We have probably already addressed this information somewhere on this website but thought we would update it a little and give an accounting of what we have found for our fellow historians and researchers out there. This really doesn’t have much to do with the history of the Blanche Hotel but it does shed a light on how much information is really available for researchers in Columbia County Florida. Wikipedia has the first newspaper published in Columbia county at the Lake City Reporter in 1874 which is not accurate as we have a listing from the federal government site called Chronicling America with a listing of all the newspapers across the country and those that have digitized. The University of Florida has an online database that you can sort by county and/or city and has the following listing of newspapers that were or are currently published within the county over the last 150 years or so.
The Columbia Democrat (Alligator, Fla.) 1858-18??
Publisher: E.M. Graham & A.J. Smiley
Dates of publication: 1858-18??
Description: Began Jan. 9, 1858.
Frequency: Weekly
UFDC Online Issues: Feb 11, 1858; March 4, 11, 20 and 27, 1858; April 3 and 10, 1858; May 1, and 15, 1858
State Library has microfilm: 1858: Feb.-May.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1858: Feb.11; Mar.4,11,20,27; Apr.3,10; May 1,5,15; and paper copies: 1858: Feb.11; Mar.4,11,20,27; May 15.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1858: Feb.11; Mar. 4, 11, 20, 27; Apr. 3, 10; May 1, 15.
The Lake City Press (Lake City, Fla.) 1859-1872
Publisher: E. Wallace Davis
Dates of publication: 1859-1872
Frequency: Weekly
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1870: Dec.17.
The Columbian (Lake City, Fla.) 1862-18??
Publisher: Smith & Ives
Dates of publication: 1862-18??
Description: Began in 1862?
Frequency: Weekly
UFDC Online Issues: Dec 30 1863; March 15, 1865
American Antiquarian Society has: 1863: Mar.5; 1865: Mar. 22; June 28.
State Library has microfilm: 1863: Aug.12, 30; Dec.; 1865: Mar. 15.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1863: Aug.12; Dec.30; 1865: Mar.15, 22.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1865: Mar. 15.
The Suwannee News. (Lake City, Fla.) 1867-1???
Publisher: Moore & Ives
Frequency: Weekly
Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 23 (Oct. 2, 1867).
State Library has microfilm: 1867: Oct.2.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm and paper copy: 1867: Oct.2.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1867: Oct.2.
Lake City Herald (Lake City, Fla.) 1868 to 1872
Publisher: S.B. McLin
Frequency: Weekly
Notes: Description based on: Vol. 3, no. 5 (Nov. 25, 1871).
Library of Virginia, The, Richmond, VA – Issue for Jan. 20, 1872 is a partial copy. <1871:11:25, 12:23> <1872:1:20>
The Florida Baptist Witness (Lake City, Fla.) 1883-1904
Publisher: A.P. Ashurst & Co.
Dates of publication: 1883-1904
Frequency: Weekly
Florida Baptist Historical Society (Stetson University) has scattered issues: 1883-1904.
Orange County Museum has issue: 1892: Jan.13.
Publisher reports a complete run. 1883 and microfilm: 1885-1904.
Rollins College has photostat of: 1892: Jan.13.
University of Florida (UF) has scattered issues on microfilm: 1884: Apr.24-1904: May 25.
The Institute Echoes (Lake City, Fla.) 1889-1890
Publisher: … by the Girls of the Lake City Institute
Monthly
“Quality, not quantity.”
Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 2 (Nov. 1889).
Latest issue consulted: Vol. 1, no. 8 (May 1890).
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1889: Nov.; 1890: Jan.-Feb.; May
Columbia County Citizen and Florida Tobacco Plant (Lake City, Fla.) 1897-1900
Publisher: T.B. Oliver, E.M. Goodbread
Dates of publication: 1886-1900
Description: Ceased in Aug. 1900.
Frequency: Weekly
Notes: Description based on: Vol. 11, no. 38 (Oct. 8, 1897).
Latest issue consulted: Vol. 13, no. 42 (Oct. 13, 1899).
Florida State University (FSU) has microfilm: 1897: Oct.8; 1899: Aug.11,25; Sept.8,22; Oct.6,13.; loose issues: 1897: Oct.8; 1899: Aug.25.
State Library has microfilm: 1897: Oct.8; 1899: Aug.11,25; Sept.8,22; Oct.6,13; loose issues: 1897: Oct.8; 1899: Aug.25
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1897: Oct.8; 1899: Aug.11,25; Sept.8,22; Oct.6,13.
The Weekly Reporter (Lake City, Fla.) 1875-18??
Publisher: Robinson & Harris
Dates of publication: 1875-18??
Description: Began in 1875.
Frequency: Weekly
Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 8 (Aug. 14, 1875).
Latest issue consulted: Vol. 1, no. 24 (Dec. 8, 1875).
Publisher: Tom W. Harris, Sept. 18-<Dec. 8, 1875>.
Succeeding Titles: The Lake City reporter. (Lake City, Fla.) 18??-1900
State Library has scattered issues on microfilm: 1875: Aug.-Dec. plus loose issues: 1880: May 29.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1875: Aug.14-28; Sept.4-25; Oct.2; Nov.5,24; Dec.1,8.
University of West Florida (UWF) has scattered issues on microfilm: 1875: Aug.-Dec.
The Lake City Reporter 18??-1900
Publisher: C.A. Finley
Dates of publication: 18??-1900
Description: Ceased in Aug. 1900.
Frequency: Weekly
Succeeding Title: Citizen Reporter
UFDC Online Issues: May 23, 1884; July 25, 1884; April 10, 1885
Florida State University (FSU) has microfilm: 1885: May 8; 1887: Oct.7, 14; 1895: Sept.12; 1896: July 3; 1898: June 10.
