The Victoria Advocate
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Advocate is a daily newspaper independently published in Victoria, Texas
. It is the second oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the Colorado River
, dating back to May 8, 1846, following the Battle of Palo Alto
during the Mexican War. The paper serves the communities of the Victoria metropolitan area
, and currently runs a Sunday circulation of 33,368 issues.
, as a weekly publication named the Texan Advocate. The two men had previously founded the Frontier Whig two years earlier, and like the Whig, the Advocate was associated with the Whig Party
during its initial stages. Famed journalist John Henry Brown
was briefly employed as an editor for the paper in its first year. After the publication was renamed the Texian
Advocate, ownership changed hands several times during the 1850s. In 1859, it was bought by Sam Addison White, who renamed the paper The Victoria Advocate and aligned it with the Democratic Party
. Although the paper's ownership frequently changed in the next century, it remained supportive of the Democratic Party. As the city of Victoria grew in the latter part of the 19th Century, the paper acted as a medium for citizens to voice their concerns for the changes. Under pressure, a daily format was released in 1897 by publisher James McDonald. He sold the paper to George Henry French in 1901, who remained for the next forty years. During that time, the paper prospered, increasing its size to about six to eight pages on average, and the circulation to 2,200 by 1942. In the next 25 years, the circulation grew to 20,000 with about 20 to 40 pages per day. The paper shed its Democratic label in 1980 after it was purchased by John M. Roberts, who recast the paper as politically Independent.
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
. It is the second oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
, dating back to May 8, 1846, following the Battle of Palo Alto
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas...
during the Mexican War. The paper serves the communities of the Victoria metropolitan area
Victoria metropolitan area
The Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in the Coastal Bend region of Texas, anchored by the city of Victoria. The area is sometimes referred to as the Golden Crescent Region, though this term is sometimes...
, and currently runs a Sunday circulation of 33,368 issues.
History
The paper was founded in 1846 by publishers John D. Logan and Thomas Sterne of Van Buren, ArkansasVan Buren, Arkansas
Van Buren is the second largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40 - Interstate 540 junction...
, as a weekly publication named the Texan Advocate. The two men had previously founded the Frontier Whig two years earlier, and like the Whig, the Advocate was associated with the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
during its initial stages. Famed journalist John Henry Brown
John Henry Brown
John Henry Brown was an American historian, journalist, author, military leader, and a politician who served as a state legislator and as mayor of both Dallas and Galveston, Texas. Brown was among the first to publish scholarly histories of the state of Texas and the city of Dallas...
was briefly employed as an editor for the paper in its first year. After the publication was renamed the Texian
Texian
Texian is an archaic, mostly defunct 19th century demonym which defined a settler of current-day Texas, one of the southern states of the United States of America which borders the country of Mexico...
Advocate, ownership changed hands several times during the 1850s. In 1859, it was bought by Sam Addison White, who renamed the paper The Victoria Advocate and aligned it with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Although the paper's ownership frequently changed in the next century, it remained supportive of the Democratic Party. As the city of Victoria grew in the latter part of the 19th Century, the paper acted as a medium for citizens to voice their concerns for the changes. Under pressure, a daily format was released in 1897 by publisher James McDonald. He sold the paper to George Henry French in 1901, who remained for the next forty years. During that time, the paper prospered, increasing its size to about six to eight pages on average, and the circulation to 2,200 by 1942. In the next 25 years, the circulation grew to 20,000 with about 20 to 40 pages per day. The paper shed its Democratic label in 1980 after it was purchased by John M. Roberts, who recast the paper as politically Independent.