How do you read your Mirror Reporter? Do you read from the front page to the back page? Or are you like me and you immediately open to the “Remember When” column? I will never forget my shock the first time my friends and I were mentioned in the 25 years ago tab!
Our hometown paper has been informing us about life in Clear Lake, Ventura, and North Iowa since the late 1800’s. Elijah Lovejoy operated “The Abolition Press” in Alton, Illinois. He was on a mission to abolish slavery. He used his printing presses to spread his passion that all people live free. Over the years, angry mobs of people who strongly disagreed tried to stop him. Three of his printing presses had been destroyed. The 4th and final press was thrown into the Mississippi river. Elijah and his assistant were finally silenced. Not by the absence of the press but because the mob murdered them both.
About 30 years later, the press was resurrected from the river and moved to Cresco. There it was rebuilt and sold to “The Observer” newspaper in Clear Lake for 35$. “The Observer” was the mother of “The Clear Lake Mirror”.
For several years Clear Lake supported two newspapers. “The Clear Lake Mirror” and “The Clear Lake Reporter” both published weekly. Residents could read the news on Wednesday and then again on Friday. Eventually those papers combined under one publisher and finally became a weekly paper “The Clear Lake Mirror Reporter”.
These various newspapers have continued to report and record our community’s history right up to this very issue. Thanks to the generosity of The Mirror Reporter and the Teed family, you can Remember When whenever you like. The Clear Lake Public Library’s History Room has digitized newspapers dating from 1860-2016. Come take a walk down memory lane when the History room is open, by appointment, or online at your convenience. The drop down tab that opens this valuable archive is found on CLPL’s landing page (www.cllibrary.org) under online resources.
These days my memories have moved to the 50 years ago tab and my children’s are in the 25 years ago section. I’m no longer shocked, rather grateful. Grateful to live in Clear Lake!! If I’m fortunate, I’ll be reading my memories in the 75 years ago section someday. In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for you to come see us at the CLPL.
