Comanche Chief

Welcome to The Comanche Chief –the oldest paper published west of Fort Worth and the oldest business institution in Comanche. The first editor of the Comanche Chief was Mr. Beeman
He reached Comanche in the early spring of 1873, and at that time, Comanche was the western edge of the frontier; Brownwood was but a "wide place in the road," and the Panhandle was uninhabited and supposed uninhabitable. Comanche was ambitious. The people cherished dreams of greatness and desired a newspaper. I had some experience, having published a couple of papers in other towns, so the subject appealed to me. The citizens raised a few hundred dollars to be returned in subscriptions and advertising, so he climbed aboard a Spanish pony and headed to Georgetown to buy a printing press. He went without down payment or letters of introduction but succeeded in persuading the Captain to dispose of the plant entirely on credit even without retaining lien on the material. Men trusted each other then and were seldom disappointed. Returning home he dispatched Tom (Pegleg) Estis, with his cart and ten oxen to bring the press home to Comanche. The first copy of the Chief was issued in May of that year right, out of the top story of the building next door to the current office.
Thomas purchased the paper on the first day in December in 1896, five days later it burned, destroying everything. As many of our readers who do geneology research have discovered a lot of valuable history went up in flames that night.
During those first few years, the Chief had two main goals. Folks realized that if Comanche were to prosper they'd have to open the land to settlement and none would settle with the frequent incursion of the Indians in these parts. To protect against Indians they needed the protection of Texas rangers and to get that they needed representation in the legislature. The decision was in favor of John D. Stephens, who did quite a bit for settling this area while he was in office.
The Indians only made one raid into the county after the establishment of the Chief. We presume they had learned that "the pen was mightier than the sword."
With the area secured, The Chief entered on an earnest campaign to induce immigration. When Beeman came to town in the early 70s, the population was 1,100, ten years later it leapt to 8,600. The flood of immigration coming during the seventies must be largely credited to the influence of the Chief.
After a few years, he sold the Chief and entered other businesses, but like a bad dollar it would come back, the early days of the Chief was lots of sweat and ink! . Robert T. Hill started as a printer's devil at the Chief, who knew then he'd go down in history as the father of geology! He was always looking for rocks on Round Mountain.
Mr. Russell as a writer, it is stated, he ranks with the foremost in Texas, both in the general knowledge of subjects handled and in the strength and facility of expression. He has served Comanche as a lawyer , former mayor, editor of the Comanche Chief, and just an all-around outstanding citizen of the town. He traded his interest in a previous business to Beeman for half interest in the Comanche Chief and took over as editor on June 1,1877.

It was during mhis connection with the Chief, that John Wesley Hardin had been arrested in Florida, and brought back to Comanche to stand trial for killing Deputy Sheriff Charley Webb, of Brownwood, in 1874 here on the Comanche square. He published a full account of the evidence in detail together with the charge of the court, taking almost the entire four pages of The Chief set in brevier type. At that time the paper was an old-time seven-column folio.
The evidence showed conclusively that the murder of Webb was the result of conspiracy on the part of a gang that had its headquarters at a ranch at or near Logan's Gap, Comanche County. Hardin was prosecuted by four lawyers, District Attorney Silas C. Buck, the County Attorney, Judge Lindsey, John D. Stephens and Simon P. Burns. Judge Renick of Waco, Adams, Hart and Nugent defended him; at all events there were four attorneys on each side, and they all made arguments in the case. This trial was one of the most exciting events in Comanche's history.
On the 18th day of February, 1878, he got a telegram sent by wire to Waco and mailed there to me at Comanche, informing him that his father was in a very critical condition of health and asking me to come down to St. Mary's.
He sold his interest in the Chief, or rather traded it to the lade Armstrong for land, a pair of horses and a little money; bought a half spring wagon, got a sheet and some bows, settled all his expense bills, and set out for St. Mary's on Saturday, the 23rd day of February, 1878 with a wife, three children and $25 in money.
He did not see Comanche again for more than seven years. Armstrong sold Joe Hill his interest, and a couple of years later Hill moved the plant to Colorado.
