PRINCETON — Resuming our look at the history of Mercer County, courtesy of Kyle McCormick’s “The Story of Mercer County,” (Charleston Publishing Co. 1957) and the signers of the Declaration of Independence, courtesy of Benson J. Lossing’s book “Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence,” which is a reprint of the 1848 original kindly provided on loan by Dr. O.J. Bailes, we now turn to a history of newspapers in Mercer County.

According to McCormick, Mercer County had been a graveyard for ambitious journals since the first one, the Princeton Journal, was established in July 1879, with D.W. Anderson as its editor.

The Journal was Democratic in its politics (state law required papers to state party affiliation) and was five columns wide and about 16 inches in length. Two pages were home printed, and the other two were filled with boiler-plate (previously-printed) copy.

From this beginning, the Princeton Observer survived until February 8, 1957, after many ups and downs and changes of name.

•••

Going to the Lossing book, we turn to Button Gwinett, of Georgia. Gwinett was born in England in 1732 and, despite his family’s financial status, acquired a good common education. He was apprenticed to a businessman in Bristol, and after completing his term of service, he married and went into business for himself.

Gwinett moved to Charleston, S.C., in 1770, lured by the promises of wealth and distinction in America. He commenced mercantile business and, after pursuing it for two years, he sold his stock and moved to Georgia, where he purchased large tracts of land on St. Catherine’s Island, as well as a number of slaves, devoting himself to agricultural pursuits.

Gwinett was initially cautiously in favor of splitting from Britain, viewing it as highly problematic. When Georgia was solicited to join a General Congress in 1774, Gwinett initially looked on the proposition with disfavor, before the efforts of Doctor Lyman Hall and others persuaded him to become a warm advocate of separation from the British Crown.

In 1775, he was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress from St. John’s Parish. In February, 1776, the General Assembly of Georgia elected him to Congress again and he supported and signed the Declaration of Independence. He remained in Congress until 1777 when he was asked to come home to be a member of the Georgia Constitutional Convention. He helped form the framework of the state constitution.

Soon after the constitution was formed, he succeeded as President of the council upon the death of his predecessor (a position equivalent to the Governor). His ambition asserted itself when he offered himself as a candidate for Brigadier General. The other candidate was Colonel McIntosh to whom he lost the election.

Gwinett mistakenly viewed McIntosh as a personal enemy, which built until he challenged the latter to a duel for honor. The duel resulting in both men being wounded, Gwinett mortally. He died at the age of 45.

To comment on this column write to me care of Mercer County Memories, P.O. Box 1199, Princeton, WV 24740 or e-mail me at delimartman@yahoo.com.