Shelby County Newspapers 1871–1956

Notes: Listed runnings are according to the archives kept at Newspapers.com and may not reflect actual runtimes of any given newspaper. No editors are prominently listed for any of these eight papers.

Clarence Courier
- Clarence, MO
- Runs 31 July 1901–27 December 1922

Clarence Republican
- Clarence, MO
- Runs 2 December 1898–11 July 1913

Hunnewell Graphic
- Hunewell, MO
- Runs 6 January 1896–16 August 1956

Independent-Courier
- Clarence, MO
- Runs 5 May 1925–25 December 1929

Shelbina Daily Democrat
- Shelbina, MO
- Runs 3 September 1884–18 September 1884

Shelbina Democrat
- Shelbina, MO
- Runs 7 April 1870–20 December 1922

Shelbina Torchlight
- Shelbina, MO
- Runs 3 January 1890–23 February 1923

Shelby County Herald
- Shelbyville, MO
- Runs 5 April 1871–29 December 1926

A closer look at two issues:

Clarence Courier Issue 32; 6 Nov 1918

The first page of this issue is available for free. It has news regarding the Great War, which would soon come to an end; news of soldiers, presumably local men, who have sent letters home or who have been wounded; obituaries and notices of death; several “cards of thanks”, short letters of appreciation which have been submitted for publication; and news from local churches regarding the week’s baptisms and services coming the following week. There is also a long segment at the top of the page thanking and naming the people who have subscribed or renewed subscriptions in the time sinch the Courier’s last issue. This part reminds me of the segment in one podcast I listen to where the podcaster lists the names of all the new Patreon patrons of the week. The only advertisement on this page is one J. L. Ridings’ note that his blacksmith shop is reopening. The issue mentions many individuals by name with no other signifiers, indicating a small, close-knit community with an “everybody knows everybody” air.

Shelbina Daily Democrat Issue 1; 18 Sep 1884

The first page of this issue is available for free. This paper, or at least this issue of this paper, covers exclusively the goings-on of the local churches. There is information of committees appointed at a recent conference, a look back after the “First Year of Methodism in Missouri”, and even transcriptions of sermons or shorter devotionals. Few people are named who are not preachers, pastors, reverends, or bishops. This paper clearly had a very specific target audience. That, or the paper did not have much news to cover in its first issue, so it resorted to covering the news of the local churches.