Lawrence Democrat Archive

Little is known about the first few years of the Lawrence [Tennessee]Democrat. The paper was established in 1884 and served the town of Lawrenceburg and Lawrence County. The earliest surviving copies date from April 1890 when lawyers William T. Nixon and William A. Stewart published and edited the paper. Both men were former Whigs and staunch supporters of the Democratic Party, and this was reflected in their publication. Under the motto of “Cry Aloud and Spare Not,” the paper reported on local, regional, and national politics, and provided recreational reading in the form of fiction and poetry. Much of the latter was ready-print (pre-compiled news and advertisements purchased by editors and integrated into the newspaper), but was sometimes written specifically for the Democrat.  The paper also covered local issues and interests extensively, detailing the social calendars of residents, as well as their travel arrangements, and even their health status.  The newspaper published legal notices, train schedules, and at various times dedicated special columns to topics such as “Farm and Garden,” “Young Readers,” and “The Dairy.”  Advertisements promoted both national companies and local merchants.

Lawrenceburg was home to Davy Crockett in the early 19^th century. In August 1890, the town staged a grand celebration of the frontiersman’s life, with the main event taking place in the grounds of Democrat publisher W.A. Stewart’s home. The paper helped rally people in preparation for the occasion and published a report after the event entitled, “Davy’s Day.”

In December 1891, Nixon and Stewart sold the Democrat, and over the following decades there were numerous changes in ownership and editorship. In 1903, Charles T. Crawford and T.H. Meredith became the paper’s editors, and Robert L. Stockard was the business manager.  Crawford continued to publish and edit the paper, partnering with several different people (including his son)into the 1920s. Under Crawford’s leadership in 1905, the Democrat expanded to eight pages. After only a few months, it became a bi-weekly and the page count decreased to four. In 1913, it reverted to an eight-page weekly.

A special ten-page Booster Edition of the Democrat was published on August 21, 1912. The front page carried a full-page illustrated “Business Proclamation” designed to encourage merchants and industry to invest in Lawrenceburg. Several pages of the special edition spotlighted local merchants and their businesses, as well as including a feature on the Lawrence County High School. These features made extensive use of photographs.

In 1926, the Democrat merged with the Lawrence Union and became the Lawrence Democrat Union. Despite the changes in ownership and editorship, the content remained consistent with the earlier editorial style. As of 2014, the Democrat-Union is still published in Lawrenceburg.