The
News traces its roots to the founding of the
Utilitarian in 1863. The first newspaper in the town of
Margaretville, the paper was published by
Orson M. Allaben. After passing through a number of hands it was purchased by the
Catskill Mountain News. In 1894, the
Margaretville Messenger was founded by a stock company, which hired as editor John Grant. Eells's widow offered to let Sanford run it on credit. If he were to make a profit, he would pay her the purchase price; if not, she would reclaim the paper. Sanford agreed to the terms and after a tough initial few years made good on the loan. He also invested in updated
Linotype printing, and changed locations as the paper grew. By 1990, the paper was struggling, which the younger Sanford believed was a result of low overall economic activity in New York's more rural areas. a former writer for the
News. == References ==