With the issue of the Marion Weekly Leader dated March 18, 1971, it will cease to exist after 133 years of service to the people of Marion and Williamson County. During that time it has had several different names and has been a continuous publication except during the Civil War.
The first printing office in Williamson County was owned by William H. Williford, where in 1838, a bi-monthly publication was published known as “the Western Family Monitor.” This plant was near what is now Crab Orchard.
In 1850, the Monitor was moved to Marion and the name changed later to “The Intelligencer” being edited by I.B. Jones. The Intelligencer was the only newspaper printed in the county until 1859 and during the time of Robert G. Ingersoll who was associated with it as an editor, others having an interest in the publication included DeBard Rock and John McGarvey.
During the Civil War period the newspapers were printed in Williamson County, but in 1863 the Intelligencer was revived and the name changed to the “Marion Star”, later becoming an organ of the Democratic Party.
In 1865, the Star changed owners and the name was changed to “The Old Flag” with Dr. Samuel H. Bundy as editor and manager.
However in 1867 thru 1869 his Flag became the official publication of the Republicans with Judge Jesse Bishop shaping the policy and Lyman E. Knapp as the original editor and publisher, followed by Edward Bishop. The publication was handled by John H. Hogg, James F. Connell and Samuel O. Hart. In 1870, Connell became editor and he was succeeded by Jesse Bishop.
In 1871, another publication called “The Marion Star” was sold to Mit A. Bates who established “The People’s Friend”, but Bates sold that year to W.R. Brown and sons and the name was changed to the “Williamson County Democrat.”
In 1874, “Our Flag” which had appeared under several names and different management was bought by James P. Copeland, who revived the Flag and then changed its name to the “Marion Leader,” as a Republican paper.
In 1875, a stock company was formed and started a Democratic paper known as the “Egyptian Press” with William E. Washburn as editor and publisher. Others interested in the Press were Samuel Casey, R.P. Hilll, Walter Williams and James H. Felts. In May of that year, fire destroyed the places of both the Egyptian Press and the Marion Monitor.
“The Egyptian Press” was immediately reestablished by a group of prominent Democrats including Z. Hudgens, James M. Washburn, Charles H. Denison, William Davis and Levi Ferrell.
“The Marion Monitor” was also immediately reestablished by James Copeland and George W. Young with the aid of a group of Republicans.
In 1877, John F. Lusk, a practicing printer and writer, bought an interest in the Monitor from George W. Young. After two years Lusk sold his interest to John H. Duncan and Edward E. Mitchell.
Thomas J. Helton started a newspaper called the “Marion Independent” in 1886 and about a year later he sold it to a stock company composed of E.E.Mitchell, John H. Duncan, W.C.S. Rhea and Elder William H. Boles. That same year the Monitor and Independent were consolidated to “The Marion Leader” with James P. Copeland as the editor and manager. The Leader was sold in 1887 to Oliver J. Page who later sold to Arthur Roberts and Thomas Mitchell. The first issue of the new “Marion Weekly Republican Leader came off the press on Thursday, February 26, 1887 with W.C.S. Rhea and Ed Mitchell as the editors.
In 1896 when the Creal Springs News suspended, W.R. Lee moved the equipment to Marion and started a Republican newspaper called “The Marion News.”
In 1900 the Leader which had published every Thursday as a weekly newspaper, became Williamson County’s first daily newspaper, but it only lasted a short time and the paper reverted to a weekly publication.
In 1901, Ollie R. Nation formed “The Marion Post” and W.R. Lee started “The Marion News” as competing daily newspapers, but they were both short lived.
In 1909, Samuel Casey and James Felts purchased both the Post and the News and started publishing “The Daily Marion Post” which name was later changed to “Marion Evening Post.”
In June 1904, The Leader Printing Company was incorporated with capitalization of $8,000. The incorporators were Arthur Roberts, T.H. Mitchell, John H. Duncan, O.H. Burnett, Oliver J. Page, Lloyd C. Campell, J.E. Throgmorton, John M. Dodd, J.F. Bundy, F.J. Joyner, Leonard Colp and W.T. Felts with John Duncan as President and Lloyd Campbell as the Secretary-Treasurer. Arthur Roberts served as editor and publisher.
In June 1913, “The Marion Leader” expanded and started publishing “The Marion Daily Republican”, which has been continued to the present time.
In 1915, W.O. Paisley and son, Oldham Paisley, purchased the Leader Corporation from A.C. Hentz.
On September 30, 1948 the Marion Evening Post was purchased by Oldham Paisley and consolidated with the Marion Daily Republican in the former Egyptian Press building.
On June 18, 1970, the Republican-Leader Corporation was sold to the Marion Publishing Company, Inc. who publishes not only the West Frankfort American but several newspapers in Pennsylvania.
(Extracted from Marion Daily Republican article dated March 18, 1971)