The ''New York Daily News'' was a daily New York City newspaper from 1855 to 1906, unrelated to the present-day '' Daily News'' founded in 1919. Founded in 1855, it flourished under the stewardship of Benjamin Wood, becoming one of the highest circulation papers in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was notable for its racist and pro-Confederate views. The paper faltered after Wood's death in 1900, and folded in December 1906.

History

Benjamin Wood, Harpers Weekly, August 31, 1861

The paper was founded by Gideon J. Tucker in 1855, but he edited it until only 1857. Between 1857 and 1860, it was owned by W. Drake Parsons, 102 Nassau Street.

Fernando Wood Fernando Wood (February 14, 1812 – February 13, 1881) was an American Democratic Party politician, merchant, and real estate investor who served as the 73rd and 75th Mayor of New York City. He also represented the city for several terms in ...

then bought the paper and put in his brother as editor; Benjamin soon after bought the majority interest. The paper reportedly soon became the country's highest-circulation daily paper. Under Wood, the paper was pro-Southern/Confederate and defended slavery and the right to secede. It supported

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

in the 1860 presidential election, decrying that if Lincoln won "we shall find negroes among us thicker than blackberries swarming everywhere," in accord with its plainly racist viewpoint.Mr. Lincoln and New York - Benjamin Wood (1820-1900)

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in New York City by businessmen-philanthropists Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman in 1994 to promote the study and interest in American history. The Institute serves teachers, studen ...

, Retrieved 24 January 2017 After the Confederates fired at Fort Sumter, Wood refused a mob's demand that he fly the American flag at the paper's building. In August 1861, the U.S. government effectively shut down the paper (by suspending its delivery via the postal service) as being sympathetic with to an enemy of the United States (in this case, the Confederacy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

). Wood was able to re-open the paper 18 months later, in May 1863.On This Day - August 31, 1861
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' (2001), Retrieved 22 April 2017 In the 1870s, it is likely that only three newspapers in the United States had a circulation of over 100,000—all in New York: '' The Sun'', ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. His ...

'', and ''New York Daily News''.Douglas, George H
The Golden Age of the Newspaper
p. 83 (1999) Benjamin Wood continued as editor of the paper until his death in February 1900.(22 February 1900)
Death of Benjamin Wood
''

'' Gambling problems caused Wood to declare bankruptcy in 1879, and he sold 43% of his ownership to publisher William L. Brown, who then worked with Wood until Wood's death. His widow Ida Mayfield Wood, who later became a famous

recluse A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society. The word is from the Latin ''recludere'', which means "shut up" or "sequester". Historically, the word referred to a Christian hermit's total isolation from th ...

confining herself to the

Herald Square Hotel A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to c ...

, briefly ran the paper. She sold it in 1901 to Frank Munsey for about $340,000.Karen Abbott
Everything Was Fake but her Wealth
''Smithsonian Magazine'', January 23, 2013 Munsey changed the paper from an afternoon to morning publication and tried to broaden its appeal, but sold it in 1904 as circulation dropped. Managing editor Thomas C. Quinn took over the reins, but was unable to stop the paper's decline, and publication ceased on December 13, 1906.(14 December 1906)
Col. Brown and His Paper Pass Away Together
''

''(16 June 1935)
Thomas Quinn, 70, Ex-Publisher, Dies
''

German edition

Like other New York publishers, Wood created a German-language edition of his paper titled ''New-Yorker Tages-Nachrichten'' in 1870 and Sunday edition ''Sonntags-Nachrichten'' in 1872. Lee, Alfred McClung
The Daily Newspaper in America, Volume 1
p. 175 (1937)

References

External links

''New York Daily News'' on chroniclingamerica
{{Authority control Publications established in 1855 Publications disestablished in 1906 Defunct newspapers published in New York City 1855 establishments in New York (state) 1906 disestablishments in New York (state) 19th century in New York City Daily newspapers published in New York City