''The Peterson Patriot'' is the town

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

for those residing in or near the town of

Peterson, Iowa Peterson is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 322 in the 2020 census, a decline from 372 in 2000. History The first settlement was made at Peterson in 1856. In 1862, a fort was built in Peterson by settlers to defend ...

. The paper plays a key role in communicating local news to the area's residents. The paper was started in 1880 and is still running as of June, 2020.

History

The paper began in 1880 as the ''Peterson Dispatch'' and was edited by Ray Gleason. It was known as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

newspaper, but it soon closed. Shortly after, it came under the new ownership of E.J. Helms and his partner, E.G. Blackert, and was renamed the ''Peterson Patriot''. This version of the paper was originally non-partisan, but eventually became Republican. Ownership of the ''Patriot'', a successful newspaper by that time, changed hands every few years until 1966, when Harold Grafton and Shirley Omer became the new owners. Marge Ashcraft became the Managing Editor, gathering news and advertising, while her husband Roy would take the information to

Primghar, Iowa Primghar is a city in, and the county seat of, O'Brien County, Iowa, O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The population was 896 at the time of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. Primghar is 23.5 miles south of Iowa Highway 9, Iowa State H ...

to be set up, and then to

Sibley, Iowa Sibley is a city in Osceola County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,860 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Osceola County. Hawkeye Point, the highest point in the State of Iowa, is also nearby. History Sibley ha ...

for printing. The paper changed hands once more in 1989 and was owned by Roger and Jane Stoner of Peterson, Iowa. In the early days, difficulties of the paper included getting supplies and materials to Peterson. The rivers were always high and it was hard to get the materials delivered. A train was not yet set-up to come through the area. The ''Patriot'' office moved to a few different locations in Peterson, back and forth across main street. Some featured articles included the following: “In and About by Jarney”, an editorial column, Roger's Remarks, a humor column, the local news and happenings, social events/gatherings of the community, local sports, classifieds, and articles on the women’s suffrage movement.

The Paper today

Today,{{when, date=January 2021 the paper is owned by Richard and Mari Radtke of

Sutherland, Iowa Sutherland is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa, O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The population was 629 at the time of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. History Sutherland was laid out in 1882. The city was named after the Duke of Sut ...

. It serves the Peterson area, but is published and printed weekly in

Paullina, Iowa Paullina is a city in O'Brien County, Iowa, United States. The population was 982 at the 2020 census. History Paullina was laid out in 1882 when the Chicago & Northwestern Railway was extended to that point. It was named for the Paullin brother ...

. It covers the Sioux Central School District news (the local community school), referred to as a section called, “The Rebel Yell” in the paper. It has a “Remember When” section, which lists interesting history from Peterson from 10, 20, 55, and 60 years ago. Marriages, births, and obituaries are also common items published today.

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Flor ...

Board of Supervisors minutes, City of Peterson Meeting minutes and Sioux Central Board of Education minutes are all legal proceedings published for the public to view. On the back page of the paper is a list of business directories that help fund the small town newspaper.

References

*Peterson, Iowa. II. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Co. Inc, 1983. *Peterson, Iowa. III. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Co. Inc, 2006. Clay County, Iowa Newspapers published in Iowa Newspapers established in 1880 Weekly newspapers published in the United States