Newspapers of Johnson County, Texas (2024)

Source: Library of Congress - Chronicling American

The Grandview Tribune. (Grandview, Tex.) 1???-Current

The Weekly Enterprise. (Cleburne, Tex) 18??-????

Johnson County Record. (Joshua, Tex.) 18??-????

Texas Alliance Standard. (Waco, Tex.) 18??-????

Alvarado Signal. (Alvarado, Tex.) 18??-????

The Daily Evening Star. (Cleburne, Tex.) 18??-????

The Cleburne Telegram. (Cleburne, Tex.) 18??-????

The Coming Century. (Cleburne, Tex.) 18??-????

The Evening Reporter. (Cleburne, Tex.) 18??-????

The Cleburne Chronicle. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1868-19??

Cleburne Bulletin. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1880-1881

The Weekly Avalanche. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1880-????

The Cleburne Greenbacker. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1880-????

Alvarado Bulletin. (Alvarado, Tex.) 1881-1882

Alvarado Weekly Bulletin. (Alvarado, Tex.) 1882-1???

Cleburne Weekly Telegram. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1882-????

The Tribune. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1884-????

Tri-Weekly News. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1886-????

Grandview Sentinel. (Grandview, Tex.) 1887-????

The Enterprise. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1887-1893

The Index Wheel. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1888-????

Temperance Banner. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1889-????

See Also

Johnson County Review

The Daily Enterprise. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1903-1907

The Godley Banner. (Godley, Tex.) 1905-19??

Cleburne Daily Enterprise. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1907-Current

The Godley Record. (Godley, Tex.) 1916-19??

The Cleburne Christian. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1921-????

The Godley Times. (Godley, Tex.) 1924-19??

Cleburne Times-Review. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1928-Current

Cleburne Morning Press. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1929-????

Cleburne Free Press. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1929-????

The Cleburne Messenger. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1933-????

Burleson Dispatcher. (Burleson, Tex.) 1958-????

Johnson County News. (Cleburne, Tex.) 1964-Current

The Rio Vista Eagle. (Rio Vista, Tex.) 1983-1984

Rio Vista Eagle & Triangle News. (Rio Vista, Tex.) 1984-1987

The Cleburne Eagle & Triangle News. (Rio Vista, Tex.) 1987-Current

Keene Reporter. (Burleson, Tex.) 1993-Current

Source: Bulletin of The University of Texas, No 280, The Texas History Teacher's Bulletin, Volume 1, No 3 - May 22, 1913, Published by The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1913.

The following article was submitted by a student in the Cleburne High School and included in the Texas History Teacher's Bulletin, 1913

Transcribed for GT by AFOFG vm.

A HISTORY OF THE VICISSITUDES OF THE NEWSPAPERS OF CLEBURNE

Written by KEATING BANSONE, Senior History, Cleburne High School.

Amid the wilds of a semi-civilized country, Major Jack Davis, some forty-four years ago, founded the first paper ever published in Cleburne or in Johnson county. The Chronicle, as the paper was called, was published in a small wooden shack on Wardville street, back of the Heath building and cast of the Airdome. The office proper faced north and was twenty feet in width by fifty in depth. The plant, which was hauled from Nacogdoches county in an ox wagon early in the spring of 1868, consisted of a George Washington hand press and a hatful of type. The paper ran for some five or six issues and then quietly closed its doors. It is worthy of mention that Governor Hogg served in the capacity of printer’s devil for the Weekly Chronicle. Six months after the plant had shut down, J. W. Graves purchased the paper and conducted the same successfully until 1874, when A. H. Yeager purchased the plant, together with W. H. Graves. They continued the paper until 1878.

This was a memorable year, for then Mr. A. C. Scurlock bought the paper, which he edited continuously from that time for twenty five years. His office was destroyed twice by fire, once in November, 1888, and again in December, 1890. An incident or two that happened while Mr. J. B. Ransome, Jr., was a printer in the employ of Mr. Scurlock will show something of the condition of Cleburne in those days.

One bright, sunny afternoon, just a short time before The Chronicle went to press, a razorback hog came into the back end of the office and in rooting around poked its snout through the nine-column form laid against the stone preparatory to going to press, and “pied” a bushel of type; It is needless to say there was no issue of the Chronicle that week.

On another occasion. when Mr. Ransome was acting as engineer on the steam engine that furnished the power to run the press, he carelessly screwed down the safety valve and got up a head of steam. Some of the citizens tell today of the excitement that ensued when the safety plug blew out. The plug went through the ceiling and the roof and ruined a number of suits of clothes in a little store in the building. The proprietor of the store was a Jew, and he wrung his hands and bewailed his loss in true Israelitish style. The fire department turned out in time to see the Chronicle building shed printers like rats leaving a sinking ship.

