The Forney Messenger
Forney, Kaufman County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Forney Messenger is the oldest newspaper in continuous operation in Forney. Founded in 1896 by M. J. Cox, the first issue was printed on April 16 and contained a personal column, school news, a local church directory, and news from surrounding communities. In 1919 the Messenger was merged with the Forney News and was known as the Forney News and Messenger until 1921, when it again became the Forney Messenger. For many years the Messenger has provided residents of Forney and the surrounding area with news of local interest. Texas Sesquicentennial, 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1896 by M. J. Cox, the Forney Messenger printed its first issue that April, filling its pages with personal columns, school notes, a church directory, and news from the surrounding farms and hamlets. It briefly merged with the Forney News in 1919 before reclaiming its own name in 1921, and it has served as the town's paper of record ever since.
Why it matters
Small-town newspapers like the Messenger were the connective tissue of rural America, chronicling ordinary life and binding scattered communities into a shared civic conversation.
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Related people
- · M. J. Cox
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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