''The Victoria Advocate'' is a daily newspaper independently published in
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...
. It is the second-oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the
Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...
,
dating back to May 8, 1846, following the
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto ( es, Batalla de Palo Alto) was the first major battle of the Mexican–American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles (8 km) from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas. A force of so ...
during the
Mexican War. The paper serves the communities of the
Victoria metropolitan area
The Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in the Coastal Bend region of Texas, anchored by the city of Victoria. The area is sometimes referred to as the G ...
, and currently runs a Sunday circulation of 27,268 issues.
History
The paper was founded in 1846 by publishers John D. Logan and Thomas Sterne of
Van Buren, Arkansas
Van Buren ( ) is the second-largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interst ...
, as a weekly publication named the ''Texan Advocate''. The two men had previously founded the ''Frontier Whig'' two years earlier, and like the ''Whig'', the ''Advocate'' was associated with the
Whig Party during its initial stages. Famed journalist
John Henry Brown
John Henry Brown (October 29, 1820 – May 31, 1895) was an American journalist, military leader, author, politician, and historian, who served as a state legislator and as mayor of both Galveston (1856) and Dallas, Texas (1885-1887). Brown was ...
was briefly employed as an editor for the paper in its first year. After the publication was renamed the ''
Texian
Texians were Anglo-American residents of Mexican Texas and, later, the Republic of Texas.
Today, the term is used to identify early settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of that era are referr ...
Advocate'', ownership changed hands several times during the 1850s.
In 1859, it was bought by Sam Addison White, who renamed the paper ''The Victoria Advocate'' and aligned it with the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
. Although the paper's ownership frequently changed in the next century, it remained supportive of the Democratic Party. As the city of Victoria grew in the latter part of the 19th century, the paper acted as a medium for citizens to voice their concerns for the changes. Under pressure, a daily format was released in 1897 by publisher James McDonald. He sold the paper to George Henry French in 1901, who remained for the next forty years. During that time, the paper prospered, increasing its size to about six to eight pages on average, and the circulation to 2,200 by 1942. Morris Roberts and a number of leading citizens purchased the paper in October 1942. In April 1961, Roberts purchased all stock and became sole owner of the Advocate. He shared ownership with his son, John M. Roberts, who serves as Chairman and daughter Catherine R. McHaney, who is secretary-treasurer. George Coleman currently serves as General Manager of the Victoria Advocate.
Keith W. Kohn currently is Executive Editor of the Victoria Advocate.
Victoria Advocate Publishing Company began acquiring other papers in 2012 and changed its name to M. Roberts Media in 2015.
See also
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victoria Advocate
Daily newspapers published in Texas
Publications established in 1846
Victoria, Texas
1846 establishments in Texas