Brush-Moore Newspapers
Encyclopedia
Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. was a United States
newspaper group based in Ohio
which had its origins in 1923 and was sold to Thomson Newspapers in 1967 for $72 million, the largest ever newspaper transaction at that time.
In 1923, Louis Herbert Brush, who had joined the Salem News (of Salem, Ohio
) as a manager in 1894 and purchased it in 1897, entered into a partnership with Roy Donald Moore and William Henry Vodrey, Jr. to purchase The Marion Star from then-U.S. President Warren G. Harding
. By 1924, Time
magazine already noted the group as one of the prominent newspaper groups in the country, with four papers and a total circulation of 30,906. In 1927, the "Brush-Moore" chain was created from their holdings.
Joseph K. Vodrey, son of W.H. Vodrey Jr., became general manager of Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. in 1946. Vodrey was Vice-President and a member of the Brush-Moore board of directors from 1951 to 1968, when he retired. He also served as Vice-President and as a Director of the Beaverkettle Company.
At the time of the 1967 sale, Brush-Moore owned 12 daily papers, including six in Ohio
(the Canton Repository, East Liverpool Review, Salem News, Steubenville Herald
, Marion Star, and Portsmouth Times
) three in California
(Times-Standard
, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
, and Oxnard Press-Courier
), and one in Maryland
(Salisbury Daily Times
), Pennsylvania
(Hanover Evening Sun), and West Virginia
(Weirton Daily Times), with a total circulation of approximately 540,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newspaper group based in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
which had its origins in 1923 and was sold to Thomson Newspapers in 1967 for $72 million, the largest ever newspaper transaction at that time.
In 1923, Louis Herbert Brush, who had joined the Salem News (of Salem, Ohio
Salem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
) as a manager in 1894 and purchased it in 1897, entered into a partnership with Roy Donald Moore and William Henry Vodrey, Jr. to purchase The Marion Star from then-U.S. President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
. By 1924, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine already noted the group as one of the prominent newspaper groups in the country, with four papers and a total circulation of 30,906. In 1927, the "Brush-Moore" chain was created from their holdings.
Joseph K. Vodrey, son of W.H. Vodrey Jr., became general manager of Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc. in 1946. Vodrey was Vice-President and a member of the Brush-Moore board of directors from 1951 to 1968, when he retired. He also served as Vice-President and as a Director of the Beaverkettle Company.
At the time of the 1967 sale, Brush-Moore owned 12 daily papers, including six in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(the Canton Repository, East Liverpool Review, Salem News, Steubenville Herald
Herald-Star
The Herald-Star is a daily newspaper based in Steubenville, Ohio.Brush-Moore Newspapers bought the paper in 1926. For a number of years, the paper was part of the Thomson Newspapers, who acquired Brush-Moore Newspapers in 1967....
, Marion Star, and Portsmouth Times
Portsmouth Daily Times
Portsmouth Daily Times is a morning newspaper in Scioto County, Ohio with a print circulation of about 12,000. It first printed in 1852 and today is printed Tuesday through Sunday, and does not print on Christmas Day...
) three in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Times-Standard
Times-Standard
The Times-Standard is the only major local daily newspaper covering the far North Coast of California. Headquartered in Eureka, the paper provides coverage of international, national, state and local news in addition to entertainment, sports, and classified listings...
, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune is the daily newspaper located in West Covina, California that serves the San Gabriel Valley. The Tribune is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of MediaNews Group...
, and Oxnard Press-Courier
Oxnard Press-Courier
The Oxnard Press-Courier was a newspaper located in Oxnard, California, United States. It ceased publication in June 1994 after 95 years. As of 1992, its daily circulation was 17,325....
), and one in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
(Salisbury Daily Times
The Daily Times (Salisbury)
The Daily Times is a morning daily English-language publication based in Salisbury, Maryland. It has been a Gannett publication since 2002.-History:The Daily Times was first owned by the Truitt family of Salisbury, Maryland...
), Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(Hanover Evening Sun), and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
(Weirton Daily Times), with a total circulation of approximately 540,000.
