Ionia County Newspapers

Newspapers

The first newspaper published in Ionia was established in 1843 by Ira W. Robinson. He called his paper the Ionia Journal. Mr. Robinson published the Journal for about 4 years but became involved in some rather unpleasant business dealings and soon abandoned the plant and disappeared. In December of 1848, E. R. Powell from Howell, Michigan purchased the materials left behind by Mr. Robinson and began publication of his newspaper, the Ionia Gazette. His first issue was published in January of 1849. Mr. Powell published this paper until 1867 when he sold his business to the new publishers of the Ionia Sentinel and moved on to Stanton, Michigan in Montcalm County where he established the Montcalm Herald.

The Ionia Standard was established in 1868 as a weekly edition, by John C. Taylor and Thomas G. Stevenson. In 1891 daily publication began. The Standard was known as a Democratic paper with a high position among Democratic papers in the state.

The Ionia Sentinel published it's first issue in 1866, in Saranac and became one of the leading Republican papers in this section of Michigan. In 1872 the business moved to the city of Ionia. Initially the paper was a weekly publication that became a daily in 1879.

The newspapers merged in 1922, becoming The Ionia Sentinel Standard.

Ionia Sentinel Standard
114 N. Depot
Ionia, Michigan 48846
(616) 527-2100

It is a morning edition that publishes Monday through Saturday

All back editions of the Standard, Sentinel and Sentinel-Standard are available on Microfilm at the Ionia Community Library in Ionia.

The following microfilms are available from Library of Michigan for interlibrary loan. Taken from MICHIGAN NEWSPAPERS ON MICROFILM, (Lansing, Library of Michigan, 1986):

IONIA COUNTY

Lake Odessa

Lake Odessa Wave Times 1908-current, weekly
Library of Mi has Jan 7, 1910-Dec. 29, 1949.
It is also at Central Michigan University, Clarke Historical Library, Mt. Pleasant MI 48859.

EATON COUNTY

Charlotte (this is the county seat so may be especially valuable)

Charlotte Leader
     L of MI has scattered issues of this weekly that skip from 1914 to 1916.
Charlotte Republican, weekly,
     Lib of MI has Jan 2, 1915-Dec 30, 1916 plus other dates.
Charlotte Tribune, weekly, scattered years that also skip 1915.
     Lib of MI has Jan 4, 1914-Dec 27, 1914; Jan 3, 1917-Dec 27, 1919 plus others.

Sunfield

Sunfield Sentinel, weekly.
Lib of MI has Mar. 12, 1896-July 29, 1958 plus scattered later issues.

BARRY COUNTY

Delton (near Dowling) No newspaper until 1959.

Hastings (county seat)

Hastings Banner, weekly.
Lib MI has Jan 7, 1892-Dec 31, 1980 plus other years.
Also at Bell and Howell, Microphoto Division, Old Mansfield Road, Wooster OH 44691.

Nashville

Maple Valley News. didn't start publication unitl 1966.

CLINTON COUNTY

St. Johns (county seat)

Clinton Republican (1863-1924)
Clinton Independent (1866-1906)
St. Johns News (1892-1923)
Clinton Republican-News (1924-1950)
     DeWitt Public Library
     Clinton County Historical Society Archives
     Library of Michigan (through 1940 only)

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