NEWSPAPERS

The first settlers passed around the newspapers they received until they were weeks old. Perhaps, that was the reason why the necessity of having their own paper was realized, so early in the history of the town. May 10, 1877, The Volusia County Herald, the first newspaper in the county, was brought out under the editorship of Rev. M. S. Leete and T. J. Southworth. "It required two editors to hatch up enough locals to fill three columns of 'Local Happenings and Personal Mention.' The following year it was succeeded by the Florida Agriculturist, edited by Col. C. C. Codrington. His experience was most valuable to the settlers, many of whom were northerners. In the West Indies he had acquired knowledge of semi-tropical plants and trees and by means of the paper he spread this information. He had in his grove fifty varieties of the citrus family and many fruits and flowers. In 1887 he sold the Agriculturist to E. 0. Painter. Mr. S. Weller Johnston established in 1883 a snappy little paper called The Orange Ridge Echo. This in 1887 he sold to Mr. DeLand and it was edited for a time by Rev. M. S. Leete. It was bought by L. H. Eldridge of Emporia and the name changed to the DeLand News. For four years it was edited by J. H. Benjamin who is now connected with The Palm Beach Independent. The News was then sold to Christopher 0. Codrington in 1892. At his death it passed into the hands of Clayton Codrington, who has made it one "of the best small town papers in Florida.” Mr. Johnston became editor of the Agriculturist after disposing of the Echo. He established The Supplement which was a local appendix to the Agriculturist. The Agriculturist, about twenty years later, was sold to Walter Connolly of Jacksonville and The Supplement was consolidated with the News. Mr. Johnston also started an agricultural paper called The Southern Field and Home later sold to Crenshaw Bros. of Tampa. The Volusia County Record was established in 1888, edited by B. E. Prevatt. In 1921 it was replaced by the DeLand Sun published by C. A. Allison which is recognized as one of the best newspapers in the county. The press of DeLand has been from the first a most important element in the growth of the city.

INCORPORATION OF DELAND AND ELECTION, 1882

The first map of DeLand made by J. Y. Paree, covered the territory in the Rogers map, recorded January 10, 1882. The town as organized (March 11), took in the Howry property south of New York Avenue, and the Rich home- stead west of Clara Avenue. The limits extended one mile north and one mile south of New York Avenue and one mile west and one and one quarter miles east of Woodland Boulevard, the same as they are today. It was incorporated at the election held in the public school building the second Saturday in March, 1882 at 12 M. The poll list of the election showed thirty-nine qualified electors present and voting, two less than the number qualified. 

Excerpt from:

The Story of DeLand and Lake Helen, Florida. 

Written by, Helen Parce DeLand.