). Hubert Spiva was a veteran newspaperman and his wife, Lilla, daughter of the attorney Daniel W. Stewart, Sr. of Minden and a niece of [[William G. Stewart]], namesake of the defunct William G. Stewart Elementary School in Minden, had experience in journalism. The new company ceased publication of ''The Signal-Tribune'' and issued ''The Webster News'' as a separate paper on Tuesday.<ref name=agan/>​

Under Clifton Harper’s leadership, the weekly ''The Minden Herald'' was published on Friday. His editorials called for economic growth and modernization. Harper Brothers and Lowe acquired ownership of the other local paper, the ''Signal-Tribune,''published on Tuesday.  In February 1932, the ''Minden Herald'' purchased the ''Webster News'' and changed its name to the ''Minden Herald'' and ''Webster News,'' published as a single newspaper. This arrangement continued until April 1937, when the Harper Brothers left the local newspaper market. The papers were sold to the Webster Printing Company, owned by Hubert Tamblyn Spiva, Sr. (1899-1939) and his wife, the former Lilla Ellenor Stewart (1906-1959). Hubert Spiva was a veteran newspaperman and his wife, Lilla, daughter of the attorney Daniel W. Stewart, Sr. of Minden and a niece of [[William G. Stewart]], namesake of the defunct William G. Stewart Elementary School in Minden, had experience in journalism. The new company ceased publication of ''The Signal-Tribune'' and issued ''The Webster News'' as a separate paper on Tuesday.<ref name=agan/>​