The day of the local newspaper may seem to be a thing of the past. If so, what a past it was. In the time before the internet, television, even radio, people had a need to know what was happening in the world around them. The local newspaper was the source of that information. Who does not remember the thrill of seeing their name in the paper? What family does not have a scrapbook with yellowed news articles from the past? 

The first newspaper went to print as the “Lane Leader” in 1858. John R. Howlett was the owner, editor, print setter, and reporter. In a community with a population in the hundreds it was an uphill battle to make a living from a paper selling for pennies. John kept the paper going for three years before selling it to James A. Butterfield in 1861. The paper’s name was changed to the “Lane Patriot” but faced the same difficulties as the prior owner, without subscriptions and advertising it was impossible to make a living. Mr. Butterfield closed the paper one year later in 1862. The type and presses were put into storage.

It was in 1863 that Elbridge Ottis heard of the unused equipment and decided that he was just the man to take on the responsibility bringing the news to the people of Lane. In a small room above the Clark and Dana Drugstore (later to become Barkers) Elbridge published the first issue of the “Lane Register”. Two years later in 1865 Mr. Ottis changed the name of the paper when the city was renamed. Lane became Rochelle and the “Lane Register” became the “Rochelle Register”. The motto of the paper was, “If you see it in the Register, it is so”. Strangely,  E. L. Ottis is better remembered for his devotion to the fire department than his newspaper. He was instrumental in improving the city’s water supply and upgrading equipment. The paper passed from owner to owner, J.C. Neff to H.C. Paddock to George Dicus then Emery Neff.

For a brief period, 1878-1879 Norman Rapalee published the “National Greenbacker” and “Rapalee’s Greenbacker”. The paper failed to flourish and was soon gone. 

The “Rochelle Independent” was started by E. L. Derby in 1872. Ownership was later passed to Fred and Charles Lux. The Lux brothers sold the paper to Hemmingway and Wagner in about 1897. They in turn sold the paper to Walter Hohenadel in 1917.

For some reason there was a period when some felt that Rochelle could support two newspapers. The “Rochelle Telephone” went to press in 1879 under the ownership of J. M. King and his wife. The paper lasted three years and in 1881 the presses shut down. The Norris family, G. W. Norris and his son Howard had managed two papers prior, the “Malta Mail” and the “Creston Times” were merged to become the “Rochelle Herald” in 1881. The “Herald” lasted for a while but it too failed. 

The Lux brothers, Fred and William, joined with Elmer Heath and printed the “Rochelle News”. The “Rochelle Independent” was sold by Walter Hohenadel to John Millar in 1922. John also purchased the “Rochelle Register” and combined the two into one paper. Another contender in the news arena was Chuck Stafford, editor of the 1923 paper, the “Rochelle Home Journal”. Competition was keen with many fighting for the limited advertising dollar. This was about to change. Floyd J. Tilton and his son John W. Tilton and their corporation, Tilton Industries, would become the sole source for news in Rochelle. 

The Tilton family began in the news business in 1932 with the purchase of the “Rochelle Home Journal”. The cost was $10, and the check was post-dated one week. The paper became the “Northern Illinois Democrat” in 1933. In 1938 the paper became the “Hub City Leader.” The name was again changed, this time to “The Rochelle Leader”. The “Rochelle Leader” and the “Rochelle News” competed until 1943 when the Lux brothers and Mr. Heath sold their paper to Tilton Industries. With both papers in hand, John Tilton, published the “News” on Wednesdays and the “Leader” on Fridays. 

Tilton industries left the newspaper business in 1975. John Tompkins, at the age of 21, purchased the Rochelle papers. John was an aggressive newspaper man. Over the years he bought several papers across the United States. John owned and managed the Rochelle papers until 2023, when he passed. The paper stayed in the family and John Tompkins Jr. (JJ) took over the management of the “Rochelle News-Leader”. 

The mission of a local newspaper is the same today as it was in 1856, to inform the public, allow varying opinions, and share stories that may be too small for larger media outlets.  Will the local paper disappear? I hope not, but progress grinds on. Until that day we continue clipping out photos, saving articles, wedding announcements, obituaries, and other major life events. The internet may become the news source of the day, but it will be hard pressed to replace the smile on a child’s face when they see their history in a scrapbook.

Tom McDermott is a Flagg Township Museum historian and Rochelle city councilman.