State Library has microfilm: 1885: May 8; 1887: Oct.7, 14; 1895: Sept.12; 1896: July 3; 1898: June 10; also has loose issues for: 1885: May 8; 1895: Sept.12; 1900: June 29.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1885: May 8; 1887: Oct.7,14; 1895: Sept.12; 1896: July 3; 1898: June 10.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1885: May 8.
The Florida Index June 1899-1918
Publisher: Jno. M. Caldwell
Dates of publication: 1899-1918
Description: Ceased in 1918? Vol. 1, no. 1 (June 16, 1899)-
Frequency: Weekly
Notes:
Also issued on microfilm from the University of Florida.
Editor: T.J. Appleyard, <1909>; A.B. Cargile <1916>.
Latest issue consulted: Vol. 20, no. 32 (Oct. 20, 1916).
Local editor: Alice T. Appleyard, <1903>.
Publisher: T.J. Appleyard, <1903>; Index Print Co., <1916>.
UFDC Online Issues: June 16, 1899 to June 25, 1909 then June 6, 1913; August 1, 1913; October 20, 1916
Florida State University (FSU) has microfilm: 1901: Feb.1; Mar.1-1902: Oct.17.
State Library has microfilm and bound volumes: 1899: June 16-1909: June 25; 1916: Oct.28.
University of Florida (UF) has scattered issues on microfilm: 1899: June 16-1916: Oct.20.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1916: Oct.20.
The Citizen Reporter 1900-1919
Publisher: H.L. Dodd
Dates of publication: 1900-1919
Description: Began Aug. 24, 1900; ceased in May 1919.
Frequency: Weekly
Succeeding Title: The Lake City Reporter
UFDC Online – all of 1901; Jan 19, 1912; Jan 3, 1913; Aug 28, 1914
Florida Gateway College – Has on microfilm 1900 to 1919 (but only 06/04/1915; 07/30/1915 and 09/03/1915 of year 1915)
Florida State University (FSU) has microfilm: 1901: Jan.4 – Dec. 27.
State Library has microfilm: 1918: Aug. 9; loose issue: 1903: June 5.
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1901: Jan.4-1914: Dec.25; 1915: June 4; July 30; Sept.3; 1916: Jan.7-1919: May 9.
University of West Florida (UWF) has microfilm: 1918: Aug. 9.
The Florida Free Press (Lake City, Fla.) – 1917 to 1918
Publisher: Index Print. Co.
Dates of publication: 1917-????
Description: Began in Mar. 1917.
Frequency: Weekly
Notes: “Our weekly state paper.”
Description based on: Vol. 2, no. 43 (Oct. 23, 1917).
Latest issue consulted: Vol. 3, no. 47 (Apr. 2, 1918).
University of West Florida (UWF) has two issues: 1917: Oct.21; 1918: Apr.2.
The Lake City Reporter – May 1919-1942
Publisher: Herbert L. Dodd
Current Frequency: Weekly
Began Publication: May 1919
Succeeding Title: Columbia Gazette
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1919: May 23-1929: Dec.27; 1932: Jan.1-Dec.30; 1934:
Florida Gateway College Library has microfilm for all dates except 1933, 1937
Columbia Gazette – Jan to Dec 1943
Publisher: Joe T. Hill
Frequency: Weekly
Began Publication: January 1943
Ended Publication: December 1943
Succeeding Title: The Lake City Reporter
Florida Gateway College has microfilm for entire year
The Lake City Reporter – 1944 to 1945
Publisher: Joe T. Hill
Frequency: Weekly
Began Publication: January 1944
Ended Publication: September 7, 1945
Succeeding Title: Lake City Reporter and Columbia Gazette
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm Jan.5-1945: Sept.7.
Florida Gateway College has microfilm for both years
The Lake City Reporter and Columbia Gazette – 1945 to 1967
Publisher: John H. Perry (1940S)
Publisher: R. L. Strickland (1950s)
Current Frequency: Weekly, -1967
Former Frequency: Weekly, 1945-<1947>; Semiweekly, <1953>
Began Publication: Sept. 14, 1945
End of Publication: Sept. 28, 1967
Succeeding Title: Lake City Reporter
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1945: Sept.14-1946: June 28; 1947: Jan.3-1953: Feb.27; 1953: Apr.3-1967: Sept.28.
Florida Gateway College has microfilm (All of 1945, Jan to June 1946; then 1947 to 1967)
The Columbia County Ledger
Publisher: Joe Tom Hill
Frequency: Weekly
Description: “In the Heart of Florida’s Tobacco Country”
Notes: Volume 1 Number 28 (Nov 7, 1947)
UFDC Online Issue Nov 7, 1947
The Lake City Reporter 1967-current
Publisher: Don Caldwell (1980s)
Publisher: Todd Wilson ( to present)
Frequency: 6 Days a Week
UFDC Online Issues January 2005 to Present
University of Florida (UF) has microfilm: 1967: Oct.5 – present.
Florida Gateway College has microfilm from 1967 to 2004
As you can see from what we have been able to cobble together from various sources on the internet and our own visits to the local college library there are quite a few gaps in the recorded history for newspapers in Columbia County Florida. We are offering copies of what we have downloaded for our own research to our fellow historians and to help with the publication costs of the book. You are paying for our time and not so much for the materials. As a time saver we have each year on a separate page with the editions compressed together in a single file for a month. We are now offering to upload all of our digital PDF copies of the newspapers we have copied from microfilm so far for another price for a whole year’s worth of newspapers. For those who would like to have copies of a disk we would be happy to burn a couple of year’s worth to DVDs too. Please check out our new decade pages for more information.
Till next time….
