 | Early Memphis Newspapers
- from Goodspeed The first paper established in Memphis was the Memphis Advocate, by Thomas Phoebus in January, 1827, the eleventh number appearing March 27 of that year. The Advocate was published several years as a weekly, as was also the Times, both of which papers were consolidated and named the Times and Advocate, this name being afterward changed to the Gazette, with O. P. Gaines, editor. After the Gazette came the Memphis Enquirer, Vol. III, No. 295, appearing December 13, 1849. The Daily Express was started in 1850, No. 176 of Vol. I appearing September 11 of that year, published by J. C. Klinck & Son. The Western World was published by Solon Borland, afterward for many years the United States senator from Arkansas. The full name of this paper was the Western World and Memphis Banner of the Constitution. In 1840 the paper was purchased by Col. Henry Van Pelt and its name changed to the Appeal, the first number of which appeared April 21, 1841, and was dressed in mourning on account of the distinguished President of the United States, William Henry Harrison. John R. McClanahan was associated with Col. Van Pelt until 1851, when the colonel died, and William Hutton became a partner and remained until 1857, when his interest was sold to McClanahan and Leon Trousdale, the latter gentleman having become a partner in 1854. |
Mr. Trousdale sold his interest in 1859 to W. F. Dill, when the firm became McClanahan & Dill. This firm erected the Appeal building on Union Street, where the paper was published when the Union Army entered the city, June 6, 1862. Early that morning the press and material were started south to Jackson, Miss., where the paper was published until the spring of 1863, when; as Gen. Grant's forces entered West Jackson, the last of the Appeal's material was crossing Pearl River. The wagon carrying part of it being too heavily loaded, the proof press was thrown into the river, whence it was recovered in a few days. From Jackson the paper was carried to Atlanta, where it was published until the early spring of 1865, when it was again forced to move on by the victorious forces of the Union Army. It was finally overtaken by Gen. Wilson at Columbus, Ga., April 16, 1865, when the material was destroyed and Mr. Dill, then with the office, put under bond not to publish the paper again during the war. After the close of the war McClanahan and Dill returned to Memphis, the former during the summer of 1865 falling from the Gayoso House and being killed. The publication of the Appeal was resumed November 5, 1865, by W. F. Dill, and J. H. McMahon soon became connected with it. Mr. Dill dying shortly afterward his widow continued its publication until February 1, 1867, when it became the property of J. S. C. Hogan & ,Co., composed of J. S. C. Hogan, Albert Pike and John Ainslie.
After the lapse of about two years Ainslie, Keating & Co. became the proprietors, and then Keating, English & Co., which firm published the paper until December, 1870, when it was sold at chancery sale to the Appeal Publishing Company, by whom it was published until January, 1876, when it passed to Gallaway (M. C.) & Keating (J. M.). Both the daily and weekly Appeal circulate largely in West Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. It has always been a Democratic paper, and in the bitter contests of party it has been thoroughly identified with the majority of the people among whom it has circulated, that majority having usually been Democratic.
The Morning Bulletin was founded by J. H. McMahon in the fall of 1855, the publishers being H. D. Bulkley and John Hitchler, and was continued under the same management until May, 1861. In politics it was a conservative Whig, not advocating in 1856 the election of any particular candidate. In 1860 it advocated the election of John Bell to the Presidency, and Edward Everett to the Vice-Presidency. In May, 1861, the Bulletin was purchased by P. B. Wills & Co. (J. B. Bingham) and by them published until the Federal occupation of the city in 1862, when Mr. Wills withdrew, Mr. Bingham continuing the publication until after the war. Mr. Wills soon afterward resumed his interest and the two published it for several years before it was suspended. The Memphis Sun, by W. A. McCloy & Co., succeeded the Bulletin for a few years.
The Commercial was started late in the war by J. M. Keating and associates, and the Argus by Priddy & Brower. Both were consolidated under the name of the Commercial and Argus. After being published a few years it was suspended. J. R. Bingham published the Daily Herald during 1877-79.
The Memphis Daily Avalanche was started in 1858 by M. C. Gallaway, who remained with the paper until the breaking out of the war' when the paper was suspended. After the suppression of the Rebellion the Avalanche was resumed, Mr. Gallaway remaining with it until 1872 or 1873, when he sold out to Col. J. R. Kellar. He, in 1876, formed a partnership with R. A. Thompson, the latter being business manager, and the former, editor. In 1878 Mr. Thompson died of yellow fever, and in 1880 a stock company was formed, Mr. Kellar retiring. During the latter part of the Kellar and Thompson proprietorship, D. A Brower, now of the Little Rock Gazette, was editor, and was succeeded in 1879 by F. S. Nichols, who upon his death in 1884 was succeeded by H. M. Doak, who retained his editorship until December, 1886, when he was succeeded by A. B. Pickett, late city editor of the Memphis Appeal. In politics the Avalanche is mildly Democratic, and is an excellent newspaper.
