Overview

The first iteration of the Detroit Times was an antislavery bulletin only printed from May - November, 1842 by Warren Isham.

The second iteration began in November 1854. Published by G.S. Conklin and E.T. Sherlock, with John N. Ingersoll as editor. The paper was purchased in November 1854 by Ingersoll and Tenny, and sold again in December, 1855, to an association of journeyman printers, who published the paper until the spring of 1856.

The third iteration established in April, 1881 was more than likely discontinued before the end of 1881 after being bought by "The Sunday Herald".

Fourth Iteration

The fourth version, a daily and Sunday, was printed from December 4, 1883-February 26, 1885 at 47 West Larned Street and was run by a stock company. The paper's managers were Charles Moore, Charles M. Parker, D. J. McDonald and Frank E. Robinson. A fire on the morning of April 11, 1884 completely destroyed the printing plant. With the assistance of the other Detroit printing establishments, the edition was printed without interruption. Lloyd Breeze purchased the paper November 22, 1884; the paper was suspended soon after on February 26, 1885.

Five years later, James E. Scripps

James E. Scripps

James Edmund Scripps was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.Scripps was born in 1835 in London to James Mogg Scripps and Ellen Mary Scripps. His father was a bookbinder who came to America in 1844 with six motherless children. Scripps grew up on a Rushville, Illinois, farm...

owner of the Detroit News set out to prove a point. He started the fifth version of the Detroit Times and sold it for a penny a copy. After printing it for 18 months and proving he could make a profit selling a newspaper for a penny, Scripps absorbed the Times into the Detroit News.

The sixth and final version (to date) of the Detroit Times was published as an evening paper from 1900 until November 1960. The Times was brought back to life by James Schermerhorn October 1, 1900 as Detroit Today but quickly changed its name to the Evening Times. The paper was purchased, after the property having been placed in the hands of a receiver, by William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...

in the later part of 1921. At the time Hearst purchased the paper it was located at 131 Bagley Street; Hearst wasted no time working out plans for a new state of the art printing plant. After the purchase of the paper by Hearst the Times became the fastest growing paper in the city. Hearst dispathched famed editor Arthur Brisbane to Detroit to kick start the Times. With the backing of the Hearst Newspapers the paper rivaled the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...

in the great Detroit newspaper war. The Detroit Times hit its highest circulation in 1951 with an average daily high of 438,757 papers sold. The circulation numbers slipped to and average of about 400,000 papers sold daily in 1960. In November 1960 after losing ground to Detroit's other two dailys Hearst sold the Times to The Evening News Association owner of the rival Detroit News. The last edition of the Detroit Times was printed November 6, 1960. The area where the Detroit Times printing plant was located is now called Times Square

Times Square (Detroit)

Times Square is a two-block long street in downtown Detroit, Michigan, originally named for the Detroit Times newspaper, whose building once stood on the street by the square...

.

The Detroit Times should not be confused with the Detroit Metro Times, which is what the Metro Times

Metro Times

The Metro Times is the largest circulating weekly newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed free of charge every Wednesday in newsstands in businesses and libraries around the city and suburbs...

used to be called.