The history of the Iroquois Chieftain

The history of the Iroquois Chieftain can be traced back to 1858. The paper was published from a one-and-a-half story house on King Street East in the Village of Iroquois.

The Chieftain was the first newspaper to be published in the county. It was called he Iroquois Chief and its sole employee, William Johnston, was eventually lured away to work for The Globe.

Over the next quarter century the Chieftain would have several different owners and publishers. In 1882 the Chieftain left town relocating to the north west of Iroquois, but by 1888 it was back in business in Iroquois. The name changed in 1922 when J.A. Keeler created the Iroquois Post. In 1933 the Post was in the hands of the Morris family of Prescott owners of St. Lawrence Printing.

The Post was bought in 1962 by Ken Kirkby who had been working at the paper as a linotype operator. Mr. Kirkby owned and operated the paper until 1974. It was sold to a Mr. and Mrs. James Morrison. In 1982 Kirkby bought the paper back after it went bankrupt. The last issue of the Post was May 16, 1982. A little over a week later the first issue of the Iroquois Chieftain was published on June 9, 1982.

The Crawford family of Kemptville and owners of the Kemnptivlle Advance bought the Iroquois Chieftain in 1985. In 2001 the Iroquois Chieftain was sold to Fred Runge and then finally to Metroland in 2002.

Today, the Iroquois Chieftain continues to serve the Seaway and surrounding area with timely and current community news.

1. Head in the Clouds
   Up, up and away
2. EDITORIAL
   Jump in crime rate demands greater police presence
3. Couples choose new year to call it quits: Mediator
   Seasonal stresses create ‘trigger’
4. Transit strike hurts resource centre
   Demand increases for volunteer drivers
5. Crime rate rises 10.5 per cent
   Mischief, theft account for most offences: Ottawa police
6. ‘There’s space here in Kanata’
   Federal government looks at massive relocation of civil service outside of Greenbelt
7. ‘I’m a snowman fanatic’
   Couple win award for best decorated house in Briarbrook, Morgan’s Grant