The St. Tammany Farmer weekly newspaper began back in the fall of 1874, some 144 years ago. Here is a history of the Covington area publication.
For the "early history" of the newspaper, click on the 1905 article below.
From the 1905 booklet: St. Tammany Parish, Its Resources, Enterprises. As a Health, Summer and Winter Resort. Pubished by J. S. Glass (The Southern Manufacturer) New Orleans, LA.
The
St. Tammany Farmer, the official journal of St. Tammany Parish government as
well as the school board, was founded in 1874 by George Ingram, a Scotsman who
came to New Orleans in 1855 and to Covington in 1866.
The front page of the issue dated
February 13, 1875, describes The Farmer as “a weekly journal devoted to
Agriculture, Railroads, Commerce, Manufactures, and Education.” Subscriptions
were $2 per year and paid “invariably in advance.” It is assumed that Ingram’s
desire to promote St. Tammany’s agricultural interests was the inspiration for
The Farmer’s agrarian-themed name.
Death of George Ingram
In the December 4, 1875, issue of the Amite City Democrat newspaper, this news item recalls the death of the editor of the St. Tammany Farmer.
"The St. Tammany Farmer, published at Covington, comes to us this week draped in mourning for the death of its able editor, Mr. George Ingram, the founder of that paper.
"The Farmer says: Mr. Ingram was a native of Scotland and was a resident of this country over 20 years, coming to New Orleans in 1855, where, with the exception of short intervals, he resided until he came to Covington in 1866.
"Mr. Ingram was possessed of all the thrift and energy peculiar to his nation, and in casting his lot with our people, he labored with all his untiring energy for the best interests of the community, being engaged in a number of great enterprises, which the present unfortunate condition of the South, along prevented their being brought to a successful issue.
"Through his efforts a Town Council was appointed and under his administration, streets, bridges, and improvements appeared everywhere as if by magic. In all his enterprises, self was forgotten in the interests of the community, and he was the first to offer the hand of fellowship to those who come to cast their lot among us.
"In his house, he was ever an indulgent father and kind husband. Society ever acknowledged him as an honorable, upright gentleman, a true and sincere friend.
"In business, his integrity was unquestioned, and he was a considerate employer, ever looking to the interests of others."
"The Farmer says: Mr. Ingram was a native of Scotland and was a resident of this country over 20 years, coming to New Orleans in 1855, where, with the exception of short intervals, he resided until he came to Covington in 1866.
"Mr. Ingram was possessed of all the thrift and energy peculiar to his nation, and in casting his lot with our people, he labored with all his untiring energy for the best interests of the community, being engaged in a number of great enterprises, which the present unfortunate condition of the South, along prevented their being brought to a successful issue.
"Through his efforts a Town Council was appointed and under his administration, streets, bridges, and improvements appeared everywhere as if by magic. In all his enterprises, self was forgotten in the interests of the community, and he was the first to offer the hand of fellowship to those who come to cast their lot among us.
"In his house, he was ever an indulgent father and kind husband. Society ever acknowledged him as an honorable, upright gentleman, a true and sincere friend.
"In business, his integrity was unquestioned, and he was a considerate employer, ever looking to the interests of others."
Ownership Changes, Kentzel Named Editor
After Ingram died in 1875, by October
1878 ownership of the paper had passed to W. C. Morgan, a prominent resident of
Covington and a descendant of David B. Morgan, a general in the War of 1812 and
an influential early settler of St. Tammany Parish.
Morgan’s tenure was short, since one month later the masthead listed J. E. Smith (founder of a well-known
local hardware business) as proprietor and W. G. Kentzel as editor.
W.G.
Kentzel, a native of Philadelphia, PA was born in 1847 and attended the public
school there. At the age of 13 he started in to learn the printing business.
For 17 years he worked as a compositor on various morning papers throughout the
West and the South.
He
then spent five years on the Galveston, TX, News. It was in that city that he
met Susie V. Smith of Covington, LA., whom he married in October of 1873. In
November of 1878, he took charge of the Farmer and for a few years did all the
typesetting, press work, etc. in addition to his editorial duties.
His
office at first was in his kitchen building. Over the course of time, he
purchased a lot and built a small box house for his office. Since that time, he
has been adding to his building and office plant, until now he has a large
office building, fine improved presses, and a complete assortment of news and
job type and can boast of one of the finest country printing offices in the
State.
In
1905, he was assisted in his office by his two eldest sons, William and Edward
Kentzel. Under the management of editor Kentzel, the Farmer steadily
progressed.
