The Free Press

The Free Press is an American, English language daily newspaper published in Mankato, Minnesota. History On April 4, 1887, Editor L.P. Hunt published the first issue of the Mankato Daily Free Press and found it was not easy. In an apology to his readers, Hunt wrote "The labor incident to getting out the initial number of a daily paper is vastly more trying than people not familiar with newspaper work and worry are aware of or can be devised of. The fact, therefore, that today's Daily Free Press is decidedly short on telegraphic, as well as some other matter, is no exception to the perplexities experienced by newspaper men and we feel sure the public will bear with us a day or two until the 'mercheen' is fairly oiled and put in good running order." Since that time, the 'mercheen' hasn't skipped a beat publishing more than 100 years serving the Mankato region. The seminal publication actually was the Independent which began in 1857. Six years later, it was bought by Charles Slocum and named the Mankato Union. Then in 1880 the Union and its rival Mankato paper, the Record, merged and became the Mankato Weekly Free Press. It ran as a weekly until 1887, when it became a daily. It began as a conservative Republican newspaper remaining that way until modern days. The word "Daily" was dropped from its name in 1940 and 30 years later, "Mankato" was dropped.