The Big Picture

Some of the biggest items at the Sutherland Springs Historical Museum are a couple of cameras and a printing press. These purchases were made near the beginning of the museum in 1996 from the old Stockdale newspaper location. We are wondering how these items may be associated with newspapers in Wilson County. The Library of Congress identifies these newspapers in Wilson County between the mid-nineteenth century and the present:

El Eco Liberal. (San Diego, Tex.) 18??-1??? | Languages: Spanish
Nixon-Stockdale News-Star. (Nixon, Tex.) 1???-current
Western Texas Chronicle. (Floresville, Tex.) 18??-1???
The Western Chronicle. (Sutherland Springs, Tex.) 1877-18??
The Floresville Chronicle. (Floresville, Tex.) 1877-1913
The Citizen. (Floresville, Tex.) 1887-1???
The Southwest Texan. (Floresville, Tex.) 1895-1???
La Vernia News. (La Vernia, Tex.) 19??-current
Wilson County News. (Floresville, TX) 19??-current
The Floresville Advertiser. (Floresville, Tex.) 19??-????
Wilson County Journal. (Floresville, Tex.) 1903-1913
The Health Resort. (Sutherland Springs, Tex.) 1909-????
The Stockdale Times. (Stockdale, Tex.) 1909-????
Floresville Chronicle-Journal. (Floresville, Wilson County, Tex.) 1913-2008
Rural Progress. (Nixon, Tex.) 1941-195?

There seems to be at least one paper omitted from the Library of Congress list. The Stockdale Star was published ca. 1940-50. Walter H. Richter was the publisher of The Stockdale Star from 1948-1951. The museum's records indicate that the cameras and the printing press were purchased from The Stockdale Star. I could not locate any archival copies of The Stockdale Star.

The Stockdale Times began publication in 1909. The last archival record of the newspaper is in 1918, although the printing press that was purchased at the old Stockdale newspaper location was manufactured in 1934. The Tyler Journal of 29 May 1936 records in an article about Sam Fore, Jr., that he worked for The Stockdale Times as an apprentice in his youth, under the tutelage of "Uncle Charlie" Hanson, pioneer printer-publisher. Fore went on to become the owner and publisher of The Floresville Chronicle-Journal.

Sutherland Springs published The Western Chronicle between 1877 and 1879 by James W. Anderson.

The Health Resort was published by T. C. Richardson in Sutherland Springs in 1909 until 1913 and briefly reinstated in 1914.

The printing press owned by Sutherland Springs Historical Museum is a 1934 12x18 Chandler & Price Craftsman Platen Press with an Automatic Feeder. Sadly, the press has been subjected to the elements for several years.

 A 1934 12x18 Chandler & Price Craftsman Platen Press in pristine condition should look like this—

Two cameras were also purchased at the same time as the press. The first is an Argyle Process Camera from Houston, Texas and a camera produced by the Douthitt Corporation in Detroit, Michigan.

 

 

 

Argyl Process Camera

Argyl Camera Company, Houston Texas

Serial No. 148-23

Circa 1900

Camera

Douthitt Corporation, Detroit, Michigan

Universal "F" System

circa 1919

Does anyone know any more about these cameras or the printer? We would love to understand how they operate or who the original owners might have been. There are very few copies of The Stockdale Times, The Stockdale Star, The Western Chronicle, or The Health Resort. The Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin holds copies of The Western Chronicle and The Stockdale Times. I was not able to find any archival copies of The Health Resort or The Stockdale Star. If you have any information about these publications or items, please let us know.