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Suburban Chicago Newspapers history
Suburban Chicago Newspapers company history timeline
Chicago's first newspaper, the Chicago Weekly Democrat, was founded by John Calhoun in 1833 and bought by local politician “Long John” Wentworth three years later.
The Chicago area's oldest and the sixth-oldest newspaper in Illinois is the Joliet Herald News, born as the Juliet Courier on April 20, 1839, eight years before the founding of the Chicago Tribune.
Thirteen Joliet investors bought a printing press and hired a Michigan editor, O. H. Balch, to publish the Courier in 1839.
Copley Press also owns the Aurora Beacon News, founded as the Aurora Beacon by M. V. and B. F. Hall in June 1846.
Three Chicago businessmen, founded the Whig-later- Republican morning Chicago Daily Tribune in 1847.
The founder of what would become Paddock Publications was Hosea Cornish Paddock, born in 1852.
The Kendall County Record was founded in Yorkville in 1864.
The Evanston Suburban Idea (1864) was one of the first papers to promote new commuter settlements along Chicago's growing passenger railroad system.
As Chicago affirmed its economic predominance over its area rivals during the 1850s, outlying newspapers began touting the advantages of suburban living. It was joined by papers such as the Riverside Gazette (1871) and Evanston Real Estate News (1871–73), which quickly ceased publication when their settlements were populated.
The Daily Herald began in 1872 as the Cook County Herald, a weekly devoted to agricultural and business news for northwestern county residents.
The ( Elgin ) Daily Dud (1875) was produced by Dudley Randall, a one-time editor of the Aurora Beacon.
1875 – Earlie sold Cook County Herald to John Holden and W. C. Williams: Williams sold his half to Holden, started the “Advertiser” and bought the Palatine Herald from Holden
The first Chicago-area chain, the short-lived Phoenix (1877), was published at a home office in Joliet but had local editors in Lockport, Wilmington, Lemont, Braidwood, Peotone, and Plainfield.
At the age of 28, in 1880, he became the editor of the Plainfield Enterprise and three years later became a newspaper owner when he acquired a weekly called the Wheaton Illinoisan.
The Pioneer Press chain grew from the Barrington Courier-Review, founded in 1889, into a group of more than 40 daily and weekly papers.
Paddock next moved to Libertyville, where in 1892 he started the Lake County Independent.
The Journal became Democratic and in 1897 acquired Finley Peter Dunne's satirical Mr.
The Daily News's foreign news service began in 1898, carrying such noted interwar correspondents as Edward Price Bell, Paul Scott Mowrer, and Edgar Ansel Mowrer.
Less than a year later, in March 1899, he was able to purchase the Cook County Herald in Arlington Heights.
1899 – H.C. Paddock expands holdings by taking possession with detail of chattel mortgage listed in book of Palatine Justices of the Peace, the Day Journal
1900 – H.C. Paddock established Dupage County Register
The paper went through a variety of owners and name changes until the Joliet Herald was merged with the Joliet News by Ira C. Copley in 1915.
He maintained ownership until 1922, when he sold his interests to his sons Charles and Stuart.
1922: Paddock's sons, Stuart and Charles, assume control of the newspaper chain.
1926 – H.C. Paddock Sons initiates the Arlington Heights edition of the Cook County Herald, which it renames Arlington Heights Herald
Life Newspapers began as the Cicero Life and Berwyn - Stickney - Forest View Life in 1927.
1927 – Arlington Heights Herald begins printing Mount Prospect edition
Starting with the Aurora Beacon News, he created Copley Newspapers, formally organized in Illinois in 1928.
1928 – H.C. Paddock Sons establish the Roselle Register
By the end of the century the chain included 45 Illinois and California papers, including the Naperville -based Sun Publications chain, founded in 1935, along with dailies in Joliet, Elgin, and Waukegan.
Paddock continued to serve as a senior editor until just days before his death at the age of 83 in 1935.
After graduating from Knox College in 1937, he was hesitant about joining the family business, concerned that it was not large enough to support him and his siblings.
1939 – H.C. Paddock Sons moves into 217 W. Campbell in Arlington Heights
After a stint in the service during World War II, he once again returned to the company, becoming a board director in 1948.
1948 – Paddock incorporates, becoming Paddock Publications, Inc.
1949 – Paddock Publications launches Wheeling Herald
1950 – Paddock Publications launches Bensenville Register
1951 – Paddock Publications acquires a new printing press
1955 – Paddock Publications launches Rolling Meadows and Prospect Heights editions
1956 – First edition printed on 32-page Goss Universal press
1957 – Paddock Publications launches Addison Register and Elk Grove edition
1958 – Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows editions of the Arlington Heights Herald renames into Elk Grove Herald and Rolling Meadows Herald respectively
1959 – Paddock Publications launches Hoffman Estates Herald
1960 – Paddock Publications launches Itasca Register
1962 – Sunday Suburbanite Shopper develops from the former Shopper for Mount Prospect merchants
1963 – 32-page Goss Press expanded to 48 pages
Baumann had a long history with the Herald, starting in 1964 as a reporter.
1965 – Paddock Publications launches Schaumburg Herald
Paddock Publications was content to remain a collection of small weekly newspapers until 1966, when the Chicago Sun-Times, owned by the heirs of tycoon Marshall Field, launched a suburban daily, The Day.
1967 – Paddock Publications initiates tri-weekly publication of all newspapers and discontinues Sunday Suburbanite
In 1967 he was named the paper’s chief film critic, a title he would hold for more than 40 years.
