The Crittenden Press Archive

The Crittenden Press, heralded as Marion’s oldest continually operated business, was established in 1879 and served the Pennyrile region of Kentucky, known for its thriving agriculture and fluorspar mines. The founding editor R.C. Walker had previously held several official positions in Crittenden County, including sheriff. His son, Walter Walker, joined the paper as manager in December 1900. The eight-page weekly Press was decidedly Democratic in focus, providing information on party meetings, conventions, and candidates, while often dismissing Republican Party politics and defaming its candidates. In addition, the Press regularly featured local news stories as well as reports from around the state, nation, and world. By 1906, the paper had introduced a striking (though short-lived) four-page “Pictorial, Color, and Magazine” section that included large, richly illustrated articles of human interest, fashion advice, fictional stories, advertisements, and comics.

By 1903, R.C. Walker sold the Crittenden Press to Editor S.M. Jenkins, although Walter Walker remained as manager for a time. On March 28, 1905, a fire destroyed the offices of the Press; more than forty other buildings in Marion, including the courthouse, were damaged or destroyed. Undeterred, the Press never missed an issue: it reemerged the next week from a new location with a new header and design.

It was during Jenkins’ ownership that the paper underwent a series of title changes. First, it became known as the Crittenden Record, followed briefly by the Crittenden Record=Press in 1907. The paper temporarily added Editor N.E. Calmes in 1909, under whose leadership it became the Twice-a-Week Record-Press. After just two months as a bi-weekly, however, the paper resumed its weekly status as the Crittenden Record-Press. Soon after this last change, Jenkins resumed his editorial role until he sold the paper to William F. Hogard in 1919, when it became known again as the Crittenden Press. The Crittenden Press has been owned by the Mick family since 1960 and is still published weekly (http://www.the-press.com/.)