The following newspapers have existed in Lincoln County, WV:

Lincoln Clipper (1881-

“The publication of the Lincoln Clipper, a five column folio newspaper, was begun at Hamlin on the 15th day of September, 1881, by Messrs. C.M. Hall and T.T. McDougal, editors and proprietors. They continued it for several months, when Hall sold his interest to McDougal, by whom it was published until January, 1882, at which time he sold a half interest to Messrs. Joseph E. Chilton, C.W. Campbell and B.H. Oxley, and under the name of the Clipper Publishing Company they issued it until August, 1882, when Edward I. Holt purchased the press and office material, and by him it has been published since. Under his management it has constantly improved and enlarged. On the 18th day of October, 1883, it was made a five column quarto.” Source: Hardesty’s History of Lincoln County, WV (c.1884), p. 97.

“The Lincoln Clipper has again changed hands and is now published by the Lincoln Clipper Publishing Company. The capital stock is not given, but it is something less than $1,000,000.” Parkersburg Sentinel, 4 February 1882

Lincoln Citizen (1886-

“Mr. W.M. Workman will begin the publication of a newspaper called the Lincoln Citizen at Hamlin, Lincoln County, about the 20th inst. We presume the object of its publication is to fill the usual long-felt want, and incidentally to reap the golden reward of West Virginia journalism. We hope Mr. Workman may be successful in his enterprise.” Huntington Advertiser, 10 April 1886

“J. Jerome Haddox is again editor of the Lincoln Citizen. It is needless to say the Citizen is turned up to bold and brilliant things.” Logan County Banner, 18 September 1895

“The History of Logan County, by Hon. Henry Clay Ragland, has begun in The Logan Banner. He starts off like a true historian, and with a master pen blends romance and history together. He begins with the brave little Jamestown colony in 1607, and with a skillful pen and accurate knowledge of the footprints of colonial characteristics is bringing his readers gradually down to the settlements and formation of Logan.” Logan County Banner, 15 January 1896 (via Lincoln Citizen)

“Mr. J. Jerome Haddox, editor of the Lincoln Citizen, was married Sunday afternoon to Miss Linnie Mahone, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil H. Mahone, prominent and well-to-do people of that county. The Banner extends congratulations.” Logan County Banner, 19 February 1896

“The Lincoln Citizen is the only exchange that comes to our tables that has the gall to try to keep alive that defunct Populist party. From the look of its dress it may be surmised that the Citizen will soon sink into its predestined grave to sleep until the vision so graphically pictured by Mr. Bellamy arrives which will perhaps be realized about the year 4000 A.D. One by one the ‘pop’ organs have dropped from the ranks until now to see one is a curiosity The Citizen may aptly be styled the last rose of summer in the West Virginia Populist garden.” Huntington Advertiser, 9 May 1896 (via Southern West Virginian)

“The populist convention of Lincoln county instructed their delegates to the State district convention to vote for Jerome J. Haddox, editor of the Lincoln Citizen, for delegate to the National populist Convention at St. Louis. Mr. Haddox was here today and thinks his chances are favorable. He is accompanied by his estimable wife and they will probably remain here for several days.” Huntington Advertiser, 8 June 1896

“The Lincoln Citizen, edited by the only Jerome Haddox, came in on time last evening and was as bright and newsy as ever. Mr. Haddox’s paper always contains some rich, rare, and racy effusions which will bring smiles to the countenance of the most disconsolate.” Huntington Advertiser, 29 January 1897

“Jerome Haddox, the populist editor, of Lincoln county, who has many friends in this city, is the happy father of a nine and one-half pound boy. It was born last Wednesday and Jerome says: ‘He is a middle of the road populist possessing oratorical abilities.'” Huntington Advertiser, 16 March 1897

“Editor Jerome J. Haddox of the Lincoln Citizen has sold out his plant and good will to Elbert R. Hoffman of the Lincoln Guidon but the paper will be known in the future as the Lincoln Citizen and will be republican in politics. Mr. Haddox is one among the most interesting writers in the state and the press generally will be sorry to lose him from the profession. Mr. Hoffman was formerly a well known Charleston newspaper man and will evidently make a success in his new field.” Huntington Advertiser, 26 July 1898.

