The First Stake East of Colorado, 1934
Time Magazine, then a relatively young 11 years old, told its readers in mid December of 1934 about the organizing meeting of the New York Stake on December 9th. Presided over by ‘stubble-bearded’ Church President Heber Jedediah Grant, the meeting included his first counselor, ‘pudding-jowled’ Joshua Reuben Clark Jr., ‘rangy’ Presiding Bishop Sylvester Q. Cannon, and Eastern States Mission President Don Byron Colton in addition to local members led by the new Stake President Fred G. Taylor.
Time seemed to find the process of sustaining the creation of the stake and the sustaining of its officers unusual, given its prominent position in the coverage. The magazine also explained the concept and etymology of a stake, and what the administrative change meant for local members:
Before it gained its present 2,000 followers, New York Mormonism was guided by one of the many missions which operate throughout the world. Henceforth the faithful saints of Metropolitan New York will worship under President Fred Taylor and the bishops of four wards (parishes)—Manhattan, Queens, East Orange (N. J.) and Brooklyn.
After pointing out from just 1,300 members outside of Utah 50 years earlier the Church now had some 100,000 members there, President Grant also said he felt the newspapers then treated the Church fairly:
He spoke of his troubles as a missionary in England, where he could not get a word in the newspapers to refute the abuse heaped on his faith. “Today,” said he, “we are treated splendidly.”
http://wiki.nycldshistory.com/w/1934_12_17_Time-Stake_of_Zion