Soil and the Republican parties.  The Democratic Whig was published until 1858, when the office was sold to John G. Kurtz (see Central Press)

The Comet - printed its first issue on June 13, 1857. It was published monthly by Levi D Reed and James B Cook and it is believed that it's name was inspired by the comet which illuminating the skies that summer.

Central Press - John G. Kurtz, purchased the Democratic Whig in 1858 and changed the name of the Central Press. For a brief period in 1866, A. B. Hutchinson, a prominent Bellefonte lawyer, acted as associate editor, vacating that position in October of that year.  He was replaced by Thad P. Stevens.  In May 1868, it was enlarged to a thirty six column paper.  The paper was published under the name of Central Press until October 1868, when it was sold.  (see Bellefonte National)

Democratic Watchman - First published November 1855, by S. T. Shugert, once owner of the Centre Democrat who had just finished a term as U. S. Commissioner of Patents.  He hired Henry Hays and Wien Forney as publishers. Sometime in the late 1850s, S. S. Seely took control of the paper.  Within a short period of time, J. S. Barnhart, who also operated one of Bellefonte's first photography studios, also joined the paper.  In May of 1861 Seely & Barnhart desolved, and the Watchman was leased to C. T. Alexander and Peter Gray Meek, but Meek pulled out, in September 1861, over the paper's war policy. In 1862, Peter Gray Meek, then 21, was back at the Watchman, buying out the all interests. People about Bellefonte used to say you could walk on the political bones picked clean by the Republican and Peter Gray Meek in the Watchman.  The Watchman moved into their own building, on High Street, opposite the Bush House and along Spring Creek in September 1869.  Mr. Meek bragged in the pages of the paper, that he could fish for trout out of his office window.  By December of the same year, Meek took advantage of his new proximity to Spring Creek, and installed a water turbine to operate their presses, becoming only the second newspaper in the country to operate their printing press by water power.  (The other was the West Chester Jeffersonian)  The presses had previously been operated by steam.  The turbine was manufactured and installed by Todd & Duncan.  By 1914 P. Gray Meek announced his retirement and turned management of the Democratic Watchman over to his son and daughter, George Reuben and Mary. In 1933, George Meek was appointed postmaster in Bellefonte, succeeding John Knisely.  George turned over operation of the Democratic Watchman to his sister, Mary, and Charles Gates. In December of 1940, George Sheldon of Philipsburg bought the Democratic Watchman and hired John Fleming, son of former judge M.Ward Fleming, as the editor.  That ownership did not last long, however, and the paper was sold again in few months to Mr. and Mrs, Samuel Shallcross and Mrs. Shallcross became the editor.  The Watchman ceased in 1941.

Bellefonte National - in 1868 a group of Bellefonte men consisting of R.A. Kinsloe and Capt. R.B. Barger bought the Central Press, changed the name to Bellefonte National & Industrial Guide.  The paper first appeared in March of 1869.  Their office was close to the Democratic Watchman on S. Allegheny Street, but with the opening of the

new Bush House hotel, in April of 1869, the National moved into office on the first floor of that building.  It was noted that the staff consisted of female type-setters, quite unusual at the time.  Initially the paper featured an "educational department" edited by Daniel Hastings (future Pennsylvania Governor) and a "religious department," edited by Rev. Roberts.  Reports indicate that one of the Nationals downfalls included their propensity to under price their job printing.  Speculation could lead one to believe they were attempting to either weaken their competitors or attempting to establish a quick foothold.  Unable to sustain itself, on Monday July 19th, 1869, the Bellefonte National was sold at Sheriff's sale for $3,100 to Edmund Blanchard, Esq.  By the end of August the National had reappeared, edited by Mr. C. B. Gould, of the Cameron County Press.  The paper was dressed in a complete suit of new type, and was "really a handsome sheet." Editorially and politically, it was Republican.  In mid-October of 1869, Gould hired W. H. H. Brainerd away from the Bellefonte Republican to become part of the editorial staff.

After a long financial struggle, they published their final issue on Saturday, May 21, 1870.  More than the death of an individual newspaper, the demise of the National was the end to a long Republican feud between two factions of the Centre County Republican Party.

The assets were sold to the Bellefonte Republican.

Bellefonte Advertiser - First published in July of 1867 by the Kinsloe Brothers.  Published in eight page layout, the paper was "devoted, almost exclusively to advertising."  It was "troubled with neither politics nor religion," but did contain local news.  In May 1868, the layout was enlarged to six columns. 

Bellefonte Paper - 1868 campaign sheets

Campaigner - 1868 campaign sheets

Bellefonte Republican - started in 1869 by A. B. Hutchinson & Co. with A. B. Hutchinson & W. W. Brown as editors.  The first issue appeared January 6, 1869.  They struggled at first, so much so that one of the editors office furniture was sold at a Sheriff's sale, July 1869, in order to pay their taxes.  In September of 1869, W. H. H. Brainerd was added to the editorial staff, but was quickly (October 1869) wooed to the Bellefonte National.  In 1870, the Bellefonte National was consolidated with it and shortly afterward A. B. Hutchinson retired and was succeeded by Robert Bruce Barger, publishing under the name of Brown & Barger.  By 1872 it had succumbed to its financial difficulties and was sold at sheriff's sale to Gen. Beaver, William Wilson, John Harris, A. S. Valentine, Edmond Blanchard, Daniel Rhoads and William Shortlidge.  The purchase price was for two thousand dollars.  Ironically, these gentlemen were the major stockholders of the Bellefonte National, which had been muscled out of the Centre County newspaper market in 1870.  Within a few weeks, in January, 1873, the Republican was back in business with Edward Tuten as editor and Robert Tuten as publisher.  In 1884 the paper supported Andrew G. Curtin (a Democrat) in his candidacy for Congress against the regular Republican candidate.  This severely hurt the papers stature among