The Log Cabin Democrat Archive

The Conway Log Cabin (189?-1901) and succeeding Log Cabin Democrat (1901-82) were printed in Conway, the county seat of Faulkner County in central Arkansas. Faulkner County was formed in 1873 as one of nine counties established during Reconstruction. Named after Colonel Sanford Faulkner, composer of "The Arkansas Traveler," the county consists of river valleys, hills, and prairie lands in the north.

The Log Cabin (1879-8?) was created by Abel F. Livingston in 1879, and named after the Whig political party symbol. In the 1880s and 1890s, the newspaper changed ownership several times before John W. Underhill resumed full control of the paper in the late 1890s and changed its name to the Conway Log Cabin (189?-1901). The Cabin, along with other local Conway newspapers, was published by the Underhill's Conway Printing Company. Originally Republican in its political views, the newspaper had become Democratic when Underhill first took control of it in the 1880s. The Conway Log Cabin focused on local and national news with a "News of the World" section, and covered the placement of the cornerstone of the new state capitol on November 17, 1900. On June 19, 1900, a fire destroyed the Conway Printing Company plant, including the equipment used to publish the Conway Log Cabin and the Conway Democrat (1888-1901). The publishing company recovered quickly and bought new supplies in St. Louis, Missouri.

In September 1901, the Conway Log Cabin and the Conway Democrat consolidated into the weekly Log Cabin Democrat (1901-82). After Underhill died in 1906, his stepson Francis Edward "Frank" Robins, Sr. became the editor and later bought the plant. The Robins family was involved with the newspaper for five generations. A daily edition of the Log Cabin Democrat (1908-current) was established on September 14, 1908, and is published to this day. Both the weekly and daily editions focused on national and international news. The paper covered the First World War in great detail, and published articles of interest such as "From a Nurse in Warring Germany." The newspapers also kept up with local and state news, such as the debate over wet and dry counties. The colleges in Conway were of particular interest, including the Arkansas State Normal College, now the University of Central Arkansas; Hendrix College; and the Central Baptist College for Women, now Central Baptist College.