Ohio
- Salem News. Owned by Brush since 1897. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
- East Liverpool Review. Acquired by Brush in 1901. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
- The Marion Star. Acquired in 1923 from President Warren G. Harding. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
- Steubenville HeraldHerald-StarThe Herald-Star is a daily newspaper based in Steubenville, Ohio.Brush-Moore Newspapers bought the paper in 1926. For a number of years, the paper was part of the Thomson Newspapers, who acquired Brush-Moore Newspapers in 1967....
Acquired 1925. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Canton Repository. Acquired 1927. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
- Portsmouth TimesPortsmouth Daily TimesPortsmouth Daily Times is a morning newspaper in Scioto County, Ohio with a print circulation of about 12,000. It first printed in 1852 and today is printed Tuesday through Sunday, and does not print on Christmas Day...
. Acquired 1930. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Canton Daily News. Acquired and shut down this 97-year old paper in 1930, leaving Brush-Moore with the only evening paper in the town.
- Ironton TribuneIronton TribuneThe Ironton Tribune is a daily newspaper based in Ironton, Ohio. The newspaper is owned by Boone Newspapers.It was founded as The Register in 1850....
. Acquired 50% interest in 1930, and full ownership in 1955. Sold in 1960s prior to sale to Thomson.
California
- San Gabriel Valley TribuneSan Gabriel Valley TribuneThe San Gabriel Valley Tribune is the daily newspaper located in West Covina, California that serves the San Gabriel Valley. The Tribune is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of MediaNews Group...
. Acquired 1960. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Oxnard Press-CourierOxnard Press-CourierThe Oxnard Press-Courier was a newspaper located in Oxnard, California, United States. It ceased publication in June 1994 after 95 years. As of 1992, its daily circulation was 17,325....
. Acquired 1963. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Times-StandardTimes-StandardThe Times-Standard is the only major local daily newspaper covering the far North Coast of California. Headquartered in Eureka, the paper provides coverage of international, national, state and local news in addition to entertainment, sports, and classified listings...
(EurekaEureka, CaliforniaEureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
). Acquired in 1967, and sold to Thomson the same year.
Other
- Salisbury Daily TimesThe Daily Times (Salisbury)The Daily Times is a morning daily English-language publication based in Salisbury, Maryland. It has been a Gannett publication since 2002.-History:The Daily Times was first owned by the Truitt family of Salisbury, Maryland...
(MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
). Acquired 1937. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Hanover Evening Sun (PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
). Acquired 1958. Sold to Thomson in 1967. - Weirton Daily Times. Acquired 1962. Sold to Thomson in 1967.
- In 1964, Brush-Moore attempted to purchase the Arizona Daily StarArizona Daily StarThe Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
.
Radio
Ohio Broadcasting Co. was a subsidiary of Brush-Moore which focused on radio interests.- WHBC (AM) (Canton, Ohio). Purchased 1936.
- WPAYWPAY (AM)WNKE is a radio station licensed to New Boston, Ohio. Its original call letters were a carryover from its former sister station WPAY , which signed on in 1933 as a country yodeling and country music station, from which the call letters were derived...
(AM) (Portsmouth, Ohio), acquired in 1944 through purchase of Scioto Broadcasting company. - WONE (AM)WONE (AM)WONE is an AM radio station in Dayton, Ohio operating on 980 kHz with a Sports Talk format. It carries programming from Fox Sports Radio, as well as the Jim Rome Show and the Dan Patrick Show .-History:The station took the air in 1949, licensed to Skyland Broadcasting Corp...
(Dayton, Ohio). Purchased in 1961, sold in 1964 to Group One Broadcasting. - WONE-TVWKEFWKEF, virtual channel 22, is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Miami Valley area of Ohio, which is licensed to Dayton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter at their Broadcast Plaza studios near the New Chicago section of the city...
. Dayton television station, 1964, sold in 1965 to Group One Broadcasting - WPDQWPDQWPDQ was a radio station based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Henderson Belk, a North Carolina businessman, purchased WPDQ Radio in 1964 from Brush-Moore Newspapers, and later sold the station to Robert Rounsaville of Atlanta in 1975....
(Jacksonville, Florida). Sold in 1964 to Belk Broadcasting Co.