Besides
editing and publishing the Farmer, Mr. Kentzel for over 26 years held the
positions of Secretary of the Police Jury and Secretary for the town council of
Covinton. He was a stockholder in the Covington Bank and the Ice Co., and was
prominent in fraternal circles. The Farmer was still advertised as devoted to
the material advance of the agricultural, manufacturing and commercial
interests of the parish.
The following is the narrative history of the St. Tammany Farmer newspaper, re-printed from the St. Tammany Farmer webpage.
St. Tammany Farmer Newspaper History
Compiled in 2014
More
than 142 years of continuous publication – from the last days of Civil
War reconstruction to the 21st century – is an achievement few
newspapers can claim, but The Farmer has
been St. Tammany’s hometown newspaper since 1874, when it was founded
by George Ingram, a Scotsman who came to New Orleans in 1855 and to
Covington in 1866.
The front page of the issue dated February 13, 1875, describes The Farmer as
“a weekly journal devoted to Agriculture, Railroads, Commerce,
Manufactures, and Education.” Subscriptions were $2 per year and paid
“invariably in advance.” It is assumed that Ingram’s desire to promote
St. Tammany’s agricultural interests was the inspiration for The
Farmer’s agrarian-themed name.
Ingram
died in 1875, and by October 1878 ownership of the paper had passed to
W. C. Morgan, a prominent resident of Covington and a descendant of
David B. Morgan, a general in the War of 1812 and an influential early
settler of St. Tammany Parish. Morgan’s tenure was short, since one
month later the masthead listed J. E. Smith (founder of a well-known
local hardware business) as proprietor and W. G. Kentzel as editor.
After
Kentzel died, the family continued to operate the paper for several
years, with D. H. Mason serving as editor. Mason was the son of a
Chicago newspaperman, and though he studied law, his ties to the
newspaper industry were strong. He became a reporter and worked at
several newspapers before coming to The Farmer.
Mason became the owner of The Farmer in 1916 and moved it to its current location, at 321 N. New Hampshire St. in downtown Covington, in 1924. He used the paper to promote the idea of a bridge across Lake Pontchartrain as a way to encourage economic development and he avidly encouraged his readers to spend their money in St. Tammany, rather than at south shore businesses.
In
1911, Mason hired a young Linotype operator, Howard Keener “Nat”
Goodwyn, who hailed from Colfax and was the son of the publisher of that
town’s newspaper. Goodwyn soon married Anna Thomasine Frederick,
daughter of Emile “Boss” Frederick, a prominent local businessman and
saloon keeper, who served two years as Covington’s mayor.
Linotype machines in operation
An advertisement from 1926
Mason died in 1928, and Goodwyn bought The Farmer
from his heirs. It remained in the Goodwyn family for many years, with
Nat at the helm until his health began to fail in the mid 1940s. At that
time his son Howard Keener Goodwyn joined the business and became The Farmer’s editor and assistant publisher.
Howard married Vera Fay Booth of Folsom in 1947 and their daughter Karen Booth Goodwyn was born in February 1949.
On December 1, 1949, while standing outside The Farmer office chatting with an acquaintance, Howard suffered a heart attack and died at age 29. Nat died two years later in 1951.
1970's
1970's
Brenda Willis, a longtime employee of the St. Tammany Farmer newspaper, told about the history of the publication at a Covington Heritage Foundation history event in 2019.
Nat’s widow Anna became the publisher of The Farmer and
continued in that capacity until her death in 1984, although she was
not involved in its day-to-day operation.
The day to day operation fell to Vera, who took over management of the business. She was joined in 1957 by Anna Natalie Goodwyn Hebert, Howard’s younger sister.
The day to day operation fell to Vera, who took over management of the business. She was joined in 1957 by Anna Natalie Goodwyn Hebert, Howard’s younger sister.
Natalie Hebert and Vera Hardman in 1976
Mandeville Mayor Paul Cordes, at right, stops in to wish the
St. Tammany Farmer a happy 110th birthday in 1984, some 34 years ago.
While Vera and Natalie worked side-by-side to handle the business end of the paper, a long line of editors continued The Farmer’s long-standing tradition of providing in-depth coverage of the lives and events of St. Tammany Parish.
Natalie Hebert at left, Vera Hardman at right, with Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cordes
Natalie
retired in 1997, and that same year Nat’s granddaughter and Howard’s
daughter, now Karen Goodwyn Courtney and the wife of William V.
Courtney, became publisher of The Farmer. She had practically
grown up in The Farmer’s New Hampshire Street office and began working
there in the early 1990s when her young sons began school.
