Chamber Member Spotlight: The Forest-Blade

The Forest-Blade dates back to 1861 and was founded by Alfred Herrington, W.W. Larsen, and Seaborn Bell. The modern-day newspaper has eight employees and gets its name from the consolidation of The Pine Forest and The Wiregrass Blade in 1903.

In the early spring of 1903, Herrington, editor of The Pine Forest, sold his interest in the newspaper to Larsen and Bell. Larsen was named editor, and Bell was listed as business manager.

A second newspaper was in existence in Swainsboro at the time. The Wiregrass Blade, established in 1898, was edited by George H. Bell. The Forest and The Blade continued to compete until May 11 when it was announced that Larsen and Seaborn Bell of The Forest had purchased The Blade. In doing so, they stated they would continue to publish both newspapers. This practice was continued with Ernest Camp, who had been an employee of Bell and Larsen, serving as editor of The Blade.

On September 25, 1903, the purchase of the two newspapers was announced by W.E. Boatright, who had served as superintendent of the printing departments of the newspapers, and by S.J. Tyson. In the following week’s issue, Larsen confirmed the sale. The lives of The Blade and The Forest, as the newspapers were affectionately called, were short-lived under the guidance of Tyson and Boatright. On October 29 of that year, they combined the newspapers into one, naming it The Forest-Blade, and it continues to serve the great community of Emanuel County to this day.

The Forest-Blade is a community newspaper providing news, sports, events, social announcements, obituaries, classifieds, features, and updates on education, crime, and government, serving Emanuel County since 1861. Additionally, The Blade provides special editions throughout the year and serves as the legal organ of Emanuel County. Its values are honesty, integrity, and community with its goal being to serve the community by providing news and highlighting the people, places, businesses, and events that make Emanuel County great.

The Forest-Blade is a big supporter of area civic clubs, athletic programs, and schools. The paper recently began the process of setting up scholarships for outstanding seniors in the school system. The Blade also supports East Georgia State College and Southeastern Technical College through donations. An interesting fact about The Forest-Blade is that the staff is all-female with the exception of a part-time carrier and a couple of feature writers. The Forest-Blade is a chamber member because it supports working with the community for the betterment of Emanuel County. A growing and prosperous business community not only provides more opportunities for all people, but it ensures the passing on of a valuable legacy to the generations that come next.

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Location

416 W. Moring Street

Swainsboro, GA 30401

Hours of Operation

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phone Number

478-237-9971

Website

www.emanuelcountylive.com

Social Media

Facebook — Emanuel County Live

Instagram — @emanuelcountylive YouTube — The Forest-Blade