Whitney Messenger
Whitney, Hill County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This newspaper began publication in 1883, four years after the railroad town of Whitney was founded. Established by H. P. and J. O. Jones, the "Messenger" was purchased by J. T. and Dan S. Mayes in 1890. Dan Mayes, who gained full ownership of the paper in 1893, had started in the business in 1888 as an apprentice under H. P. Jones. Under Mayes' leadership, the "Messenger" grew from a four-page paper with about 400 readers to a 12-page paper with a circulation of about 1,700 by 1903. Throughout its history, the "Whitney Messenger" has provided a significant service to the community and the surrounding area.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1883, just four years after the railroad created the town of Whitney, this newspaper passed to Dan S. Mayes — who had begun as a printer's apprentice in 1888 and won full ownership by 1893. Under his hand the Messenger grew from a four-page sheet reaching some 400 readers into a twelve-page paper circulating to roughly 1,700 by 1903.
Why it matters
Small-town newspapers like the Messenger were the connective tissue of frontier communities, recording local life and binding scattered readers into a public.
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Related people
- · Dan S. Mayes
- · H. P. Jones
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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