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Origin of the Highlander
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2018/12 - December
The Highlander is so intrinsically knitted into our mountain culture, it’s hard to imagine a time when residents didn’t have it.
The newspaper’s first edition appeared August 7, 1885. Richard Goldie (the perfect name for the gem that he was), owner and editor, took pride in his publication. Goldie’s inaugural editorial touted the quality, integrity, and civility of Southern journalism as compared to much of Northern newspaper writing, which often engaged in dirt-throwing and muckraking. He maintained readers would tolerate that kind of rudeness for a while, but would eventually tire of it and the Southern style would prevail.
He believed the Southern Press was committed to “a higher aim in life than dollars and cents.” His writers were held to a gold (Goldie) standard, which not only reflected, but promoted sound public opinion and logical views, aimed at improving rational habits of society. Would that we could apply these standards to Talk Radio and those in office today.
Though Goldie’s tenure was short-lived, he was here long enough to establish a quality paper before moving on. He left The Highlander in the capable hands and ownership of Minnie Clark, who bought it under the patronage of leading Highlands citizens, forming The Highlander Publishing Company.
It was an eight-page paper. A year’s delivery was $1. If money were tight, Minnie bartered, “Price for one year . . . is 6 or 8 chickens, or as many dozen eggs, 2 bushels of potatoes or apples, seventy bundles of fodder at the present price, or 2 bushels of corn at fifty cents: any one of these will give you 8 pages of good reading every week for a year, 416 pages in all.”
Minnie maintained Goldie’s values: All the news you needed, responsibly researched, respectfully written.
Goldie’s standards resonate in Ran Shaffner’s history volume, “Heart of the Blue Ridge,” an honest, insightful, entertaining library addition. Any Highlander who appreciates the ground he/she walks and lives upon and the stories it tells will treasure it. For information, visit highlandshistory.com, email [email protected], or check out The Highlands Historical Museum, 524 North Fourth Street, by appointment.
