The Jessamine Journal

The Jessamine Journal 1887-Present

The Jessamine Journal was founded by J. M. Parish, who came from Mt. Sterling in 1872, and was its editor and owner. For several years it was printed on a Washington hand-press and had a hard struggle for its existence. It changed owners seven or eight times, and the office was destroyed by fire in 1886. At the time of this fire it was well equipped with a large power press and a first-class outfit of type. J. M. Kerr, who purchased the plant from C. W. Metcalf after the fire, ran it on a small scale for a short time and in 1887 sold it to Col. H. M. McCarty, who was one of the most successful and distinguished journalists in Kentucky. He was secretary of state under Governor Knott, and held other positions of distinction. Harry McCarty, one of the editors, was the junior member of the company.

At this time its editorials were quoted very largely throughout the state. At the death of Col. McCarty in 1891 his interest was sold to T. H. Morris, who was connected with the paper until 1894, when he disposed of his interest to J. B. Stears.

In 1898 the paper was edited by Mr. Harry McCarty and Mr. Stears. It had a wide circulation, democratic in its politics.

Jessamine Journal Obituaries 1887-Present

Among the genealogical and local history resources available online through the Jessamine County Public Library is an obituary index. The records in the index were drawn from the Jessamine Journal and cover 1887 to the present. The index can be searched by full name, last name, and first name, and limited by date range. The data fields in the search result are last name, first name, and date of publication.

To receive the full obituary, you need to request an obituary or visit the Jessamine County Public Library as they have the full run on Microfilm since 1887.

Roxanne Moores has placed online some of the obituaries for the Jessamine Journal at the Jessamine County KYGenWeb site. Most of the obituaries on the linked pages were typed and compiled by Sheila Bruner-Ramos, with permission of Mr. David Eldridge, Publisher of the Jessamine Journal. This list is by no means inclusive of all obituaries published.

Digital Archives of the Jessamine Journal

The Jessamine Journal is placed online for the year 2012 by the Kentucky Digital Library. Access to it is free.

The Jessamine Journal is still published today and can be found at their website.

1 thought on “The Jessamine Journal 1887-Present”

  1. Dear Sir,
    My husband just discovered a personal letter written to Dear Father on The Jessamine Journal letterhead paper, dated August 1, 1875. He found it in some of the many old papers he brought home from his parents home of many years. We don’t understand why they had this particular letter. There does not seem to be any family connection that we can find. So why it is here is a mystery. I have scanned the letter and I would like to send it to you for your use and or amusement.
    We live in Haddon Heights, NJ. The letter was kept in Collingswood, NJ for many, many years.

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