Skip to content
site logo
  • DONATE
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Topics
    • Culture & Community
    • Land & Water​
    • Business & Work
    • Policy & Government
    • Health
    • Education
    • Regional Arts
  • Community Voices
    • Essays
    • Poetry
    • Photo Gallery
    • Multimedia Stories
    • Share a Story
  • Local Events Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Search

Building Community Through Storytelling

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Culture & Community
    • Land & Water​
    • Business & Work
    • Policy & Government
    • Health
    • Education
    • Regional Arts
  • Community Voices
    • Essays
    • Poetry
    • Photo Gallery
    • Multimedia Stories
    • Share a Story
  • Local Events Calendar
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Search
Recent Posts >
Essay: Every Minnesotan Deserves to Know What’s Happening in their Backyard
What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?
Citizen Scientist MJ Hatfield Fights Insect Decline

newspaper history

A yellowed, aged newspaper front page titled “Fillmore County Pioneer” fills the frame, printed in bold, decorative serif lettering across the top. Beneath the title, smaller text reads “Carimona, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Thursday, June 5, 1856,” along with volume and issue numbers. The page is densely packed with narrow columns of small black text, including sections labeled “Business Cards” and “Select Poetry.” Advertisements for goods and services appear along the left column, while poetry and articles fill the center and right columns. The paper shows visible wear and discoloration, emphasizing its historical age.

What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?

Explore the history of small-town newspapers in Fillmore and Houston counties and why their decline is contributing to news deserts across rural Minnesota.

Follow us

MN Local News Giving Day 2026 graphic
Events promo 4.26.2026
School &local govt links

Supported by...

Screenshot
Paddle On sponsor _website promo.2.23.26
Root River Current logo in white

Root River Current is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital magazine serving the greater Root River Valley in Southeast Minnesota.

Info@RootRiverCurrent.org

  • Sign Up For Our Free Newsletter
  • Support Root River Current’s Nonprofit Journalism
  • Pitch a Story | Contributor Guidelines
  • About Us
  • Leadership
  • Meet Our Content Contributors
  • Funding Root River Current
  • Inside Root River Current
  • Contact Us

Copyright Root River Current 2026.