Montana Newspapers

More about this newspaper

The history of the Castle Mining Reporter, later the Castle Reporter, is murky. An article in the Billings Weekly Gazette on Aug 7, 1890, announces that “Castle camp has finally been supplied with a newspaper” thus informing us of the start of publication. Unfortunately only one issue of the Castle Mining Reporter has survived: May 23, 1891. The front page tells the focus of the newspaper with two stories about local smelters, a celebration of the Miners’ Union of Castle, the townsite survey, check-ins with the different mines, and discuss about the necessity of a railroad and “How to Get the Railroad”. Also on the front page the Republican stance of the paper is clear. The Castle Publishing Company had been recently established and had plans to start a daily paper in addition to the weekly, though it’s unknown whether they ever actually printed daily. J. C. Lewis is publisher and editor during this time. By September 24, 1892, the title had changed to Castle Reporter and Nelson E. Benson had become publisher and editor. There is a period of several months where other Montana newspapers are referring to this title by both names making it unclear when the name officially changed. Under Benson, the Reporter continued as a Republican paper, but it isn’t as focused on local events with much more fiction, a regular W.C.T.U. column and much more national content. Benson was also much more active in the community than Lewis seemed to be. He served as a Representative in the 3rd Legislature (1893) and became mayor in 1895. In addition to the Reporter, he was also a real estate and mining broker. His wife won election to be a school director in 1897 despite her not being on the ballot. It’s uncertain when the Reporter stopped publication, but there are references to it in other newspapers through April 1896.