The Public Ledger was started September 1, 1865, by E. and W. Whitmore under the firm name of Whitmore Bros., and named after the Philadelphia Public Ledger, Mr. William Whitmore having then recently paid a visit to Philadelphia and been highly pleased with the office of that paper. The Memphis Public Ledger was the outgrowth of a job printing office established in 1856, by William Whitmore & Co., and was established after the war, upon the return of E. Whitmore from the Confederate Army, as an afternoon paper. It is now the oldest afternoon paper in the Southern States that has been continuously published. The first editor was F. Y. Rockett, an experienced journalist before the war. He was succeeded by Col. J. J. Du Bose in 1868, who held the position two or three years, and was succeeded in 1872 by the present editor, J. Harvey Mathes, who had been city editor two or three years. In 1870 E. Whitmore became sole proprietor, and so remained until May, 1886, when, retaining the job printing office, he sold the Ledger to J. Harvey Mathes and W. L. Trask, -Mr. Trask having been engaged on the paper eight years as commercial and city editor. The weekly edition of the Ledger has been published since 1869. The Ledger has always been conservatively Democratic. The policy of the paper is expressed in the following extract from its columns of August, 1886: " It is our aim to treat all men, of whatever creed, color or politics, fairly, justly and courteously. The gospel of tolerance and honest difference of opinion in regard to affairs of state, society, morals and government, is destined to be the secular gospel of the near future."
The Southern Post-Journal is a consolidation of two papers, the Memphis Journal and the Memphis Post. The Journal was started in 1875 by Charles Weidt and conducted by him until 1878 when, on account of the yellow fever, he left the city, returning, however, after the epidemic had spent its force, and in the fall he sold the paper to J. B. Huehlefeld. In 1880 the Post was started by a stock company with Carl Koch manager, in opposition to the Journal and was run about nine months when it was purchased by Zimmerman & Bro., who in 1882 purchased the Journal, consolidated the two and changed the name to the Southern Post-Journal. Since 1883 Louis G. Fritz has been editor of this paper. It is a weekly, nine-column folio, is published in the German language and is devoted to the interests of the Germans of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.
The Union Triangle was started in 1884 by August Hitzfeld as the Universal Triangle, for the purpose of advocating the cause of the Universal Brotherhood. It remained true to the interests of that order until the establishment of the Uolumbic Union, which was incorporated June 21, 1886, under the laws of Ohio, the incorporators being Thomas J. Harcourt, Samuel B. Lowenstein, Julius Kahn, Edward J. McBride and Sarah Durward.
The purpose of this incorporation is benevolence toward the members thereof and their families. The officers of the society are superior president, A. Hitzfeld, Memphis ; superior vice-president, Mrs. Sarah Durward, New Orleans; superior secretary, T. J. Harcourt, Cincinnati, Ohio; superior treasurer, E. J. McBride, St. Louis, Mo. By the first anniversary of its existence its present membership of 1,000 is confidently expected to be 2,000, when a $2,000 insurance policy will be worth its face. The Union Triangle is issued monthly and has a circulation of 5,000.
The Memphis Sunday Times was first issued on the first Sunday in December, 1884, by Walker Kennedy and O. P. Bard, is a seven-column folio, and was devoted to local, social and literary matters. In August, 1885, C. L. Pullen bought the interest of Mr. Bard, since when the Times has been conducted by Kennedy & Pullen, the former gentleman being the editor and the latter, business manager. The form of the paper was changed in September, 1885, to a six-column quarto, and its scope enlarged at the same time by adding Talmage's sermons and a continued story. In March, 1886, the paper was again enlarged to a seven-column quarto. On November 8, 1886, the office was transferred from No. 15 Union Street to the rooms formerly occupied by the Young Men's Christian Association in Odd Fellows' building on the corner of Main and North Court Streets. About the 1st of January 1886, the proprietors commenced illustrating the Times by the photo-engraving process, and it now is a handsomely illustrated home paper.
The Memphis Daily Scimitar was started January 15, 1882, by G. P. M. Turner, as the Memphis Monday Morning Scimitar. It was a nine-column folio and its office was at 65 Adams Street. The Daily Scimitar was started September 11, 1883, and named the Memphis Evening Scimitar. At this time the office was moved to 15 Jefferson Street where it still remains. The editor, Mr. Turner, was assisted by Miss Hattie A. Paul, who had full charge of the business department until the sale of the paper on January 3, 1887, to S. P. Barinds and his associates, with N. Picard in editorial charge, Mr. Barinds himself assuming the business management. The city editor under the new regime is H. P. Richetts. The Monday Morning Scimitar is still published as a weekly paper, and has a circulation of nearly 3,400, while the evening Scimitar has a circulation of about 3,000. In connection with this paper is an excellent job printing office fully equipped with the most improved printing machinery, including a two-revolution Campbell press. The Scimitar has always been the consistent champion of the labor cause, and is very popular with the industrial classes, but it is not in any sense the advocate of anarchy or socialism.
The Southern Record was started in July, 1885, by H. P. Hanson and M. F. Blalack, as a weekly workingmen's paper. At first it was named the Memphis Weekly Record, and was a six-column folio. Its publication commenced on Jefferson Street, between Main and Second Streets. It moved to 295 Second Street in March, 1886, and was sold August 21, 1886, to J. P. Hanson and C. E. Gebhardt, who now conduct it at 20 Jefferson Street. They enlarged the paper to a six-column quarto and placed the editorial department in charge of T. E. Hanson. The circulation of the Record is about 4,000, the subscription price being $1 per year.
Source: Goodspeed's History of Shelby County, Tennessee