The History of The Easley Progress

In 1902, a group of Easley businessmen formed “Easley Publishing Company” and founded The Easley Progress. The first issue was printed July 23, 1902.
There is no clear record of all involved in the venture, but we know that Maj. David F. Bradley was listed in the first issue as the publisher and J.T. Lathem was listed as the business manager.
Bradley was a one-armed Irishman who fought in the Civil War. He had previously founded The Pickens Sentinel in 1873, but he was no longer involved with that publication when The Progress was founded.
In an editorial that appeared in that first issue of The Progress, Bradley promised the newspaper would be a loyal servant to the community, covering the news as it happened. He promised The Progress would always be "a welcome visitor in your home."
In 1905, Lathem took over as publisher of The Progress and led the paper through a two-year period of tough financial times. Lathem was Mayor of Easley when he took the helms of The Progress.
In 1907, Charles T. Martin was hired to serve as publisher of the paper. Martin was a former mayor of Easley and had been involved a previous newspaper venture, The Easley Messenger (which eventually became The Easley Democrat). Martin bought The Progress from Easley Publishing Company in 1909. Legend has it that he bought it for $250 and a “long-eared mule.”
Martin was publisher of the paper for 20 years, selling it to W.D. Spearman in 1929. From there, The Progress changed hands several times until Julien Wyatt purchased the paper in 1939, providing stability.
A graduate of Easley High School, Wyatt had written history pieces for The Progress while in high school and college. He became a successful lawyer, businessman and generous benefactor. He quietly paid for college education for dozens of young men in Easley, never accepting public credit for this.
When Wyatt died in 1961, his family sold The Progress to Jack Ragsdale and Jesse Ross. Ragsdale and Ross owned the paper until 1981, when they sold it to Jerry Vickery and Carnis B. Davis. In 1991, Vickery bought out Davis’ interest in the newspaper. He and his wife Beverly were the sole owners of The Easley Progress until March, 2003, when Easley Publications purchased controlling interest in the newspaper.
On July 23, 2003 — 101 years to the date after the first edition of the Progress was published — The Easley Progress became a twice-weekly newspaper, with Wednesday and Friday editions.
Easley Publications sold the newspaper to Mid-South Publications in 2005, joining The Pickens Sentinel. In 2007, Heartland Publications purchased Mid-South Publications. Based in Clinton, Conn., Heartland now owns more than 50 paid publication weekly newspapers across the Southeast and in parts of Oklahoma and Ohio.
Ben Robinson, who started with the Easley Progress in 1984, serves as managing editor. Alex Saitta is the general manager.
The Progress remains dedicated to serving the people of Easley and the surrounding area. And the staff will always strive to produce a publication that is "a welcome visitor in your home."