Sweetwater Reporter
Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
C.E. Gilbert, who founded the "Abilene Reporter", established the "Sweetwater Advance" in 1881, the year Nolan County was organized. Later published as the "Nolan County Review", it was purchased in 1906 by John W. Millsapps, who modernized the operation. In 1911 Millsapps, and his partner W.A. Perry, with the assistance of managing editor C.A. Wade, began publishing daily editions under the "Sweetwater Reporter" banner. A later owner of the newspaper was Houston Harte, who became a partner in the national publishing firm of Harte-Hanks. (1981)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The paper that became the Sweetwater Reporter began in 1881 as the Sweetwater Advance, founded the same year Nolan County was organized by C.E. Gilbert, who had also started the Abilene Reporter. After John Millsapps bought and modernized it in 1906, he and his partners launched daily editions under the Reporter name in 1911. A later owner, Houston Harte, went on to help build the national Harte-Hanks publishing firm.
Why it matters
A West Texas frontier newspaper that grew into a piece of a national media company shows how local presses both chronicled and shaped the communities springing up along the rails.
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Related people
- · John W. Millsapps
- · Houston Harte
Themes & tags
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