Setting headline type by hand
Since
its founding in 1874, the newspaper has focused on the events that are
the fabric of the history of St. Tammany Parish – the brickyards – the
schooners that plied Lake Pontchartrain bringing goods and people to our
communities – the shipbuilding – the timber industry that came from
the felling of the virgin pines that once covered the parish – the
coming of the railroad and electricity and telephones – the hospitality
offered to visitors who came to escape the heat of the city and to enjoy
the benefits of the ozone air – the boys who went to war – the
construction of the Causeway and the boom that followed – the opening
of schools, hospitals, and businesses and the expansion of government
services to meet the needs of a growing population – the devastation of
storms like Betsy and Camille and Katrina and the recovery that
followed.
The above history is re-printed for informational purposes from a webpage that is no longer accessible.
The above history is re-printed for informational purposes from a webpage that is no longer accessible.
Here are some photos of staff members of the St. Tammany Farmer newspaper through the years. Click on the images to make them larger.
1990's
Brenda Willis, Vera Hardman, Jean Taylor, Karen Courtney (in back row)
1980's
1970's
Jean Taylor of advertising sales and Clarence Byers.
Bob Taylor, left, served as linotype operator, composition room director, and crime scene photographer. Sue Biggers, right, worked in the composition room.
Joyce Gulino and Diane Veazey
Murrell DeVeer and Brenda Willis
In 2012, a gathering of Farmer staff members from across the years.
Karen Courtney and Vera Hardman in 1996
This is the old letterpress that was located in the back of the Farmer office in 1976. It had been used for many years, along with a couple of linotype machines (below), to publish the newspaper.
Linotype machines
Above is a photograph of the Farmer office at 321 N. New Hampshire Street before the exterior renovations done in the 1960's.
A set of drawers for headline type cases
Using articles from the St. Tammany Farmer newspaper over the years, Carol Jahncke wrote a book featuring the history of Covington. It was called "Mr. Kentzel's Covington" and is available at the following link:
In 2012, Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge provided the following version of the history of the St. Tammany Farmer to the Library of Congress "Chronicling America" project.
St. Tammany Farmer
The town of Covington, Louisiana, is located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain approximately 40 miles from New Orleans. It was founded in 1813 and is the seat of St. Tammany Parish. Sparsely settled during the French colonial period, the area was part of the British colony of West Florida (1763-1783) and Spanish Florida (1783-1810).
At the time of the Civil War, most of Covington’s 500 residents were engaged in the lumber and brick trade. The products were shipped to New Orleans via the neighboring town of Madisonville, a regional center for the construction of wooden barges, tugs, and sailboats. By the 1870s, the once-rich timber resources of St. Tammany Parish were nearing depletion.
The construction of the East Louisiana Railroad in the 1880s facilitated the transportation of timber from outlying areas to Covington for milling and aided in the town’s recovery, as did a 22-mile rail line built across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans, which, along with a lively steamboat traffic, helped turn the North Shore into a popular vacation and weekend destination for New Orleanians seeking respite from the summer heat. Several resorts and sanitariums sprang up in Covington, and by 1909, electric streetcars were running to nearby Abita Springs, believed by some to be the site of Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth. Sailing excursions could be taken from the lakeshore towns of Madisonville and Mandeville.
The St. Tammany Farmer was founded in 1874 by Scottish immigrant George Ingram (ca. 1829-1875). John Edis Smith (1809-1893), an English immigrant, acquired it in 1878. His daughter Susan V. Kentzel (1855-1953) and her husband William G. Kentzel (1847-1907), a native of Philadelphia, owned and edited the paper for many years. David H. Mason, Jr. (1856-1928), son of a Chicago journalist and writer on economic policy, succeeded William Kentzel as editor and eventually became proprietor.
Democratic in its political leanings, the St. Tammany Farmer took its motto from President Andrew Jackson: “The Blessings of Government, Like the Dews from Heaven, Should Descend Alike upon the Rich and the Poor.” The paper described itself as “a weekly journal devoted to agriculture, railroads, commerce, manufactures, and education.”
From the 1880s onwards, it contained advertisements for hotels, boarding houses, pleasure excursions, and other businesses associated with the local tourism industry. By the turn of the 20th century, the Farmer had expanded to eight pages and included an extensive fiction section (later removed). As early as 1906, it was bringing deforestation issues to light and calling for regulation.
During World War I, it reported on local Red Cross activities, war lectures, and the influenza epidemic. Its first page also carried a regular column titled “Items of Interest at Jahncke Shipyards in Madisonville,” which reported on the construction of several large vessels for the U.S. Navy. Also of interest are accounts of regattas and yacht clubs, as well as brief sketches of “Prominent People and Progressive Enterprises of St. Tammany Parish.”
A 1948 Editorial
A video of the Farmer folks over the years
