Whenever I talk to someone about a good story they are itching to share I tell them I write for the Lexington Chronicle and Dispatch News. “Oh, yes, The Dispatch News.” They exclaim. That’s right. (Half right, anyway). The 2 papers merged into 1 several years ago.

This is forgivable. I remember back at least 65 years as my grandpa sat in his rocking chair next to the woodstove. He read excerpts from the wisdom of ‘Uncle Josh’. He read every word of the newspaper. The grandchildren were included in afternoon discussions of local events.

September 17, 2020 marks the 150th year of the founding of The Dispatch News. It now includes the Lexington County Chronicle.

Then, as now, those years were turbulent in the newspaper business. One of the most turbulent was the year of the BIG FIRE—1894. That was the year my grandfather was born.

The following is from the records of Lonnie Brooks Addy, Sr., affectionately known as PAPA by Anne Addy of Lexington.

“A few years before the Big Fire in 1894 Mr. John Bell Towill founded a paper called the Lexington News. After the Great Fire of 1916 he merged the Lexington News with the Dispatch News to form the Lexington Dispatch News.

“It (Lexington Dispatch News) burned along with the Harmon Bazaar and Godfrey Harmon’s residence. The fire originated in a store building at the site of the Kaughman building. A large building to the west which was long before known as the old Mayer hotel was also burned.

Mr. Harmon managed to save his type, setting it up and carrying it to Columbia to get it printed. I remember seeing him on one of those trips. He rebuilt his residence and the Bazaar and printing plant.”

Shortly after the merge, Mr. Sligh and Mr. Walker acquired the publication and continued in business for at least 15 years, or until the Bruner family acquired the publication.”

Today, the Bellune family runs the show.