The Frostburg Herald Archive

John J. Robinson (1866-1918) commenced publication of the Frostburg Herald in 1903 as a weekly with the motto "Independent - Not Neutral." This was also the motto of his earlier newspaper, the Lonaconing Star, which he edited between 1886 and 1905 in the heart of the coal mining region of Allegany County, Maryland. Robinson was the son of a local shoemaker and worked in the coal mines before taking up the newspaper business. His editorial stance was as a muckraker, advocating for honest government and a fair shake for the working men and women of the region.

In the highly competitive newspaper environment of western Maryland, Robinson engaged in spirited and at times, vituperative, editorial exchanges with his rival editor J. Benson Oder of the Frostburg Mining Journal. These attacks became more serious in June 1901 when Robinson was assaulted by striking miners who resented his criticism of the violence that occurred earlier in a dispute with mine operators. In 1905, Robinson's offices in Lonaconing were burned by arsonists during a labor union organizing campaign after he attacked a union leader in an editorial. In order to remain in print, Robinson had to move his operations to the printing facilities of the Frostburg Herald. He subsequently took over operation of the Herald from its former managing editor, Ulysses Grant Welsh.

The Frostburg Herald was not a success, despite a wealth of ads from local firms. During its brief existence, Robinson exposed secret meetings of the Frostburg city council and expressed concern about rumors of a tax increase. The Herald also featured both local and national news about labor negotiations with coal operators over wage scales.

Robinson moved to Cumberland around 1910, where he reported on events in Lonaconing for the Cumberland Evening Times. The Herald likely ceased publication in 1905, although the exact date is not known.