Mr. Scurlcck sold the Chronicle in 1904 to Mr. J. C. Scott, who in turn sold it to the Hardy Solomon Company. Mr. Clyde Buchanan next purchased the paper and conducted the same until 1909, when he discontinued it. Mr. J. P. Chambless bought the plant in 1911 from Mr. Buchanan and revived the Chronicle, which he is still running as a semi-weekly. Mr. Chambless had the misfortune to have his plant damaged by fire in October, 1911.

From 1876 until 1893 there were a number of small papers established. the lives of which varied from six months to two years. In 1876 the Tribune, the first of these, was established by a Mr. Morton. He is said to have come from Union City, Tennessee. Mr. F. W. Wells was editor during the brief twelve months that the Tribune existed. This was the first paper to discuss the prohibition question in the county, and it opposed local option in the Cleburne precinct.

The Avalanche was established by S. P. Ford in the latter part of 1879, or early in 1880. All told, the Avalanche lived but a few months and then passed into the great beyond. August 4, 1880, the first copy of the Cleburne Bulletin was issued by Major A. J. Byrd. In November, 1880, G. C. Fahm purchased the paper and in April, 1881, moved it to Alvarado. Major Byrd was at one time mayor of Waco. In September, 1880, Colonel B. J. Chambers, who was a candidate on the Greenback ticket with Weaver, started a political paper called the Greenbacker. This paper was edited by Warren Douglas and lived to enjoy one birthday.

The Telegram was established by E. G. Senter, who edited the same until 1883. Mr. Senter was then sixteen years old and to him belongs the credit of being the youngest editor ever in Texas. Mr. Senter is at present a prominent lawyer in Dallas. He was at one time State Senator from Dallas. Mr. Senter sold the paper to Oscar Hightower in 1883, from whom in turn the paper passed to B. A. Lockett, W. A. Lockett and Percy Simonds.

The Telegram was the beginning of the present Cleburne Daily Enterprise, for when it failed in 1887 Mr. A. H. Yeager purchased the plant and started the Tri-Weekly Enterprise, which he sold to T. L. Sanders in 1889 or 1890. In 1893 Mr. Sanders sold the plant to the present owner and editor, J. R. Ransome, Jr., who has conducted the same successfully some nineteen years, first as a tri-weekly, in 1894 as a daily, and since 1895 as a daily and weekly, in which form it is now being published. In 1896 or 1897 the office was set on fire by a tramp printer who was drunk and sleeping in the composing room.

The True Democrat was established in 1895 by Charles Hanson, who has established more papers in Texas than any other six men in the State. As Cleburne had an uncongenial climate for newspapers at that time, and as Mr. Hanson was of a migratory nature, after a few issues the paper was transplanted bodily, like unto the prophets of old, to Joshua, where it became the Signal. The Daily Star commenced to twinkle July 28, 1885. It proved to be a shooting star, however, and soon went out. Jan Byrd was the proprietor and J. L. Morgan the editor.

The Tri-Weekly News was established about January 1, 1886, by S. T. Lockett and A. D. Wells, who is now foreman of the Enterprise. The paper existed for several months and then went the way of all flesh. G. F. Allbright and T. L. Sanders established the Evening Reporter about November 15, 1886. The Reporter’s career extended over a year’s time. August 29, 1887, Mr. Sanders lost one full year’s file in the flood of that year. The disaster which occasioned this loss marked a memorable day in the history of Cleburne.

Mr. Sanders kept his file at his home. On the night of August 29, 1887, following two years of dry weather, a terrible deluge fell from the clouds, and the two creeks, in the forks of which the city is situated, became raging torrents, the flood sweeping upon its mighty bosom everything that lay in its path. Mr. Sanders’ home was on the bank of the creek opposite the jail, and in endeavoring to escape in the dark he was carried down the creek by the yellow flood. He was bruised by floating debris, scratched by trees and wire, and finally, barely able to pull himself out of the water, he reached an elm tree, near German Park, in the forks of which he rested until the morning dawned and help came. During this flood the Schmidt family, eight in number, were drowned. Their home was located just south of the home of Mayor Breech, on the bank of West Buffalo creek. It was a small box house and was lifted from its foundation and carried away while the family were sleeping.

Their dead bodies were found by searching parties among the drift at different places down the creek. Judge J. M. Odell was mayor of Cleburne at that time. He was one of the best mayors that Cleburne ever had, and at the first sound of the fire bell, which was the signal of danger, he was up and doing, warning those who lived in the path of the flood and assisting those who had suffered from the disaster. His activity no doubt saved a number of lives.

