Jay Van Slyke and the Start of the Plaindealer

For many years McHenry had its own newspaper called the McHenry Plaindealer. Originally founded in 1875 by Jay Van Slyke, the Plaindealer would be a mainstay in the McHenry community for many years. It started at a time when newspapers were the major source of information for a community. One estimate had it that the United States doubled in number of newspaper titles from 880 to about 2000 from the years 1880 to 1900. Due to improving technology and transportation, newspapers were cheaper to produce and could be circulated further distances more easily. Many communities had their own weekly papers and the towns in McHenry County were no exception.

The first paper in the county, the Illinois Republican, was out of Woodstock and printed in 1846. Several other papers came and went, but one of the longest lasting was the Woodstock Sentinel. The Sentinel was published for over 120 years. Jay Van Slyke was the editor of the Sentinel starting in 1867. In 1875, he moved to McHenry to start the Plaindealer. The McHenry Plaindealer wasn’t the first Plaindealer that Van Slyke ran. In New York, Seth P. Remington sold Van Slyke his paper, the St. Lawrence Plaindealer. Remington then went on to serve with distinction in the Civil War in 1862, reaching the rank of major. He bought the paper back from Van Slyke in 1867 after returning from the war. Despite burning down twice, the St. Lawrence Plaindealer is in business to this day.

When the McHenry Plaindealer was established in 1875, McHenry didn’t have a newspaper yet. There were approximately 12 papers in the county when Van Slyke arrived in McHenry. He was an ardent Republican and his paper reflected that. It was noted that during his St. Lawrence Plaindealer run, he was very loyal to the party of Lincoln during the Civil War. During his tenure as editor, Van Slyke and Woodstock Sentinel writers would have a playful banter going back and forth. In the late 1800s, most local papers didn’t have the headlines that we know today. The front pages were full of advertisements and a few major stories, mostly state, national, or world news. The local news was further into the paper, usually toward the middle. This would hook readers with the stories in the front or make them go through the paper to get to the local items. Just like newspapers today, there were lots of advertisements.

In 1898, the Plaindealer had a little competition. A.J. Rupp started the McHenry Journal, which was housed roughly where D.C. Cobb’s is today. Either the Plaindealer was too entrenched or readers just didn’t take to the Journal, Rupp sold his paper in 1900. The Journal merged into the Plaindealer, with the older paper moving into the Journal’s offices and press. Jay Van Slyke was editor of the Plaindealer until 1899. He then left to become the founder/editor of the Algonquin Citizen, which had a run of about three years. In 1902, he then went back to New York and started working for the newspaper in Ithaca. Sadly, he couldn’t work there long as his health started to fail him. He had heart and liver troubles for a few years then passed in September 1906. The McHenry Plaindealer though would go on until 1986 when it was bought out by the Northwest Herald. Except for the brief run of the McHenry Journal, the Plaindealer was the lone newspaper in McHenry during its publication.

Sources

• “Founder of the Plaindealer”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 6 June 1935, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Editorial Expressions”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 27 Sep 1893, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Founder of the Plaindealer”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 6 June 1935, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Newspaper Week”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 2 Oct 1958, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “The Journal Suspends”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 8 Mar 1900, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 5 Feb 2023.
• “The Sentinel Story Of 80 Years Of Loyal Service”. The Woodstock Sentinel. (Woodstock, IL) 13 March 1937, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Jay Van Slyke…”. The Woodstock Sentinel. (Woodstock, IL) 7 Oct 1936, 4. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Newspapers Doings”. The Woodstock Sentinel. (Woodstock, IL) 16 Feb 1899, 4. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• “Diamond Jubilee Recalls McHenry History Recorded In Newspaper Since 1875”. The McHenry Plaindealer. (McHenry, IL) 19 May 1949, 1. Newspapers.com. Web. 15 Dec 2023.
• Durant, S. W., & Peirce, H. B. (1986). History of St. Lawrence Co., New York: With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and Pioneers. University Microfilms International.