Morris Communications: History

Chronology

This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

Sponsored links

Precursors

1785 Augusta Chronicle founded

1873 Topeka Blade founded

1879 George Reed buys Topeka Blade, changes name to Kansas State Journal

1879 Topeka Daily Capital founded

1885 Kansas State Journal sold to Frank MacLennan for US$8,475, name changes to Topeka State Journal

1893 Arthur Capper buys North Topeka Mail for US$2,500 and Topeka Breeze (later combined as Kansas Mail & Breeze)

1901 Capital Publishing Co. (controlled by Capper) buys The Capital for US$41,000, renames paper Topeka Daily Capital

1904 Capper buys out other shareholders for US$50,000

1916 Capper becomes first native-born Kansan governor

1918 Capper elected to US Senate (serves till 1949)

1924 Oscar Stauffer buys Arkansas Daily Traveler

1926 merger of Lubbock Daily Journal and Morning Avalanche

1929 William S. Morris Jr joins Augusta Chronicle as bookkeeper

1930 founds Stauffer Publications

1940 buys Topeka State Journal for US$600,000

1945 Morris and partner buy controlling interest in Chronicle

1951 death of Capper

1955 Morris and partner buy remaining stock of the Chronicle

1955 buy the Augusta Herald

1956 Stauffer buys Capper Publications for US$7.3m

1967 death of William S. Morris Jr

1969 Stauffer buys Hannibal Courier-Post from Lee

Morris

1970 William S. (Billy) Morris III buys out brother Charles, mother and sister Alden Morris Maier. Charles Morris starts Morris Newspaper Corp. in Savannah (Savannah Morning News)

1970 Billy establishes Morris Communications

1972 buys Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Amarillo Daily News-Globe Times from Whittenburg family's Panhandle Publishing Company

1977 Stauffer Publications becomes Stauffer Communications

1981 Topeka State Journal and Capital merge as The Capital-Journal

1982 Morris buys Florida Publishing Co., publisher of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, for est US$211m

1982 buys Jacksonville Times, Jacksonville Journal and St Augustine Record from CSX for US$200m

1987 Morris News Service established

1989 Stauffer buys 49% of Log Cabin Democrat

1993 Augusta Herald closes

1994 death of Oscar Stauffer

1995 buys Stauffer Communications Inc for US$275m, sells Stauffer magazines, TV stations, insurance and alarm operations

1997 buys Rifle Citizen Telegram, Eagle Valley Enterprise, Basalt Roaring Fork Sunday, Carbondale Valley Journal and Snowmass Village Sun

1998 buys Glenwood Springs Bargain Hunter

2000 sells Western Slope Publishing Group newspapers and Glenwood Springs Bargain Hunter to Swift Newspapers of Reno

2004 buys The Girard Press, Kansas