The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide 1929 Page: 34
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34 THE TEXAS ALMANAC-1929.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
-The Dallas Journal-The Semi=Weekly
Farm News-The Texas Almanac
It was on .Auril 11, 1842, in the era of the R~cpuhic of Tcxas, that there was
issued from a small hand press in the city of Galveston the iirst edition of a news-
paper which, through many vicissitudes, has been continuously published to the
present date, and which has eventuated in The Dallas Morning News There was no
Dallas at the time of the first issue of The Galleston New, George French was
the first owner, and it is said that the small press from which The Galveston News
was issued had previously been used by a printer in the colony of Jean La Fitte, a
famous privateer n ho occupied Galveston Island prior to the establishment of the city
French owned the paper only a short time, however, before disposing of it to \Vilbur
Cherry, who in turn sold the paper to the maii who stands out as the first'of the
several noteworthy figures who have been respon-ible for the continuous publication
of this newspaper. His name was VWillard Richardson It wxva Mr. Richardson who
carried The Galveston News through the period of the Civl War, even moving the
paper to Houston during the period of the occupation of Galveston by Union forces
Newspaper publishing at this early date, prior to or immediately after the Civil War,
was precarious business. In a State characterized by bitter political controversy,
many publications sprang into existence, but The News alone wvLs not forced to close
its doors, this undoubtedly because it held to a policy of nexws gathering and report-
ing rather than bitter controversy
After the Civil War many residents of 4he States of the Old South turned their
steps toward Texas Among them came Col. A H. Belo irom North Carolina. He
had served with the Confederate Army during the Civil \\ar. In 1865, very shortly
after his arrival in Texas, Colonel Belo became associated with Mr. Richardson in
the publication of The Galveston News. In the years immediately following the
Civil W\ar several other men who have had a large part in guiding the destiny of
The Dallas News and associated publications joined the organization. Among these
were Robert G. Low-e, D C Jenkins and Thcmas \W Dealey It was in 1874 that
G B. Dealey, who is nw president of A H. Be!o Corporation, a young brother of
Thomas V. Dealey, entered the employment of The News as an office boy Colonel
Belo bought the interest of the Richardson estate in The Galveston News after the
death ,of Mr. Richardson in 1875 The name was changed from Richardson, Belo &
Co. to A. H. Belo & Co, under which name the corporation operated until 1926.
With the passing ,of the problems of recoi;struction, the adoption of a consti-
tution written by the citizens of Texas, and the assumption of the reins of govern-
ment by the conservative Southern element of the State. the population of Texas
moved rapidly toward North Central Texas. Prior to the Civil Var there had been
some settlement of the great black land belt, but it was not until after the war that
the political and economic situation in Texas arrived again at a state of equilibrium
justifying the resumption of the construction of railroads-the one great need of
the inland empire of Texas at that time. During the early 70s a railroad was com-
pleted from Houston to Dallas, and during the remainder of this decade there was
rap;d railroad construction throughout East and Central Texas. connecting Dallas
and other North Texas cities with outside markets Prior to the construction of
these railroads it had been necessary for farmers on the fertile black lands to haul
their produce either to Jefferson, at the head of navigation on the Big Cypress, a
branch of the Red River, or else to the railroad terminals on the lines north of
Houston. With the rapid development of North Central Texas, the management of
The Galveston News looked to this part of the State as a likely field for a companion
enterprise to The Galveston -News. It was on Oct. 1, 1885, that the first issue of
The Dallas Morning News came from the press On Nov 30 of the same year the
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The Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide 1929, book, 1929; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117158/m1/36/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.