Georgia Historic Newspapers

A. M. C. Russell published the inaugural issue of the Argus on September 24, 1875 in Buena Vista, Georgia. The newspaper was a Democratic weekly that printed every Friday at a subscription cost of $2.25 per year. The paper only carried the Argus title for a few months and became the Buena Vista Argus with its first 1876 issue. Despite its Democratic alignment, the Argus was frequently criticized by Benjamin E. Russell of the Bainbridge Weekly Democrat for its reporting of the Georgia Gubernatorial campaign in 1876. A. M. C. Russell editorialized in favor of Alfred H. Colquitt while Benjamin E. Russell supported Thomas Hardeman Jr. for the Democratic ticket nomination. In the March 9, 1876 issue of his paper, Benjamin Russell references insults written about him in the pages of the Argus. The rivalry between the two papers was not only political, but familial, as the Russells of the two papers were part of the same family. A. M. C. Russell owned the Buena Vista Argus for less than two years before selling the paper to Will W. Singleton in spring of 1877. Singleton managed the paper for several years and changed the masthead to the Marion County Argus in 1881. The paper held that title until becoming the Marion County Sentinel in 1884. By 1884, F. L. Wisdom was publisher of the Argus. Wisdom sold to Thomas B. Lumpkin in 1885, and Lumpkin again changed the paper’s masthead to the Marion County Clipper. The Clipper became the Marion County Patriot in 1886 and held that name until 1968. After several more title changes, the paper became the Stewart-Webster Journal, The Patriot-Citizen which continues to publish today as Marion County’s legal organ.

Provided by: Digital Library of Georgia