Birmingham Age-Herald
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Scripps (1950–2005) |
| Founder(s) |
Age: John Cantley Herald: Rufus N. Rhodes Post: Ed Leech |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Language | English |
| Ceased publication | September 23, 2005 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama |
| ISSN | 1040-1571 |
The Birmingham Post-Herald was a daily newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama, with roots dating back to 1850, before the founding of Birmingham. The final edition was published on September 23, 2005. In its last full year, its average daily circulation was 7,544, down from 8,948 the previous year.
In 1850 John Cantley, a merchant from Tuscaloosa, established the Elyton Herald, Jefferson County's first newspaper. The early years of the newspaper were marked by frequent changes of name and ownership. In the 1860s, Cantley sold the weekly paper to Henry A. Hale. In 1871, the year that the new industrial center of Birmingham was incorporated, Hale sold the business to R. H. Henley, who was also Birmingham's first mayor. Henley renamed the paper the Birmingham Sun and published it himself for the first six months, before selling it to Thomas McLaughlin and James Matthews, who again changed the name to The Jefferson Independent. The Independent lasted for two years before it was bought by Willis Roberts and Frank M. Grace, who again changed the name, this time to The Weekly Iron Age.
In 1881, the paper again changed hands. The new owners, W. C. Garrett and R. H. Thornton, again changed the name to The Daily Birmingham Age and began daily publication for the first time. With the addition of national and world news items from the Associated Press the Age reached a peak of success, ranking second only to The Atlanta Constitution in the Southern market in advertising dollars.
In 1887 Rufus N. Rhodes founded a rival newspaper, The Daily Herald appeared on the streets of Birmingham. After a year as competitors, the two papers merged on November 8, 1888, to form The Birmingham Age-Herald. This combined paper was sold in 1896 to an upstart rival, The Daily State. For two years it was published under the Daily State Herald masthead before controlling interest was sold to E. W. Barrett and the Age-Herald name restored.
During this time, E. W. Barrett died and his widow sold the Age-Herald to Frederick I. Thompson, Donald Comer and B. B. Comer. In 1927 the paper was sold to another rival, Victor H. Hanson, publisher of The Birmingham News. Hanson published both papers simultaneously, the Age-Herald in the morning and The Birmingham News in the evenings. On Sundays, a joint Birmingham News Age-Herald edition was distributed.
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