 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Phil and Lesa Major |
| Founder(s) |
|
| Publisher | Phil Major |
| Editor | Larry Tucker |
| Founded |
|
| Relaunched | 2016; 8 years ago (2016) as Wood County Monitor |
| City | |
| Country |  United States |
| Circulation | 1,477 (as of 2023) |
| OCLC number | 1097161696 |
| Website | woodcountymonitor |
The Wood County Monitor is a weekly newspaper serving Wood County, Texas. In August 2016, newspaper operations of the Mineola Monitor and the Wood County Democrat were merged by their owner, Bluebonnet Publishing, to form the Wood County Monitor.
History
Mineola Monitor
The Mineola Monitor was a newspaper in Mineola, Texas serving Wood County, Texas and the communities of Alba, Golden, Hawkins and parts of unincorporated Wood County. It was established in 1876 by D.C. Williams. In 1907 the Monitor was purchased by J.A. Thomas.
Wood County Democrat
Alfred Padon was editor and publisher of the Wood County Democrat when it was founded in 1893 in Quitman, Texas with financial support from local area merchants. The newspaper's original site included a Vaughan Ideal hand-operated presses. The entire operation was reported to have cost around US$800 (equivalent to $27,129 in 2023) to start-up.
The newspaper's main objective upon its founding was the opposition of Populism. Prior to that, Padon had been publisher of the Mineola Monitor. Quitman businessmen approached him about founding a newspaper in the county seat.
Padon resigned as editor and publisher in 1895, and the paper was briefly operated by Grogan and Goodwin for the owners, which included a Dr. Leath and Hix Rhodes. Then in 1896, Perno Thomas became editor. He later assumed ownership and sold a half interest in the plant to Earl Jones in 1901, but later repurchased it. In 1903, Clyde Jordan of Alba purchased an interest in the paper, but eventually Thomas again regained full ownership.
The paper merged with the Mineola Monitor to form the Wood County Monitor in 2016, ending publication under the Democrat masthead.
Merger
Prior to the merger, the Mineola Monitor operated under its own masthead in Mineola, and the Wood County Democrat operated under its own masthead in Quitman. Staffing at the newspapers did not change, and the staff of both newspapers were merged.
References
- "Wood County Monitor sold". Wood County Monitor. 10 January 2019. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- "Wood County Monitor". Texas Press Association. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- "2023 Texas Newspaper Directory". Texas Press Association. Archived from the original on 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Hodson, Kay; Benthul, Herman; Carlisle, Carol; Simmons, Inez; Woods, Ona (1 January 1976). Wood County, 1850-1900. Joyce Benthul Terrell, Illustrations. ASIN B002I7OB0S. OCLC 866632840. OL 32008325M. Retrieved 5 March 2021 – via University of North Texas Libraries Portal to Texas History.