A change in the ownership of the Arlington Heights Herald instigated an intense circulation war with suburban newspapers published by Field Enterprises, the owner of the Sun-Times, in 1968.
1968 – Stuart R. Paddock Sr. dies in Dunedin, Florida
1969: The company's weekly community newspapers become a five-day-a-week publication, the Arlington Heights Herald.
In 1970, Paddock Publications also entered Lake County, where a number of community weekly papers were established.
An acquaintance with director Russ Meyer led Ebert to write several scripts for the camp auteur in the 1970s, including Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970).
1971 – Printing of Register newspapers moves from Arlington Heights to Downers Grove
1972 – Paddock Crescent Newspapers and the Herald Registers sells to a new group called Crescent Newspapers
1973 – Paddock Publications initiates use of 201 W. Campbell St building for newspaper processing
1975 – Paddock Publications launches Saturday edition for all the dailies
1978 – Paddock Publications initiates final edition of Arlington Heights Daily Herald distribution at newsstands in Chicago Loop, O’Hare Field, and selected locations in DuPage and Lake Counties
1980 – The Sunday Herald has first issue of larger tabloid size comics
1981 – Paddock Publications installs the Third Goss Universal 48-page press
1983 – 799 office opens in Glen Ellyn
He joined the Tribune in 1984, protesting Rupert Murdoch's purchase of the SunTimes.
1984 – Barrington Herald converts to a daily frequency
1986 – Formation of the Editorial Graphics department
1988 – New office opens in Barrington, closes the old office
1989 – Paddock Publications initiates Naperville/Lisle Daily Herald
1990 – Paddock Publications initiates Lombard, Villa Park/Oak Brook/Oak Brook Terrace, and Carpentersville/East Dundee/West Dundee/Gilberts/Sleepy Hollow Daily Heralds
Toll roads and freeways accelerated suburban growth after World War II, touching off a new competition with the downtown dailies. It became the third-largest circulating newspaper in Illinois in 1990.
By 1991, circulation exceeded 100,000, making it the state's third largest daily newspaper.
1992 – Individual Neighbor sections are added for editions in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, and Winfield
In 1993, it sued the two dailies as well as several major syndicates, including the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service, Times Mirror Co., New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., Creator Syndicate, King Features Syndicate, United Media, and Universal Press Syndicate.
1993 – Paddock Publications expands into Fox River Grove
Reporters and editors win Lisagor awards for their work on the Fox River Grove bus/train crash, which killed seven high school students in October 1995
Daily Herald sports section is named among the Associated Press’ Top Ten daily sports section in the nation for the year 1995
1996 – Editorial Department moves to new building at 155 E. Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights
By the end of 1997, paid circulation of the Herald had reached 132,000.
It teamed up with the Chicago Sun-Times and the Herald News of Joliet, Illinois, to create a regional classified advertising Web site in 1999.
In June 2000 Chicago newspaper columnist Richard Roeper became Ebert’s permanent partner on the program, which was renamed Ebert & Roeper & the Movies.
On a more traditional front in 2000, Paddock Publications acquired Reflejos, a ten-year-old monthly bilingual Latino paper with a circulation of 28,000 in Chicago's suburbs.
2000 – Daily Herald begins circulation in Bensenville
2001 – Daily Herald founds ChicagoJobNetwork.com, a career-focused website–Daily Herald is the sole owner
Douglas K. Ray is named a director and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2002
Of more significance in 2002 was the passing of Stuart Paddock, Jr., who in April succumbed to congestive heart failure at the age of 86.
2002 – Scott Stone and Colin O’Donnell were appointed to Board of Managers positions at DriveChicago and Reflejos
Ground is broken for new 160,000 square-foot Daily Herald Printing Center in Schaumburg, to be completed in early 2003
2005 – The Daily Herald launches a new employment section called Chicago Suburban Jobs
A long period of recuperation followed, and Ebert took a break from film reviewing until October 2006.
2006 – The Board of Directors elected Stefanie Anderson to the position of Vice President of Production and Scott Stone as Vice President of Matrix Operations and New Business Development
2007 – The Daily Herald launches Yahoo! HotJobs on dailyherald.com
2008 – Daily Herald newspaper merges Beep and Time Out! sections
In 2008 he started a Web journal, which he managed in addition to his film-reviewing duties.
2009 – Doug Ray is named publisher of the Daily Herald in addition to his duties as Chief Executive Officer
A documentary of the same name was released in 2014; it depicted Ebert’s life and featured commentary from a range of film industry luminaries.
2015 – Scott Stone was elected President and Chief Operating Officer.
April 2017 – Purchased: Carbondale Times and Thomas Publishing (printing biz).
September 2018 – Purchased: Blue Mound Leader.
February 2020 – Purchased: Moultrie County News-Progress and Fish Wrap.
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Suburban Chicago Newspapers competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times Shamrock | 1895 | $480,000 | 50 | - |
| Pamplin Media Group | 2001 | $85.0M | 200 | - |
| Hawaii News Now | 2009 | $17.0M | 375 | - |
| Business Publications, Inc | - | - | - | - |
| American City Business Journals | 1985 | $280.0M | 1,900 | 26 |
| Sound Publishing | 1987 | $190.0M | 750 | 14 |
| Press & Sun-Bulletin | 1904 | $270,000 | 5 | - |
| Travelhost | - | $420,000 | 6 | - |
| Capital Gazette | - | $2.5M | 125 | - |
| The Tribune-Democrat | 1853 | $2.2M | 30 | - |
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