The next paper which put in its appearance was the Tribune, established by Dr. Andrew Young in 1886. The Tribune went to the bad after several years, during which time it was owned by W. H. Graves, A. H. Yeager, T. L. Sanders, and J. E. Wallace. Captain Mallett, upon the demise of the Tribune, purchased the plant and rechristened it the Watchman, which he conducted until 1904. During the summer of 1887, the year of the great prohibition struggle, Harry Johnson began the publication of the Free Lance. The Lance was bright and burnished, but soon became a broken Lance. May, 1888, saw the dawn of the Index Wheel, published by Rev. J. F. Grubbs and devoted “to science, art, literature, and religion.” It was too good for this sinful world, and soon passed to its heavenly reward. The Temperance Banner made its first bow to this cold and inhospitable world April 15, 1889. It is said that the good die young; anyway, the Banner died. The editorial staff was startling. Captain O. T. Plummer was editor-in-chief. J. E. Garrison, R. B. Vickers, McKey, J. M. Hall, and C. V. Meyers were associate editors. We would hazard a guess that the Banner died of too much genius.

The Johnson County Review made its debut in 1891, with J. A. Templeton and H. E. Oldfather as editors and proprietors. February 17,1892, Colonel F. B. Ballio bought a half interest in the paper and in February also bought the interest of J. A. Templeton. In 1893 Colonel Ballio sold the Johnson County Review to Mr. R. B. Loggins, principal of the Belleville schools. Mr. Loggins was a scholar, a gentleman of culture and a Tennessee Democrat. Mr. Loggins discovered that the Review did not yield any returns on his investment, and sold the paper to Mr. H. D. McMaster and J. V. Freeman. These gentlemen established a daily in connection with the weekly, but it did not prove remunerative, and they discontinued the daily issue. After a while, Sim Walton, ex-county treasurer, purchased the paper and ran it for several months, selling it to J. R. Ransone, Jr. Mr. Ransone owned it for more than a year. He and his wife conducted the Enterprise and the Review, finally selling a half interest to Mr. J. E. Pitts, who, after conducting the destinies of the Review for a few months, purchased the other half interest. A short time after this, Mr. O. H. Poole became interested in the paper and he and Mr. Pitts organized a stock company. In December, 1904, they began the publication of the Morning Review, which is still running under the management of Mr. Poole, Mr. Pitts having retired several years ago.

The Dinner Bell, a free distribution paper, was launched by F. N. Graves and George Fisher in 1902, but it lived only a few months, when both proprietors were taken into the employ of the Enterprise.

Mr. Ben Lockett, a highly cultured and talented gentleman, a brother of Mrs. H. P. Brown of Cleburne, invented a typesetting machine very similar in construction to Mergenthaler’s linotype, which, but for his untimely death, would have been perfected and put on the market.

Cleburne has furnished the United States with one very prominent newspaper man, Mr. O’Brien Moore. For a time Mr. Moore was editor of the Telegram, during the ownership of Mr. Oscar Hightower. From Cleburne he went to Galveston, where he worked on the Galveston News. There he married a daughter of one of the owners of the News, Mr. Jenkins. Afterwards he became Washington correspondent of the St. Louis Republic and later managing editor of that great paper.

Another product of the Cleburne newspapers is Claire Victor Dwiggins, who was associated for a while with the Enterprise. From the Enterprise he went to the art department of the Farm and Ranch, from which position he resigned to go to Philadelphia, where he was offered larger opportunities for his budding genius. From Philadelphia he went to New York, where he is now living and receiving $500 a week for designing covers for books and magazines and illustrating booklets and brochures, and also doing syndicate work. One of his first efforts was the illustration of a book of poems by Mrs. P. C. Chambers, daughter of one of the most beloved superintendents of the Cleburne public schools.

Cleburne has the distinction of having furnished three presidents of the Texas Press Association and also one president of the National Editorial Association. The three presidents of the Texas Press Association were A. C. Scurlock, F. B. Ballio and J. R. Ransone Jr. Colonel Ballio was president of the National Editorial Association.

Cleburne furnished the fastest hand compositor in the United States and also the fastest linotype operator in the United States. namely, William Reilly and Gordon Copeland. Mr. Reilly now lives in Dallas and Mr. Copeland in St. Louis. Cleburne also furnished the United States one very distinguished cartoonist, Mr. Ab Fitzgerald.

As an evidence of the growth of Cleburne, at one time Mr. E. J. Campsey delivered all the copies of the Enterprise by himself, while now it requires eight delivery boys and one mail boy to get the issue to the subscribers besides the supervision of a circulator who directs the boys.

The Enterprise was the first small office in Texas to purchase a linotype, demonstrating the fact that a single machine is a paying investment, which was disputed up to that time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Files of the Cleburne Daily Enterprise.
Files of the Cleburne Morning Review.
Files of the Cleburne Semi-Weekly Chronicle.
Colonel F. B. Baillio’s Note-Book and Scrap-Book.
Colonel F. B. Baillie.
Editor J. R. Ransone Jr., of the Cleburne Daily Enterprise.
H. D. McMaster, city editor of the Cleburne Daily Enterprise.
J. R. Ransone Sr., bookkeeper of the Cleburne Daily Enterprise.
A. D. Wells, foreman of the Cleburne Daily Enterprise.
Dexter Scurlock, student in the University of Texas, son of former editor of the Chronicle
Employes and habitues of the printing offices of Cleburne.