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Fort Frances has had a newspaper service for many years, the first being
the Alberton Star, which was owned and operated by Mr. W.B. Little. This
paper was first published every Tuesday and the annual subscription rate
was $1.00. When the Dominion government changed in 1878 and work was stopped
on the canal, Mr. Little placed his printing press, his type and his belongings
in a canoe and set off for Rat Portage (Kenora) He was here less than two
years.
The old Rainy Lake Herald, forerunner of the Fort Frances Times and Rainy
Lake Herald, was the first Minnesota paper in International Falls. In fact
it was the first newspaper in northern Minnesota. Mr. James Alexander Osborne
purchased the paper at Rainy Lake City, a gold mining town on Black Bay
of Rainy Lake, in January of 1896. When the Little American gold mine closed
down Mr. Osborne barged his paper and plant in 1898 to the Village of Koochiching,
now International Falls. Immigration officials would not permit him to live
in Fort Frances and publish in International Falls so around 1900 he moved
his plant piece by piece in a row boat to Fort Frances and renamed the paper
the Fort Frances Times. The first site of the paper in Fort Frances was
on First Street on land purchased from the Hudson's Bay Company. When this
building was struck by lightning on September 1, 1913, Osborne rebuilt on
Scott Street where he published until 1917 when the Fort Frances Times Publishing
Co. bought him out. The paper was moved to a site on Church Street in 1918
when it was taken over by Mr. W. H. Elliot. Mr. Elliot was elected to the
Ontario Legislature in 1929, succeeding J.A.Mathieu. The Times, forced into
bankruptcy, found Herbert Williams serving as editor pro tem.
On April 19, 1934, two experienced newspaperman from Yorkton, Saskatchewan,
arrived in Fort Frances to take over the newspaper. R.H. Larson, an experienced
advertising manager, assumed the title of managing editor, and J.A. Cumming,
a skilled printing craftsman, became editor. The Daily Reminer arrived in
the 1930's and the Daily Bulletin of the Fort Frances Times was being published.
On March 23, 1963, Wednesday became the day of publication instead of Thursday,
which had been the publishing day for 68 years. The change was made at the
request of the advertisers as shopping habits were changing; Friday had
replaced Saturday as the main shopping day for families.
In 1971, the Times began the new offset method of printing and on November
15, 1971, a change of ownership took place. Mr. Larson sold his share in
the company to Robert A. Cumming who had succeeded his father as partner
in the business. In September 1976, the Fort Frances Times moved back as
neighbour to the original Times building which stood between the present
building and Western Grocers.
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