History of the Bunker Hill Gazette

Pictured: Bunker Hill Gazette-News on NW corner of E. Warren and N. Pine St.

Was the former Chas. Folkerts Grocery Store

    The press and type of the STAUNTON BANNER were purchased by A.W. Edwards, and in November of 1860 the first number of the Gillespie UNION AND GAZETTE  made its appearance.  The paper continued under Mr. Edwards control until 1863, when he enlisted in the Union Army where he remained until the close of the war.  The publication was, however, continued for some time afterwards by Alonzo James, but he too enlisted and the publication was then suspended.  The UNION AND GAZETTE was extremely Democratic in tone.

    The BUNKER HILL JOURNAL was the name of the first paper published in Bunker Hill.  E.J. Bronson was the editor and proprietor.  It was a five-column folio and was neutral in politics.  The first number was issued December 8, 1859 and the last in May 1860.

    In 1865, after the return of Mr. Edwards from the war, her removed the printing office from Gillespie to Bunker Hill and resumed the publication of the UNION AND GAZETTE.

    The first number was issued January 19, 1866.  He continued the publication until January 31, 1867 when he sold out to Dr. S.R. Sawyer and F.Y. Hedley.  The paper was then Republican in politics.  When Messers Sawyer and Hedley assumed control, they changed the tone and made it independent and it so remained until Dr. Sawyer's death, which event occurred on May 24, 1868.  After that date, it again became Republican in politics and has remained the organ of the Republican party of Bunker Hill to the present time.  In 1871, the name of the paper changed.  The work [Sic] "UNION" was dropped out and from that date to the present it is known as the BUNKER HILL GAZETTE.

    Mr. Hedley continued as editor and proprietor until January 1, 1878 when Mr. W.S. Silence became the publisher, Mr. Hedley still acting as editor.  This arrangement continued until January 24, 1879 when both Hedley and Silence retired and the office was leased to Messers Said and Poorman of Charleston, IL, who published the paper until July 1879.  The circulation of the GAZETTE is about 750.  It is a neat, sprightly paper and enjoyed the confidence of its constituency.  Mr. Headly, who may be regarded as the father of journalism in Bunker Hill, has retired from the active participation of the business but not without first demonstrating his entire capability to run a newspaper successfully.  He is a practical printer, and the GAZETTE, under his management, was a model of typographical neatness.  He is a good writer.  He is now postmaster of this beautiful little city, and as a man and officer, is respected by all who knew him  Mr. Headley resumed editorial charge of the GAZETTE  about the 10th of July, 1879.

    The paper became the GAZETTE-NEWS in 1905 under the association of Philip C. Hansen and W.B. Powell.  At this time, two competing newspapers were combined, the BUNKER HILL NEWS  and the GAZETTE.  Other names of leadership through the years included Harold Gerlach, Arthur and Frieda Strang, and Lawrence Gosch.

    In 1964, the paper was published by Carl Stanton, who remained publisher/editor until 1987, at which time it was sold to John Galer, a Hillsboro, Illinois publisher.

Pictured: Bunker Hill Gazette-News on SW corner of N. Washington and W. Fayette St.

    The GAZETTE-NEWS is published under the name of BUNKER HILL PUBLICATIONS along with the MT. OLIVE HERALD,  the MADISON COUNTY CHRONICLE,  and the SOUTHWESTERN JOURNAL.  Cheri Petroline is the current manager.

...Read this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/

--Cite this story: The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." Bunker Hill Gazette-News, March 31, 2022.

Redford, Carol, and Betty Triplett. "Bunker Hill History." In Reflections: A History of the Bunker Hill-Woodburn Area, p. 131. Bunker Hill: Bunker Hill Publications, 1993. Provided by the Bunker Hill Historical Society.