A Digital Collection of Smithville's History 1897 - 1915
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 [2]is also available.
Acknowlegements [3]
We look forward to hearing from you about the project. Send your comments to the Indiana Room [4].
