The Frostburg Spirit was weekly newspaper that was published by Peter L. Livengood in Frostburg, Maryland from September 11, 1913, to January 28, 1915.[1] Livengood was a lifelong participant in the newspaper business, having previously published Maryland's Salisbury Star and Pennsylvania's Meyersdale Republican.[2] Livengood purchased the printing plant and subscription list of the defunct Frostburg Mining Journal, viewing the paper as the Spirit's predecessor and even continuing its volume and issue numbering system. He ran the Spirit for only a few years before announcing in January 1915 that he had sold the paper to Lawrence Hitchins due to his own failing health and that former beloved editor J. Benson Oder would return as editor.[3] The paper would also resume operating under its previous name, Frostburg Mining Journal.[4]

The Frostburg Spirit
The cover page of the September 11, 1913 issue of The Frostburg Spirit
TypeWeekly newspaper
Founder(s)Peter L. Livengood
PublisherPeter L. Livengood, Lawrence Hitchins
EditorPeter L. Livengood, J. Benson Oder
FoundedSeptember 11, 1913
Ceased publicationJanuary 28, 1915
HeadquartersFrostburg, Maryland
OCLC number22154055

During the Spirit's short lifespan, Livengood regarded it as a repository of Republican values, yet he also showed support for organized labor in the paper's inaugural issue with his original poem "The Brave Men Down in the Mines."[5] The paper encouraged support for local commerce and kept readers informed with extensive coverage of local news, summaries of national and global news events, and updates on sports, fashion, and culture.[6][7]

References edit

  1. ^ "About The Frostburg spirit". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  2. ^ ""Thirty" Tapped for Octogenerian Newspaperman". Meyersdale Republican. June 1, 1944. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  3. ^ Livengood, P.L. (January 28, 1915). "Valedictory". The Frostburg Spirit. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  4. ^ "About Frostburg mining journal". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  5. ^ Livengood, P.L. (11 September 1913). "The Brave Men Down in the Mines". The Frostburg Spirit. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  6. ^ Thomas, James Walter; Chew Williams, Thomas John (1923). History of Allegany County, Maryland Including Its Aboriginal History; the Colonial and Revolutionary Period; Its Settlement by the White Race and Subsequent Growth; a Description of Its Valuable Mining, Industrial and Agricultural Interests; Sketches of Its Cities, Towns and Districts; Master Spirits; Character Sketches of Founders; Military and Professional Men, Etc. Allegany County, Maryland: Higginson Book Company.
  7. ^ Scharf, John Thomas (2003). History of Western Maryland: Being a History of Frederick, Montgomery, Carroll, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties from the Earliest Period to the Present Day, Including Biographical Sketches of Their Representative Men. Vol. 1 (Illustrated, reprint ed.). Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 1479. ISBN 0806345659.