Vernon re-established it in 1883 and Russell returned in 1885. In 1886 he started another paper called Town and Country, and after awhile Vernon and myself made a combination sale to McDonald & Switzer, consolidating both papers. In 1889 we repurchased the plant, owning equal interests, Vernon then residing in Farmersville. Russell conducted it for about two years and sold his half interest to Frank Vernon of Sipe Springs, who subsequently sold to S M Vernon. The paper was then owned by him as sole proprietor until about December 1, 1896, when Thomas, purchased half interest just in time to get burnt out on the night of December 6, with all the files of the office.
Mr. Thomas produced a special edition which was used to entice immigrants to Comanche, but he also was an influential editor in the chief's history even serving as president of the Texas Press Association. Mr. Beeman once described him, "Thomas was a man of different mold, but no less a genius. Sound in his political views, firm in his convictions he was yet charitable and tolerant of the views of others, with the mind of a genius and the soul of a poet, his facile pen flowed with an ease and grace seldom equaled."
Mr. James Wilkerson's purchase ended the parade of editors through the press doors offering stability of ownership and making the Comanche Chief almost synonymous with the Wilkerson name. He was a graduate of the University of Texas and although he was not a native of Comanche County, you would never have known it. Never has a man loved his town, county, school, church, business and more. He was a born booster and cheerleader named "Mr. Basketball" twice by the CHS Maidens. He thought all women were beautiful and had a compliment for each one. In the 1950s he was cited by the Comanche Jaycees as the Outstanding Citizen. He was an active member of the Lions Club and a Mason.
Several papers called this area home over the years . In the late 1880's and early 1900's, there was the Sipe Springs Squaw, the Comanche Alert, and the DeLeon Right Way. The aforementioned Town and Country was established in 1886 and consolidated with the Chief. In 1887 Thomas Gaines published the Pioneer Exponent, a paper dedicated to promoting the populist political movement. The Chief's strong Democratic philosophy made the two political rivals. The Exponent was published for 25 years, and then also acquired by the Comanche Chief in 1912. Will Carpenter was then the editor.
The De Leon Free Press was founded in 1890 by John J. Switzer. It changed ownership from time to time through the years and I'm proud to say that a couple of which have been Wilkersons - my son and my grandson.
Russell started another paper in 1913 called the Vanguard. Fearing he might "go to the boneyard from nervous and physical exhaustion" he sold it to Finley in December of 1918 - just 20 days after the armistice has been agreed to in the World War. Mr. Finley changed it to the Enterprise.
The Wilkerson's purchased the Enterprise in 1925 and consolidated it with the Chief. At the time he had purchased the controlling share of the Chief and was in partnership with Mr. Carpenter. Among all these newspapers only one paper remains constant to the town of Comanche - the Comanche Chief.
They say that life is measured by heart throbs. What the life of the Chief is when laid down by that yardstick it is impossible to calculate. To the happy heartbeats of joyous parents, it has chronicled the births of thousands of babies; and many are the times that its painful duty has been to carry to readers the sad message of the death of beloved friends. It has been its happy privilege to publish the good tidings of progress and development as this country step by step has followed its onward course. The simple annals of the people of the town and country are not without their heart interest. The visiting of friends, the social gatherings, meetings of various kinds, incidents sometimes humorous and sometimes sad - the Chief has used thousands of lines of type and thousands of names in items such as these. The Chief in its time has known something of political scraps that have had their thrills and counter thrills. And the Chief has had some editors like Beeman, Hill, Vernon, and Thomas, and others, whose writings on various subjects have left lingering vibrations in the hearts of readers for many years. Yes, the Chief has been somewhat in touch with the heart throbs in the life of Comanche County.
Presently the chief is owned by Mr. Wilkerson's grandson and name sake, Jim Wilkerson. His sons Lance and Bradley, the assistant editors, marks the fourth generation of Wilkersons' in 78 years to be involved in the production of the Comanche Chief.
It has gone through many changes since the first edition in 1873. Printing has progressed enormously. From the old G-wash printing press (hand-set type) brought to Comanche on the prairie schooner to the Linotype (hot type) of 1920. Presently sent digitally.