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Happy Birthday, O'Fallon Progress Before February slips away from us, it should be noted that this month marks the 105th “birthday” of The Progress—-O’Fallon’s oldest and longest running newspaper. Through thick and thin, for better or for worse, the weekly Progress has chronicled life in our city and the area around it for much of O’Fallon’s 145 years. "Editor and Proprietor” John A. Hanley published the first edition of The Progress on Feb. 7, 1895 in the Keil Building (109 E. 1st St.). Subscriptions cost $1.00 per year payable in advance. Here’s some wit and wisdom from the columns of that first issue. "It is a puzzle to know how some men live. With no visible means of support they hang around the street corners from morning until late at night without doing a lick of work. If the secret is not patented, we would like to know what it is.." "It is reported that the latest novelty is an artificial pansy, worn on the coat lapel. You pull a string and the picture of your best girl is revealed.." "Don’t be discouraged. There are always kind and willing friends at hand to tell you how to do what they don’t know how to do themselves.." "No newspaper can do what is right and stand up for what is just and good without stepping on somebody’s toes. The toes are to blame for being where they can be stepped on.” Hanley apologized for the first edition saying, “We have been laboring under disadvantages the past week and cannot give our readers the paper we expected on the first issue, but we will soon be in good running order. As soon as we get properly arranged the Progress will be found to be one of the most interesting local papers in St. Clair County.”
O’Fallon has certainly given The Progress many interesting people and events to cover. Happy 105th Birthday!
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