Stilson Hutchins facts for kids
Stilson Hutchins (born November 14, 1838 – died April 23, 1912) was an American newspaper writer and publisher. He is best known for starting the well-known newspaper, The Washington Post.
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Early Life and Starting Newspapers
Stilson Hutchins was born in Whitefield, New Hampshire, on November 14, 1838. He later moved to Saint Louis, where he began his career in newspapers. In 1866, he started a newspaper called the St. Louis Times. He also became a representative for the Democratic Party in Missouri.
Hutchins then moved to Washington, D.C.. There, he founded The Washington Post newspaper. He wanted the paper to share the ideas of the Democratic Party. The first issue of The Washington Post was printed on December 6, 1877. Within just one year, the newspaper was printing over 6,000 copies every day! In 1880, a famous immigrant named Joseph Pulitzer joined the newspaper's team. By 1888, Hutchins decided to change his political focus. He bought The Republican National, which was the only other newspaper competing with The Post. He sold The Post in 1889.
Supporting Art and Building Homes
Stilson Hutchins also loved art and supported public projects. In 1889, he asked an artist to create a statue of Benjamin Franklin. This statue was placed near where The Washington Post offices used to be. In 1890, he also asked for a sculpture of the writer Charles Dickens from an artist named Francis Edwin Elwell, but this project did not happen. In 1900, Hutchins helped pay for the Daniel Webster Memorial statue in Washington, D.C.
Hutchins also owned interesting properties. In 1883, he leased Governor's Island on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. He leased it for 99 years and built a large mansion there in 1885. In 1897, he bought Oatlands Plantation in Virginia. However, he never lived there and sold it a few years later. In 1903, he rented his mansion on Governor's Island to the German Ambassador, Baron Speck von Sternburg. The Baron used it as a summer home for his embassy staff. The Baron said the view from the mansion was amazing. The mansion was sold by the Hutchins family in the late 1920s and sadly burned down in 1935.
Later Newspaper Work
Later in his life, Stilson Hutchins became the publisher of the first Washington Times newspaper. This paper was started in 1894.
Final Years
Stilson Hutchins passed away at his home in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 1912. He was 73 years old. He was buried at Rock Creek Cemetery.
Images for kids
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An illustration of Stilson Hutchins' home on Governor's Island from an 1889 guidebook.
