MINERS' EXPRESS (THE)

MINERS' EXPRESS. The Express was established on August 1, 1841 by David S. WILSON and Andrew KEESECKER. (1) In 1842 it took over the IOWA NEWS. (1)

An intense rivalry developed between the proprietors of the Express (William Merritt and Company) and the Dubuque Daily Herald (Holt, Mahoney and Company). In an effort to obtain city printing business around 1850, the Herald gave a price while the Express offered to do the work for free. Both offers were rejected by the City Council which stated that the city "was not so poor" that the work had to be done for charity. The printing, however, was later awarded to the Express on the grounds that the printing rates be no higher than those charged an individual." (2)

The frenzy of interest in RAILROADS in 1850 led the newspaper to add a "Railroad Department" in each issue. The Express was absorbed by the Herald in 1854. At this time, its proprietors were appointed city printers.

An apprentice of the newspaper was Joseph EIBOECK.

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Source:

1. Oldt, Franklin T. History of Dubuque County, Iowa. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/franklin-t-oldt/history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl/page-19-history-of-dubuque-county-iowa-being-a-general-survey-of-dubuque-county-histor-tdl.shtml

2. Ibid.

3. Oldt, Franklin T. and Patrick J. Quigley, History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Chicago: Goodspeed Historical Association, 1911 p. 23

http://iagenweb.org/dubuque/news/pub.htm

Klein, Robert F. Dubuque: Frontier River City. Loras College: Research Center for Dubuque History, Dubuque, Iowa, 1984, p. 99, 100, 127

See: NEWSPAPERS