In 1856, the New York Tribune called the Springfield (Mass.) Republican the "best and ablest country journal ever published on this continent." It was a tribute given as much to the paper's editor, Samuel Bowles III, as to the paper itself. Bowles, his father, and his son--all of whom carried the name Samuel Bowles--all had distinguished newspaper careers, but it was Samuel Bowles III who stood out. Building on the strong foundation his father had established in founding the Republican, Bowles pioneered many of the tenets of modern journalism--emphasis on local news; strong, concise writing; and, in later years, independence from party politics--and in doing so showed how a small town editor could wield national influence. It was hard work, rather than an abundance of education or wealth, that made him one of the nineteenth century's most prominent journalists.

One of Bowles's great strengths as an editor was the...