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By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.
June 23, 1857: Boyertown now has its own newspaper. Oliver P. Zink “brought his little old hand press along with a few cases of German type” to Boyertown, and on this day started its first newspaper. The Boyertown Bauer (Farmer) which was printed entirely in German, the language that most of the people spoke.
He moved his operation to 33 East Philadelphia Avenue in 1865. Charles Spatz commented that Zink had “a bitter struggle to keep ends together.” His wife Isabel divorced him and went to live with their daughter Mina, who was married to Milton Mory, across the street at #34.
In 1868, Zink left town and the paper was sold to George Sassaman, who changed the name to The Boyertown Demokrat, in recognition of his political persuasion.
Apparently Sassaman’s enterprise was not successful, because his last issue was March 1, 1870, and he quickly left town owing more than $3000. The business was auctioned at a sheriff’s sale and bought for $340 by the sheriff himself. Charles Spatz, Sr. bought the paper from the sheriff n 1871.
More News from Boyertown
- A Pictorial Tour Through the History of Boyertown: Main Street Businesses page 24 Main Street--page 24
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