The Pickens Sentinel

The Pickens Sentinel was founded in July, 1871 by D. F. Bradley and J. R. Holcombe as "a newspaper with a conscience. It is the oldest continuous business in Pickens County. "Once, when the newsprint did not arrive by train for the March 6, 1873 issue, due to heavy shipments of fertilizer," Former owner Jerry Alexander said, "The newspaper was cond... ensed and printed on old timely Blue Horse notebook paper. This issue is unique in the annals of South Carolina Journalism." By 1873, Bradley was Editor and proprietor, and by 1875, J. H. Carlisle was in charge of the editorial department. J. C. Thompson was printer. The newspaper was sold August 26, 1886 to J. E. Boggs, who told subscribers that "a sheep is just as current at this office to pay subscriptions as greenbacks. Boggs sold the newspaper to J. L. O. Thompson, a newspaperman from Oconee County, and H. A. Richey, Thompson's father-in-law. A new newspaper, People's Journal, was founded in 1871 by T. C. Robinson, and in 1871, the two newspapers merged to form the Sentinel-Journal. "During this time, the newspaper was printed on a press turned by hand," Alexander said. "A strong man named Bill Brown and his son, Hovey, turned the flywheel on the old-timely press. The first automatic typesetting machines were installed by Mr. Thompson, and the work was speeded up considerably by the Simplex, a forerunner to the modern day Linotype. The Sentinel-Journal suffered a severe setback after the turn of the century, and the owner was forced to sell the paper in 1912. The Editor severely blasted a school teacher for a whipping given a lad which the Editor felt was too severe and for expelling the Editor's son from school. The quarrel developed into such proportions a boycott by local merchants was called, forcing the Editor to get advertising from Greenville and other area towns. Advertising dwindled, and the paper was sold to a stock company headed by J. McD.Read More