Chicago Inter Ocean
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Inter Ocean, also known as the Chicago Inter-Ocean, is the name used for most of its history for a newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, from 1865 until 1914. Its editors included Charles A. Dana.
. Jacob Bunn, a prominent Illinois financier and industrialist, was the principal founder, and at one time the sole owner, of the Chicago Republican Company, and cooperated with several other Illinois financiers to establish the newspaper company in 1865. After enjoying both economic success and the chaotic blow of the 1871 Chicago Fire, the Republican was relaunched in 1872 as the Chicago-based Inter Ocean, a newspaper intended to appeal to an upscale readership.
With the building of transcontinental railroad
s, it was possible to deliver weekly newspapers by mail
throughout the central and western U.S. The Inter Ocean developed a weekly edition that was intended to become a definitive source of news for businesspeople throughout the American West, and in fact fulfilled that role for several decades.
The growth of linotype
newspapers printed on inexpensive newsprint
in the 1890s led to another upheaval in the newspaper industry. Many non-Chicago subscribers to the Inter Ocean no longer needed the weekly paper and dropped their subscriptions.
The weakened paper fell in 1895 into the hands of Charles Yerkes
, the notorious Chicago streetcar boss, who returned the newspaper to the partisan, subordinate role it had fulfilled in its youth. George Wheeler Hinman bought the paper in 1901 and sold it to H. H. Kohlsaat
in 1912. It closed in 1914.
After the Inter Ocean ceased publication, the Inter Ocean Newspaper Company continued for several years as a firm in liquidation. While in this status the dying newspaper firm had the melancholy pleasure of winning a lawsuit before the United States Supreme Court, Caliga v. Inter Ocean (215 U.S. 182). The defunct newspaper was exonerated from the charge of having infringed upon the copyright of a painting used by the paper as an illustration
.
History
The history of the Inter Ocean can be traced back to 1865 with the founding of the Chicago Republican, a partisan newspaper that supported the Republican partyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Jacob Bunn, a prominent Illinois financier and industrialist, was the principal founder, and at one time the sole owner, of the Chicago Republican Company, and cooperated with several other Illinois financiers to establish the newspaper company in 1865. After enjoying both economic success and the chaotic blow of the 1871 Chicago Fire, the Republican was relaunched in 1872 as the Chicago-based Inter Ocean, a newspaper intended to appeal to an upscale readership.
With the building of transcontinental railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
s, it was possible to deliver weekly newspapers by mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
throughout the central and western U.S. The Inter Ocean developed a weekly edition that was intended to become a definitive source of news for businesspeople throughout the American West, and in fact fulfilled that role for several decades.
The growth of linotype
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
newspapers printed on inexpensive newsprint
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
in the 1890s led to another upheaval in the newspaper industry. Many non-Chicago subscribers to the Inter Ocean no longer needed the weekly paper and dropped their subscriptions.
The weakened paper fell in 1895 into the hands of Charles Yerkes
Charles Yerkes
Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...
, the notorious Chicago streetcar boss, who returned the newspaper to the partisan, subordinate role it had fulfilled in its youth. George Wheeler Hinman bought the paper in 1901 and sold it to H. H. Kohlsaat
H. H. Kohlsaat
Herman Henry Kohlsaat was an American businessman and publisher.-Biography:...
in 1912. It closed in 1914.
After the Inter Ocean ceased publication, the Inter Ocean Newspaper Company continued for several years as a firm in liquidation. While in this status the dying newspaper firm had the melancholy pleasure of winning a lawsuit before the United States Supreme Court, Caliga v. Inter Ocean (215 U.S. 182). The defunct newspaper was exonerated from the charge of having infringed upon the copyright of a painting used by the paper as an illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
.