Monitoring the Pulse of Citrus County
By: Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
While national headlines may grab our attention, local events are an important part of everyday life. Community newspapers, such as the Citrus County Chronicle, kept residents informed of the comings and goings of their neighbors in the pre-Internet days. This is the story of some of the local correspondents whose recollections provide a glimpse into life in Citrus County during a bygone era.
The Stringers
Local correspondents – sometimes known as “stringers” in the newspaper industry – were the eyes and ears of the newspapers. The origin of the term is hazy but there is speculation that it refers to writers who “string” phrases together into an article. Stringers were usually not employees of a newspaper but were freelancers who had relationship with the editor to cover events within a geographical area or governmental organization (council meetings, police logs, etc.)
The stringers were sometimes compensated based on the number of words that the editor chose to print or the number of inches that their edited column consumed on the page. There could be tension between a writer who submitted an extensive account of an event and the editor whose abbreviated final article affected the author’s paycheck.
Early Citrus County Newspapers
Our pioneer newspapers contained a different mix of content than readers experience today. Since the editor and a single reporter were usually the only paid staff, newspapers featured a heavy concentration of stories from national news wires, articles and editorials from other Florida newspapers, advertisements and serialized novellas. A limited number of staff members meant that local news stories concentrated on events near the newspaper office, County Courthouse and the larger villages. This situation led to complaints from readers that events in their areas were not being reported.
Our newspapers attempted to address readers concerns by including specific columns devoted to certain areas. The authors chose to use pseudonyms or nicknames rather than publish their names.
For example, Red Level news was written by “Winn”; Fairmount’s updates were from someone named “Progress”; and Hernando’s reporter was “Agricola” (perhaps indicating his occupation as a farmer). It was obvious that these articles were covertly written by business leaders since the content was focused on political opinions and personal updates devoted to other businessmen.
Expanded Local News
Newspapers realized that their readers were clamoring for more information about their community. By the 1920’s, the Chronicle had committed to expanding their local coverage by both hiring a staff local reporter and greater use of local stringers / correspondents.
The correspondent’s weekly articles focused on the daily lives the people living in the various towns. In the pre-HIPAA, pre-Internet world there were stories about who was ill and who was admitted into the hospital and their prognosis for recovery. Updates from those away on military service kept the community in touch with their loved ones. New residents were introduced. Since there were no formal obituaries like we have today, the local correspondents let others know when one of their friends had passed away. Visitors to the area were noted and details of their stay were reported.
There have been a number of freelance writers who have served as Citrus County correspondents over the years. Some have used their amateur status to pursue a career in journalism. Others later served their communities as civic leaders and politicians. I’ve selected a few of those correspondents who will undoubtedly be recognized by long-time residents.
Ethel Carrington Spires – Hernando
For over 40 years, Ethel Carrington Spires (aka “Mrs. R.M. Spires”) kept a watchful eye on everyday events in Hernando – and reported almost everything she saw to readers of the Citrus County Chronicle. It’s been said that nothing escaped her notice while she sat on her front porch. She was equally adept at reporting about visiting travelers, honeymooners, fishing tips, marriages and serious illnesses.
A previous article was dedicated to the life and times of Ethel Carrington Spires, including her encounter with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in Hernando, and can be found at the link below:
https://cccourthouse.org/ethel-carrington-spires-hernandos-ace-reporter/
Flossie Bassett – Floral City
It would be impossible to cover all of Flossie Bassett’s contributions to Citrus County in this brief article. When she passed away in 2004 at age 100, Floral City lost a champion who was dedicated to the history and community of that town. Her life and civic achievements will be highlighted in a future article.
Mrs. Bassett was descended from the original settlers of Floral City and seemed to know everyone in that town. She was in a perfect position to serve as the long-standing correspondent for Floral City.
A sampling of her Floral City News update from 1945 provides some insights into the scope of Mrs. Bassett’s reporting. Since the article was written after New Year’s Day, there were stories about visitors who spent time in the town, who had returned to town and the status of some local military personnel. You’ll also note that she included some advertisements about the properties she was offering for sale. Mrs. Bassett was one of the first women to be formally certified as a real estate agent in Florida.
A careful reading of her update also reveals a little-known aspect of Florida real estate at that time. Her advertisement mentions that the land was “…not leased for oil.” Large oil companies periodically prospected for oil reserves in Florida. There were some sporadic discoveries of oil during test drilling and oil companies rushed to secure mineral rights leases for properties across Citrus County.
Similar to the phosphate boom, companies would pay landowners for the right to prospect for oil on citizen’s land without actually purchasing the property. If no oil was found within a specified period, the lease eventually expired. The landowner happily pocketed the money for the mineral right lease that never came to fruition. No significant oil deposits were ever found, so there were many Citrus County landowners who profited from the arrangement.
There’s another item of note for Flossie Bassett’s engagement with the Citrus County community. In 1963 she was one of fifteen people who was appointed by the Governor to the inaugural Citrus County Historical Commission. Her newspaper updates frequently demonstrated her devotion to the history of our area. Her work on the Historical Commission eventually led to the creation of the Citrus County Historical Society. She graciously donated many artifacts to the CCHS museums.
Bell Land – Crystal River
Mrs. Bell Land had served for two terms on the Crystal River City Council before becoming a correspondent in 1951. A sampling of her articles in 1951 show both local Christmas play cast updates and the usual visitor information. The Korean War involved several Crystal River young men and her column kept everyone informed regarding their status and location. She frequently included the military addresses where soldiers and sailors anxiously awaited mail containing news from the homefront.
Note that she references a local patient at the “Florida Sanitarium”. At the time, some medical experts felt that tuberculosis could be cured through rest, fresh air and sunshine in a remote facility.
Many long-term Citrus County citizens remember Bell Land as the official head of Civil Defense in our county. In that role, she took the lead in preparing space and supplies for fallout shelters. She conducted several active drills when Citrus County leaders were sequestered in the basement of the old Courthouse.
Those readers who remember the term “duck and cover” will enjoy reading about Mrs. Land’s role in civil defense by using this link:
https://cccourthouse.org/duck-and-cover-civil-defense-in-citrus-county/
Epilogue
The many correspondents who faithfully reported local events in the Chronicle provided a way for everyone to stay informed about their community. As a bonus, reading their weekly updates provides today’s citizens with a valuable window into daily life in Citrus County.
PS: One of my college friends was a “stringer” for a local newspaper. She would frequently regale us with soliloquies about how mean the editor was by cutting the length of her stories.
Ken Marotte writes for the Citrus County Historical Society. He can be reached via email at kenmarottejr@gmail.com if you have any comments, questions or suggestions