The Galveston County Daily News
Encyclopedia
The Daily News, formerly the Galveston County Daily News and Galveston Daily News, is a newspaper
published in Galveston
, Texas
, United States
. It was first published April 11, 1842, making it the oldest newspaper in the U.S. state
of Texas
. The newspaper founded The Dallas Morning News
on October 1, 1885 as a sister publication. It currently serves as the newspaper of record
for the City of Galveston as well as Galveston County.
, with Sam Houston
serving as president, and Galveston was its largest port and primary city. By 1843, Willard Richardson was named editor of the paper and in 1845 decided to purchase the growing publication. The News continued to grow and became a "major voice in the Republic of Texas
", and was one of the first papers in the US with a dedicated train
to manage its circulation in cities across the Republic and later the U.S. State of Texas.
During the Civil War, the Daily News was briefly published in Houston
, after Galveston was occupied by Union forces, but by 1866, it had returned to the Island city.
Alfred Horatio Belo
, joined the staff in 1865 and purchased the paper in 1875. By 1885, Belo saw the need for a strong independent publication in Dallas
, and sent staff there to establish a satellite publication, The Dallas Morning News
. In 1923, William Lewis Moody, Jr.
, a prominent banker and insurance man purchased the paper from A. H. Belo
. In 1963 the Moody Foundation
chose to sell the paper to William P. Hobby, Jr.
, owner of the Houston Post
. The Hobby's, who also owned the competing Galveston Tribune, chose to discontinue that publication and convert the Daily News into a daily evening publication. In June 1967 Galveston Newspapers Inc., purchased the paper and changed The News to daily morning format.
On Sunday November 7, 2004 The Daily News absorbed the Texas City Sun, a smaller sister publication that had been founded in 1912 and was based in Texas City, Texas
.
and the Texas Press Association in editorial writing, headline writing and general excellence, as well as breaking news articles.
-based media group, Southern Newspapers Inc.
It is Southern Newspapers' flagship publication and has a weekday circulation of 33,000.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was first published April 11, 1842, making it the oldest newspaper in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The newspaper founded The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
on October 1, 1885 as a sister publication. It currently serves as the newspaper of record
Newspaper of record
Newspaper of record is a term that may refer either to any publicly available newspaper that has been authorized by a government to publish public or legal notices , or any major newspaper that has a large circulation and whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered professional and...
for the City of Galveston as well as Galveston County.
History
On April 11, 1842, George H. French began publication of the "Daily News", as a single broadsheet paper. At the time, Texas was an independent RepublicRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, with Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
serving as president, and Galveston was its largest port and primary city. By 1843, Willard Richardson was named editor of the paper and in 1845 decided to purchase the growing publication. The News continued to grow and became a "major voice in the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
", and was one of the first papers in the US with a dedicated train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
to manage its circulation in cities across the Republic and later the U.S. State of Texas.
During the Civil War, the Daily News was briefly published in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, after Galveston was occupied by Union forces, but by 1866, it had returned to the Island city.
Alfred Horatio Belo
Alfred Horatio Belo
Alfred Horatio Belo was the founder of The Dallas Morning News newspaper in Dallas, Texas, along with business partner George Bannerman Dealey. The company A. H. Belo Corporation, owner of The Dallas Morning News, was named in his honor.-Early life:Belo was born in Salem, North Carolina in May 1839...
, joined the staff in 1865 and purchased the paper in 1875. By 1885, Belo saw the need for a strong independent publication in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and sent staff there to establish a satellite publication, The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
. In 1923, William Lewis Moody, Jr.
William Lewis Moody, Jr.
William Lewis Moody Jr. was an American financier and entrepreneur from Galveston, Texas, who founded a private bank, an insurance company, and one of the largest charitable foundations in the United States. Moody was active in the day-to-day operations of his companies until two days before his...
, a prominent banker and insurance man purchased the paper from A. H. Belo
Belo
Belo Corp. is a Dallas-based media company that owns 20 commercial broadcasting television stations and two regional 24-hour cable news television channels. The company was previously known as A.H. Belo Corp. after one of the early owners of the company, Alfred Horatio Belo, now the name of the...
. In 1963 the Moody Foundation
Moody Foundation
The Moody Foundation is a charitable foundation incorporated in Texas and based in the island city of Galveston. It was chartered in 1942 by William Lewis Moody, Jr...
chose to sell the paper to William P. Hobby, Jr.
William P. Hobby, Jr.
William Pettus “Bill” Hobby, Jr., is a Texas Democratic politician who served a record eighteen years as the 37th Lieutenant Governor...
, owner of the Houston Post
Houston Post
The Houston Post was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper was absorbed into the Houston Chronicle.-History:The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson...
. The Hobby's, who also owned the competing Galveston Tribune, chose to discontinue that publication and convert the Daily News into a daily evening publication. In June 1967 Galveston Newspapers Inc., purchased the paper and changed The News to daily morning format.
On Sunday November 7, 2004 The Daily News absorbed the Texas City Sun, a smaller sister publication that had been founded in 1912 and was based in Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Awards
The paper has repeatedly won first place awards from the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and the Texas Press Association in editorial writing, headline writing and general excellence, as well as breaking news articles.
Today
In November 2011 the News dropped the "Galveston County" moniker and returned to its original name, The Daily News. It is currently published by Galveston Newspapers Inc., and owned by the Carmage B. Walls family. The Walls also operate the Houston, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based media group, Southern Newspapers Inc.
Southern Newspapers Inc.
Southern Newspapers Inc. is a publishing holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company was founded originally as Southern Newspapers, Inc., of Tennessee in 1967 by B. Carmage Walls...
It is Southern Newspapers' flagship publication and has a weekday circulation of 33,000.