Lincoln News (1894-

“We notice in the Lincoln News that John H. Sanborn and David Laird, of Dunlow, were in Hamlin a few days ago and subscribed for the Lincoln News. Frank says the sign was the special attraction.” Logan County Banner (Logan, WV), 21 June 1894

“Editor Van Zeveley of Hamlin, is here for a day or two after looking after the interests of his paper, The Lincoln News.” Huntington Advertiser, 10 March 1898

“The Lincoln News comes out this week in new dress and greatly enlarged. We are glad to chronicle the success of Mr. Van Zeveley its editor and owner. The News is doing good for the democracy in Lincoln.” Huntington Advertiser, 15 April 1898

“Editor Van Zeveley of the Lincoln News is in the city and is accompanied by Mrs. Zeveley. They will remain in Huntington over Sunday.” Huntington Advertiser, 13 May 1898

“Van Zeveley of Lincoln who has been in the city for a few days received a telegram yesterday afternoon that his wife who had been visiting out in the interior of the state was very ill and had been taken to the hospital at Wheeling for treatment. Mr. Zeveley left this morning for her bedside. It is hoped that he will find her much improved.” Huntington Advertiser, 6 July 1898

“Van H. Zeveley, the editor of the Lincoln news, is spending a few days here in company with his wife. Van was one of the secretaries of the Spencer convention, and a good one he was too.” Huntington Advertiser, 3 September 1898

“Van Zeveley, the well known editor of the Lincoln News, came in last night from Charleston where he has been spending a few days looking after some business matters. Mr. Zeveley will return home tomorrow morning.” Huntington Advertiser, 14 March 1899

“Editor Van Zeveley of the Lincoln News arrived in the city at noon today from Hamlin, accompanied by his wife. They will remain here until tomorrow morning, when they will leave over the Ohio railroad for Ritchie county, where they will spend a few weeks. Mrs. Zeveley has been in ill health for almost a year past, but is now much improved.” Huntington Advertiser, 20 July 1899.

“Editor Van Zeveley of the Lincoln News arrived here this morning and left this afternoon on the White Collar line steamer for Cincinnati.” Huntington Advertiser, 9 August 1899

“Van Zeveley, Editor of the Lincoln News, one of the leading democratic weeklies in the state, is in the city today looking after some business matters. The many friends of Mr. Zeveley will be sorry to learn that his health has been failing for a few months past. Mr. Zeveley will remain here until the middle of the week.” Huntington Advertiser, 18 September 1899

“Editor R.E. Hardwicke of the Lincoln News and several other prominent citizens of Lincoln are here today and will remain until tomorrow, when they go to Charleston to attend the Western Davis meeting.” Huntington Advertiser, 15 August 1900

“Editor R.E. Hardwicke of the Lincoln News came in from Charleston this morning and will spend a day or so here before returning to his home at Hamlin.” Huntington Advertiser, 21 September 1900

Van Zeveley was the son of E.S. Zeveley. The elder Mr. Zeveley was born in North Carolina in 1818 and began a newspaper called the Greensboro Beacon in 1836. In 1877, he founded the Ritchie Democrat and Beacon Light at Cairo, WV. His son, Van, began a newspaper called The Walking Beam in Volcano, WV. Following the elder Zeveley’s death in 1884, the Democrat passed to his son, Van. Van operated the Beacon Light (renamed and relocated to Pennsboro) until 1893, when he moved to Lincoln County. He edited the Lincoln News for six years until his poor health forced him to retire from the newspaper business. Sources: History of Ritchie County by Minnie Kendall Lowther (1911), p. 454-455; West Virginia and Its People by T.C. Miller and Hu Maxwell (1913), p. 304.

The Institute Daily Lincoln News (1895-

“We are in receipt of several numbers of The Institute Daily Lincoln News. This is the first daily ever published in Lincoln county, and it is bright and newsy and reflects much credit upon the management of the News.” Logan County Banner, 17 July 1895

Lincoln Guidon (1895-

Note: This is a “working” entry and will be updated periodically.