Zula Brown Toole (November 13, 1868 – October 27, 1947) was an American newspaper publisher who founded the ''Miller County Liberal'' in 1897, making her the first woman to establish and publish a newspaper in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 1996 she was inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame.

Early life

Zula Orlena Brown was born November 13, 1868 the daughter of Samuel Morgan and Eldorendo Virginia Brown (nee Higgs) of Decatur County, Georgia. Her father was a veteran of the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, who was a merchant and farmer. Brown attended the Bainbridge schools in Decatur County and

Andrew Female College Andrew College is a private liberal arts college in Cuthbert, Georgia. It is associated with The United Methodist Church and is the ninth-oldest college in Georgia. Andrew is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commi ...

Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nor ...

. She obtained a teaching certificate from Troy State Teachers College in Alabama. She married W.B. "Tony" Cook on June 27, 1891 but was widowed in 1896 with a one-year-old son. At first, she earned a living by teaching and was also the local postmaster from 1893 to 1898.

Career

She thought the area needed a newspaper, so she collected 500 signatures of people who promised to subscribe if she started one, which was required for a state franchise. She saved $200 from her teaching job and used it to buy a hand press and metal type. On September 11, 1897, she published the first edition of her newspaper, the ''Miller County Liberal''. In the early days of the paper, Toole rode a bicycle to gather news, working on the paper before and after her daytime teaching job. Three years after starting the newspaper, she married Joseph E. Toole (a local farmer) on April 21, 1901. It was at that point she gave up her teaching job. Mr. Toole died in 1917. Toole had a total of three children. In 1932, Toole established a second paper, the ''Decatur County Advance'' in Bainbridge. She operated it until 1939, when poor health forced her to retire. Her daughter took over that newspaper.

Death and legacy

Just after the 50th anniversary of founding the ''Miller County Liberal'' Toole died in October 1947 in Colquitt. She was buried in the Colquitt City Cemetery. The ''Miller County Liberal'' continues to be published by descendants of Toole. In 1996 Toole was inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame. At the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

a play called ''Swamp Gravy'' was performed that depicted elements of her life.

References

External links

''Miller County Liberal'' website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Toole, Zula Brown 1868 births 1947 deaths People from Colquitt, Georgia People from Decatur County, Georgia 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) Journalists from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 19th-century American newspaper founders 20th-century American newspaper founders 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American women American women journalists Troy University alumni Andrew College alumni

Early life

Career

Death and legacy

See also

References

External links