As the press is one of the educators of our country, and exerts a powerful influence in giving tone and character to society, mention of its history in this county is made. It is rather difficult to give the correct data, as the files of newspapers have not been preserved, and the historian must depend mainly on the personal recollections of old citizens. The first paper ever published in Rush County was a unique sheet dubbed the Dog Fennel Gazette, about ten by twelve inches. Though small, it was spicy and rich, filled with the local news of the county, humor, drollery and keen sarcasm. Its sole editor and proprietor was William D. M. WICKMAN, an original genius of the first water. The press itself was decidedly pioneer; the bed of it was the top of a sycamore stump, and the lever a long pole inserted into a mortise in a tree standing by its side; on this he printed his Gazette and all the bills called for by the business of the county. This he used for some time, but finally made a great advance by constructing a press of heavy oak timbers. This he called "Wickman's Velocity Press", and did what was then considered good printing. The first number of the Dog Fennel Gazette was issued in the latter part of 1822 or early part of 1823. This paper for many years supplied the wants of the community, until Samuel DAVIS and Thomas WALLACE, two young and practical printers from Cincinnati, started a more pretentious sheet, called the Rushville Herald.