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The Lancaster News celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2003. Here is a brief look at the paper’s 154-year history: First paper printed in 1852 Lancaster’s first newspaper, The Lancaster Ledger, forerunner of The Lancaster News, was started in 1852 by R.S. Bailey, who opened his business in a shop on the corner of Gay and Main streets. At the time, Lancaster had a population of 207. From one end of town to the other, the distance was exactly one mile. After a steady rain, Main Street became impassable and was dubbed “Mud Street” by local residents. Downtown contained nine dry good stores, two shoe shops, three grocery stores, a harness maker, two tailor shops and several blacksmiths – enough advertising revenue to support the weekly newspaper. The first subscriptions for The Lancaster Ledger were taken at the Old Salem Campground. Bailey’s seven-column, four-page paper contained a combination of news and advertising. Some of the early publications included poetry, short stories and humorous sayings. Also included was a list of people who had paid subscriptions, advertisements for blacksmiths and corn meal and notices for cattle owners, who wanted people to pay for beef they had bought.