Daily Tribune and Matagorda County Tribune
Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Publication of this newspaper, one of the oldest in the state still in operation, began about 1845 in the nearby town of Matagorda (22 miles south). The business was moved to Bay City in the 1890's, soon after the town was named the new county seat of Matagorda county. Major events covered by the paper include several hurricanes and a yellow fever epidemic of the 1870's. A list of the publishers is inscribed on the reverse of this marker. The present owners, Bay City Newspapers, Inc., assumed ownership in 1958. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
One of the oldest newspapers still publishing in Texas, this paper began around 1845 in the coastal town of Matagorda before relocating to Bay City in the 1890s, when Bay City became the new county seat. Over its long run it chronicled the region's defining events, from devastating hurricanes to an 1870s yellow fever epidemic. Bay City Newspapers, Inc. took ownership in 1958.
Why it matters
The paper's long life reflects the vital role of the local press in binding together and recording the life of Gulf Coast communities across more than a century.
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