Wise County Messenger - Decatur, TX - Newspaper Headquarters on Waymarking.com

A Texas Historical Marker near the entrance provides some background:

Started by William Forster in 1880, the "Messenger" was published in Paradise (10 mi. SW) and Alvord (11 mi. NW) before a permanent move to Decatur in 1885. Early editions included poems, love stories, and lists of strayed animals and mail at the dead letter office. N.W. and H.A. Halcomb became the owners in 1894. Two of their staff members, Marvin Smith and R. E. "Dick" Collins, bought the paper in 1907. A correspondent during the Spanish-American War, Collins worked on the staff for 40 years. Mergers with Decatur papers include the "Post" (1890), "News" (1935), and "News Review" (1940).

They are most certainly alive and kicking, and even have a Facebook page which adds some complementary information: (visit link)

The Wise County Messenger was established at Paradise in March 1880 and was called the Paradise Messenger. By 1883, the Messenger was being printed in Decatur, but that didn't last long. It apparently closed for a few months only to resurface in Alvord, where it remained until 1885.

The Decatur News merged with the Messenger in 1935.

The Messenger remained a weekly publication published on Thursdays until March 1984, when it expanded to twice weekly, adding a Sunday edition.

The extra-market section All Around Wise, mailed free to all homes in the county, was begun in the summer of 1982.

The Messenger purchased the Laird Electric building next door in 1994 and demolished the building for a 6,000 square foot addition to the newspaper. The facility was completed in 1995. The design for the common front of the old and new buildings were done in cooperation with the Decatur Main Street Committee and the Texas Historical Commission.

Area Served: Wise County, TX What is (later, was) its physical address?: 115 South Trinity Decatur, TX USA 76234 Does it now just provide an internet read?: Both newsprint and internet Internet address: [Web Link] Did you ever buy or subscribe to this paper?: I bought one here and there Please provide a link referring to the newspaper's demise.: Not listed If applicable, when was this publication's last edition?: Not listed

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