Morris Communications: landmarks

     landmarks

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

     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

1882 Grit founded in Williamsport, Pennsylvania

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)

1894 buys Richland Argosy

1895 buys Kansas Breeze

1896 buys the Sunflower and Saturday Lance

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

1904 buys Richland Observer

1915 Oscar Stauffer buys Peabody Gazette

1916 Capper becomes first native-born Kansan governor

1918 Capper elected to US Senate (serves till 1949)

1924 Stauffer sells Gazette, buys Ark City Traveler (later Arkansas Daily Traveler)

1926 merger of Lubbock Daily Journal and Morning Avalanche

1927 Stauffer forms Pittsburg Publishing Co

1929 William S. Morris Jr joins Augusta Chronicle as bookkeeper

1930 Oscar Stauffer founds Stauffer Publications

1930 buys Grand Island Daily Independent

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

     Billy Morris

1970 William S. (Billy) Morris III buys out brother Charles, mother and sister Alden Morris Maier

1970 Charles Morris starts Morris Newspaper Corp. in Savannah (Savannah Morning News), later establishes Morris Multimedia Corp (MMC)

1970 Billy establishes Morris Communications

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

1974 Stauffer buys KRNT from Cowles Broadcasting

1974 buys Beatrice Daily Sun

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

1983 Stauffer buys Grit

1987 Morris News Service established

1989 Stauffer buys 49% of Log Cabin Democrat

1990 sells Beatrice Daily Sun to American Publishing Co

1990 buys Winter Haven News Chief and Auburndale Star

1993 Augusta Herald closes

1994 death of Oscar Stauffer

1995 Morris buys Stauffer Communications Inc for US$275m

1996 sells Stauffer TV stations to Benedek

1996 sells insurance and alarm operations

1996 sells Grit, Capper's and other magazines to Ogden Publications

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

2000 buys Insiders' Guides travel publishing from Landmark

2001 sells Arkansas Traveler to The Winfield Publishing Company

2004 buys The Girard Press, Kansas

2007 sells York (Neb.) News-Times, Dodge City (Kan.) Daily Globe, The Newton (Kan.) Kansan, The (Pittsburg, Kan.) Morning Sun, the Hillsdale (Mich.) Daily News, The Holland (Mich.) Sentinel, the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post, The (Independence, Mo.) Examiner, The Daily Ardmoreite (Okla.), The Shawnee (Okla.) News-Star, the Yankton (S.D.) Daily Press & Dakotan, The Oak Ridger (Tenn.), and the News Chief (Winter Haven, Fla.) to GateHouse Media

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