MOUNT CARMEL - The News-Item can lay claim to being one of Mount Carmel's longest-surviving and most enduring institutions.
Mount Carmel celebrates its 150th anniversary as a borough this year. The News-Item's roots in Mount Carmel go back almost that long - 124 years - with the establishment of the Mount Carmel Item, on Jan. 7, 1888. The News-Item itself came into existence as a merger of the Mount Carmel Item and Shamokin News-Dispatch on Oct. 1, 1968.
The Jan. 7, 1963, edition of the Item celebrated the 75th anniversary of the newspaper and provided a detailed history of the company. The Item, which began as a weekly, was established by L.W. Gheen. It was first located at Third and Maple streets, later the site of the Victoria Theater.
In December 1889, William B. Wilson took control of the Mount Carmel Item. The paper was transformed from a free distribution publication to a subscription paper and in July 1896, it increased publication two days a week.
On Feb. 1, 1897, the newspaper was sold to the Item Publishing Company, which was largely controlled for the next 6 1/2 decades by the Kemble family. Penn Kemble was editor, and his brother, Edward Kemble, business manager when the Item Company took control of the newspaper in 1897. Their father. Isaac Kemble, was president of the company until his death in 1909. He was succeeded as president by Edward Kemble, who died in 1922, and then by Penn Kemble. Penn Kemble served the newspaper in one capacity or other for 61 years until his death in 1957.
The Mount Carmel News, which ceased operation in 1930, was the Item's hometown competitor during the first third of the 20th Century.
Over the years, the Mount Carmel Item was published at four locations: Third and Maple; the second floor of the former post office building at Fourth and Oak streets where the Woolworth store and, most recently, Rite Aid, were located; the northwest corner of East Fourth and Apple streets, and, lastly, the Item building on West Fourth Street, still standing, which was constructed in 1922.
At the time of the Item's 75th anniversary in 1963, Leroy R. Sharer was president and general manager, and Ira Roadarmel was editor. After Kemble's death and prior to the appointment of Sharer, Dr. Robert P. Kemble and Arthur D. Heil served, successively, as president and general manager.
In 1964, the News Publishing and Printing Company, publisher of the Shamokin News-Dispatch, purchased the Item Publishing Company. The News Publishing Company published the Mount Carmel Item as a separate newspaper until October 1968, when the Mount Carmel and Shamokin dailies merged to form one regional newspaper.
Banners, banquet
- As part of the 150th anniversary celebration, residents are reminded they can still order banners honoring military veterans from the community. The banners will hang from street light poles on Oak Street and parts of Market and Third streets, and maybe on the Avenue. Banners will include the name and rank of the veteran and either the war in which they served or the branch of service with which they served.
Call 339-2471 or pick up an application at Academy Sports Center, 18 S. Oak St.
- Also, tickets are available for a banquet, the first official event of the anniversary celebration, 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at the American Legion, Avenue and Maple Street. A live band, RATL, will perform, and attendees will enjoy a buffet-style meal and drinks. Admission is $30 per person or $50 per couple. Tickets are available at Academy or by calling Mayor J. Kevin Jones at 339-2471 or Ricky Schnee at 339-2856.