Mountain Herald

Mountain Herald had begun publication in 1899, or at least, soon after class work had begun at the then recently established Lincoln Memorial University. This magazine was originally created “to develop Lincoln memorial University and foster other interests of the Mountaineers of the Southern States.” Issued monthly with a yearly subscription price of $1, this magazine was printed by the students of Lincoln Memorial University in the large basement of Grant-Lee Hall. This practice continued until the fire of 1909 in which Grant-Lee was damaged, and all of the equipment located within its basement was destroyed. Alongside the printing equipment, it is believed that all stored files of the Mountain Herald and most of the University records until that time were also destroyed in the fire. By the time printing of the Mountain Herald resumed in late 1909, only a handful of Mountain Herald magazines printed prior to the 1909 fire were recovered in addition to various Mountain Herald school catalogs

For a period of time after printing resumed, the magazine not only featured various changes to its formatting but also to its mission. For example, at one point, the intent of the magazine was slightly changed to, “to develop Lincoln Memorial University and to foster the educational needs of the mountain people of the Central South.” With occasional missing issues and with perhaps one or two being printed in a different format, publication of this magazine continued until 1933 when it had to be halted due to financial difficulties. It wasn’t until October 1937 that publication of the Mountain Herald was restarted once again.

However, by 1938, the Mountain Herald had already begun undergoing several other substantial changes. The publication was now being printed quarterly and when its February 1938, Vol. 40, No. 2 publication was issued, it was done so under the new name of “Lincoln Herald.” This had been done to ensure that the magazine aligned more with Lincoln Memorial University’s traditions as a memorial to Abraham Lincoln. With this change, the magazine became one of “Education and Lincolniana” with the purpose of being “devoted to the interests of Lincoln Memorial University and the promotion of Lincoln Ideas in the education of American youth.” Prior to 1938, this magazine could not have been classified as one dedicated solely to the study of Lincolniana, although Abraham Lincoln content appeared within it from time to time.

See Lincoln Herald.