Runyan - Riley T. - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: H.W. Beckwith History (Chicago: HH Hill, 1881)

Riley T. Runyan, editor and publisher, Waynetown "Banner", was born at Mount Healthy, Hamilton County, Ohio, March 4, 1849, and at the age of five years came to this County with his parents, Johnathan and Sarah (SMITH) Runyan, and settled at Alamo, where he died in 1855, leaving two sons, Isaac and Riley. In June, 1865, young Riley went into the office of the Crawfordsville "Journal", where he learned the art preservative. From here he went into the "Courier" office, at Lafayette, from here returning to Crawfordsville, then to Louisville, Kentucky; then to Cincinnati, when he returned to Indiana, going into the "Pioneer" office as business manager. June 1, 1873, he began business for himself as editor of the Clay County "Enterprise", at Kentsville, where he was burned out during the Minors' riot in the fall of the same year. He was then obliged to return to the case, and in the campaign of 1876 went to Xenia, Ohio, where he published a republican campaign daily. He then returned again to this state and purchased half interest in the Colfax "Chronicle", and in five months purchased the entire paper. While here he began the publication of the Thorntown "Leader", and selling out he went to Kansas, expecting to start a paper there, but he returned and began the publication of the Waynetown "Democrat", in spring of 1879, which had suspended some time before. Soon after he changed the name to the "Banner", which he still publishes, December 15, 1879, he was married to Catherine COLCLAZIER, They have one child, Alton, born November 14, 1880.