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Brush-Moore

Table of contents 
  1. Introduction
  2. Holdings
  3. Studies
  4. Landmarks

This note considers the former Brush-Moore newspaper chain of the US. It covers -


  • introduction
  • holdings
  • studies
  • landmarks

Introduction

Brush-Moore Newspapers Inc., based in Canton, Ohio, was acquired by Thomson Newspapers in 1967 for US$72 million.

The group was founded Louis Herbert Brush (1873-1948), who acquired the Salem (Ohio) News - founded in 1889 as the Salem Daily News in 1897 and the East Liverpool Review (later the Tribune & Review) in 1901. In 1923 he partnered with Roy Donald Moore (1889-1954), publisher of the Ironton Register, acquiring Warren Gamaliel Harding's Marion Star. Moore had worked as a railroad and commercial telegrapher before becoming a telegrapher for Associated Press (AP), bureau manager for International News Service and a senior executive of the King Features Syndicate.

Brush-Moore was formed in 1927. By the late 1930s the group owned papers in Canton, Portsmouth, East Liverpool, Steubenville (Ohio); Salisbury and Wicomico (Maryland) and 50% of the Ironton Tribune.

From the 1950s it expanded into California, acquiring the San Gabriel Valley Daily Tribune and Oxnard Press Courier. At the time of the Thomson takeover it encompassed 12 dailies and 2 weeklies.

Holdings

Brush-Moore titles included -

  • San Gabriel Valley Daily Tribune
  • Oxnard Press Courier
  • Humboldt Times-Standard
  • Canton Repository
  • Weirton Daily Times
  • Marion Star
  • East Liverpool Tribune & Review
  • Salem News
  • Steubenville Herald-Star

The group also owned Dayton (Ohio) AM radio station WONE and had a 50% stake in Portsmouth (Ohio) station WPAY.

Studies

There have been no major studies of Brush-Moore or its founders.

The abortive 1964 takeover of the Tucson Star features in Joint Operating Agreements: The Newspaper Preservation Act and Its Application (Norwood: Praeger 1993) by John Busterna & Robert Picard and other works

Landmarks

1897 Louis Brush acquires Salem (Ohio) News

1901 buys

1923 buys Marion Star for US$550,000

1926 buys Steubenville Herald-Star

1927 Brush-Moore Newspapers Inc. established

1927 buys Canton Repository

1930 buys and amalgamates Portsmouth Times and Portsmouth Sun

1930 buys Canton Daily News from Cox

1930 closes Canton Daily News

1931 buys Mansfield News and Lorain Times-Herald from Hoiles

1936 buys WHBC AM Canton

1937 buys daily Salisbury Times and Wicomico News from Truitt family

1939 sells WHBC to Ohio Broadcasting Company

1960 acquires San Gabriel Valley Tribune

1961 buys WONE AM Dayton

1964 thwarted takeover of Tucson Star

1967 buys Humboldt Times-Standard

1967 Brush-Moore acquired by Thomson