New historic marker honors Indiana's first newspaper editor

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - A man who became Indiana's first newspaper editor in the early 19th century has been honored with a historic marker next to his southwestern Indiana grave.

The marker touting the 'œmemory and legacy'ť of Elihu Stout was unveiled earlier this month at Greenlawn Cemetery in Vincennes by members of the Francis Vigo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Stout was the printer of the first newspaper in what was then the Indiana Territory, the Vincennes Sun-Commercial reported.

The New Jersey native was 22 in 1804, when he arrived in Vincennes at the request of then-Gov. William Henry Harrison, who needed a printer for the Indiana Territory.

After setting up shop, Stout published the first issue of the Indiana Gazette in July 1804. The Indiana Gazette, which was published for 41 years, was the predecessor of the Vincennes Sun-Commercial.

Stout's original print shop is now located at the State Historic Sites in the historic Wabash River city, which is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Evansville.

Cynthia Fredrick, the Indiana DAR southern district director, said Stout's work with the Indiana Gazette 'œopened the world'ť to the new territory of Indiana.

Stout also printed the laws enacted to govern the new Louisiana Purchase lands.

Before that, he had been a journeyman printer with the Kentucky Gazette in Lexington, Kentucky.