The Bee [LCCN: 87060004], a semi-weekly Republican newspaper, served the mining town of Earlington, Kentucky for nearly 50 years. Editor Thomas N. Black developed The Bee from the earlier Earlington Tyro in 1889. At the time of The Bee's creation, Earlington was only 19 years old, but the paper promoted a bustling image of Earlington's development, printing a masthead which read "By Industry We Thrive." Appropriately so, The Bee achieved renowned success; in 1903 the Journal of Newspaper Publishing and Advertising recognized The Bee's success as an advertising medium which contributed to the prosperity of Earlington.
Coal mining, the leading industry in Hopkins County that brought success to Earlington, was also the main subject of the city's news. The Bee's content centered on industry and was often dominated by reports on mining with "Mining Notes" and "Down in the Mines". Mining companies like St. Bernard Coal Company, one of the driving forces behind the founding of Earlington, often bought advertising space in the paper. Railroads, essential to the transportation of mined goods, were also newsworthy with the weekly column "Locomotive Blasts" and they regularly advertised reduced rates to towns such as Louisville, Nashville, and New Orleans.
Also advertising in The Bee was successful insurance agent Paul M. Moore of the Earlington Equitable Life Assurance Society. Moore began his career selling insurance but would go on to serve as Vice President of the Kentucky State Insurance Federation and the Kentucky Association of Local Fire Agents, and the president of the Hopkins County Public Health and Welfare League. Moore was so accomplished as a businessman that by the next time his name was regularly appearing in The Bee during late 1890s, it was as editor of the paper. His achievements as a journalist were commendable; in 1903 he was elected as the 19th President of the Kentucky Press Association.
The Bee prospered with Moore at the helm. Under his leadership the paper expanded from a weekly to a semi-weekly, covering all aspects of Earlington life including education, agriculture, and politics. Supplements to the paper were printed occasionally and often highlighted events and news deserving of extra coverage. After the assassination of Kentucky governor William Goebel in 1900, The Bee to a more political turn by supplementing its October and November issues of that year with political commentary and reports on the upcoming election. By 1910, The Bee was chronicling Earlington's history in the column "Looking Backward," which highlighted news from issues printed 17 years ago prior.
In addition to Moore, several other businessmen contributed to The Bee. Thomas N. Black, the paper's first editor in 1889, was joined by associate editor Walter Ray Platt in April of 1892 and the two worked together until Moore took control of The Bee in the late 1890s. He was assisted by associate editor and business manager James E. Fawcett from 1902 until 1907, and then again from 1910 until the paper changed hands to become the Earlington News [LCCN: 87060005]. After nearly 50 years of reporting, The Bee ceased publication and in 1938 the business of journalism in Earlington, Kentucky was passed on to the newly formed Earlington News.
