Greenville "Herald"
Greenville, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established April 1869 by J. C. Bayne. Is oldest business institution in county. E. W. Harris, later owner, started daily, 1890. W. C. Poole family owned it 1914-1956, when Harte-Hanks chain purchased and merged it with "Banner." Matt Sheley is now "Herald Banner" publisher. (1969)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1869, the Greenville Herald grew up alongside Hunt County itself, becoming its oldest continuous business. A succession of owners—from J. C. Bayne to E. W. Harris, who launched a daily in 1890, to the Poole family—carried it through the decades until the Harte-Hanks chain bought and merged it with the Banner in 1956. A local paper of that vintage was the county's running record of births, deaths, harvests, and politics.
Why it matters
Small-town newspapers were the connective tissue of American communities, and the Herald's long life traces the rise of the regional press and its eventual consolidation into national chains.
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Related people
- · J. C. Bayne
- · E. W. Harris
Themes & tags
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