After Mr. Curtiss died, his brother Chester F. Curtiss continued to publish it until October 18, 1946, when John F. McGuire of Chicago purchased the paper. Chester Curtiss had been associated with his brother for over fifty years, although George remained sole owner. McGuire discontinued publication of The El Paso Journal November 16, 1950, and its life span of eighty-five years ended.

The El Paso Advertiser was established October 31, 1940, by Walter L. Bailey, who had long previous experience in the composing room of the Journal. For a time he printed his newspaper in Normal, but since the spring of 1942 both offices and pressroom have been located at 26 N. Elm Street. The paper has grown in circulation until it now boasts the largest any El Paso paper has ever had, almost 1,100 copies.

Two other papers made appearances in El Paso, The Times being published for a time in the 1890's by M. T. Hyer, and the El Paso Press, edited by Edwin Beard, was briefly printed in the same period about where Ted's Grocery is now located.

INDUSTRIES: Details about early businesses are meager in most instances, but available items reveal that there was rapid development through the 1860's. An artist's drawing made in 1869 locates sixteen major industries, one of which has been altered, another moved to a new location, and others have disappeared from the scene.

The feed mill of the El Paso Elevator, successor to the Fridley Elevator Co. is the only one still on the original site, although the building was rebuilt following the fire of May 1, 1890. George L. Gibson and his brother Cyrus established a lumber yard very early in the town's history in the block between Chestnut and Pine just south of the T. P. & W. tracks. Their business was purchased in 1868 by A. S. McKinney of Elmwood and James Hotchkiss of Peoria. McKinney bought out his partner, and in 1890 also purchased a competing lumber yard owned by Lee S. and Guy Straight over on the east Y. Mr. A. S. McKinney then moved the entire yard to the present location of the Kent Lumber Company, where he and his son John R. McKinney operated it. A. S. McKinney, also president of the First National Bank died on June 18, 1921, and on January 15, 1944, his son retired after selling to the present owners, the Kent Lumber Company, managed by K. A. LaRochelle. In 1952 and 1953 they completely rebuilt the lumber sheds. Since the Gibson brothers established this firm in 1858 or 1859, it is the oldest business in El Paso in the point of continuous operation.

Mitchell, Harper & Co. operated a plow and wagon factory, as well as an iron foundry, south of the T. P. & W. between Elm and Sycamore Streets. The Widman riding cultivator was a product of this company, which began business before 1863. They also manufactured the El Paso Corn Dodger cultivator. Mr. Harper later invented a fly trap, a box of screen wire with a wire funnel pointing upward through the

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