The Niagara Area Historical Museum has created a new exhibit, “Print Communication in Niagara,” that celebrates the area’s rich history of news, publishing and the evolution of print media that has connected and informed local residents for generations.

The Historical Society will host a grand opening of the museum’s newest addition from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23.

“The Niagara community has been fed well through the years,” said Niagara Area Historical Society President Karen Klenke, who along with her husband, Jeff, owned and operated the Niagara Journal and Franklin’s Stove from 1973 to 1987.

Society member and museum historian Bruce Redmond will present a program at 1 p.m. highlighting the history of Niagara’s weekly newspapers and the editors who served the community for more than a century.

Karen Klenke, who for 14 years owned the Niagara Journal and Franklin’s Stove weekly newspaper with her husband, Jeff, points out the popular column, “Jaunts with Homer.” (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

“It will be very interesting as well as informative,” she said. “So cool to learn about the new things he has discovered.”

The society has invited several special guests that include family members of former editors. Klenke will also share stories about her time in the newspaper business.

The focal point of the display is a Chandler & Price letterpress manufactured in 1909. The antique press was used for more than four decades by Martin Boerner Jr., who ran the Niagara Journal from 1930 to 1974. The press was moved to the museum in 2022.

The exhibit also has a type case on display full of type letters, along with many issues of the weekly newspapers and photographs.

A timeline of each of the weekly newspapers and editors is prominently displayed within the area.

Klenke explained that Redmond was instrumental in obtaining the documentation of the timeline.

First in operation was the Niagara Enterprise from 1902 to 1906. Editors during this time were D.E. Thompson, followed by George F. Storey and Donald McDonald.

The Niagara Journal began in 1920, with Phillip J. McCarthy as its first editor, serving in 1920 and 1921. He was followed by R.R. Elliott until 1923.

Boerner put out his first edition of the Niagara Journal in December 1930 and remained with the newspaper for 43 years.

“We often say how hard that man worked,” Klenke said. “He sold the ads, created them, he wrote the stories, set type by hand and ran the press — he produced the whole newspaper every week and gave it away for nothing.”

Klenke also noted that during the time, from 1946 to 1958, the community had two weekly newspapers. Editor George Collison produced the Niagara News Weekly/Niagara Advertiser.

“These two little newspapers were kinda nose to nose,” she said.

Klenke said Boerner told her it was never a problem, adding, “He would say, ‘It was good for us.'”

Boerner sold the operation to the Klenkes in February 1973 and they ran the Niagara Journal and Franklin’s Stove for 14 years.

During the first week, they purchased a new 11-by-17 printing press and had it delivered to the new building, she said. “The guys that delivered it were laughing, saying, ‘They are never going to learn how to run this press in a week,'” Klenke said. “I don’t know how we did it, but we pulled it off.”

Klenke admits they took over the Niagara Journal with no experience in the newspaper business.

“Jeff said he was going to do the writing and I was going to do the photographs, but I knew nothing about taking pictures — I was a nurse,” she said. “He went to a store in Escanaba to buy me a Kalimar camera.”

Klenke headed out into the community, taking photographs of children, and fell in love with it.

“I feel that photography was my calling, I have been blessed for many years to be able to do this,” she said, adding it also led to the opening of Karen’s Studio.

Each edition would include a letter to Ben Franklin that told of the happenings of Niagara. “That’s why he added the ‘Franklin’s Stove’ name to the paper,” said Klenke, adding she doesn’t recall when they dropped that name.

Klenke said another popular feature of the paper during their time was “Jaunts with Homer.”

The column was named after the couple’s beagle named Homer, who got himself into trouble. “Everyone couldn’t wait to see what Homer was up to,” she said. “I guess that’s what made us successful.”

The Klenkes sold the Niagara Journal to Beth and Gary Molle in 1987. “We are proud to say Niagara is still represented in the Florence Mining Journal/Borderland Journal,” Klenke said.

The public can also check out Kerry Grippen’s weekly column, “A View from the Bleachers,” from 2006 to 2022.

The society will have light refreshments during the event.

“I’m excited for the community to come to check out the exhibit and learn more about our print communication,” she said.

The Niagara Area Historical Museum is at 1364 River St. in Niagara.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.