The Clary Lake Clarion was first published during the summer of 1931 by Eugene Stuart Fergusson and Paul MacDonald. This is a page from the 1st issue.

Several people have commented on the name of the Clary Lake Association’s newsletter and wondered how we came up with it. This is the story.

Back in 1931 my father, Eugene Stuart Fergusson, and his friend Paul MacDonald ran a small local newspaper called the Clary Lake Clarion. My father who was 17 at the time was the Editor in Chief of the paper and for reasons known only to himself he used the pen name Evgenie Georgovich Novgorodski. Paul MacDonald, 2 years older than my father, was the Telegraph Editor, Paul’s sister Ruth was a reporter, and the young John Robert MacDonald was the paper delivery boy.

The paper was published Saturday night in an attic room in George and Ethel Fergusson’s house, using a typewriter and carbon paper, and it was delivered on Sunday morning by young John Robert on his bicycle. The paper sold for 6¢ a copy, the proceeds of which largely went to pay for a telephone in the office. Having  a telephone back in 1931 was a big deal. Continue reading →