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The Spartanburg Journal and the Carolina Spartan served the people of Spartanburg, located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, for over 130 years. During those years, Spartanburg grew considerably: schools were established (including Converse College, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, and Wofford College), railroad lines were completed, and the textile industry came to dominate the local economy. In 1890, Spartanburg billed itself as "the greatest cotton manufacturing centre in the South." In 1917, the United States Army established a large training camp, called Camp Wadsworth, in Spartanburg, cementing its status as a leader in the region.

The Journal and the Carolina Spartan began as the Spartanburg Spartan on December 22, 1843. A year later, Thomas Oliver Perry Vernon sold his share in the Spartan to his fellow proprietor, Zadock D. Cottrell, who in turn sold his share to Peter M. Wallace. In June 1852, the Spartan became the Spartanburg Carolina Spartan, "devoted to southern rights, politics, agriculture, and miscellany." During the Civil War, the Carolina Spartan suspended publication only once, on account of paper shortages. In 1878, Charles Petty took over as owner. Edward P. McKissick, the author of a promotional piece titled A Story of Spartan Push, characterized Petty's contributions thusly: "His paper suits the farmers inasmuch as Capt. Petty was once a farmer, and still takes a very great interest in the production of field and garden crops." Petty would ultimately devote nearly 40 years of service to the Spartan, earning the appellation "dean of the newspaper profession in South Carolina."

In 1896, the Carolina Spartan reverted back to its original name, the Spartanburg Spartan, but by 1898, it was once again being published as the Spartanburg Carolina Spartan. On May 28, 1913, the Carolina Spartan merged with a daily newspaper, the Spartanburg Journal, and became the daily Journal and the Carolina Spartan. Although the Journal and the Carolina Spartan had its own separate identity and editorial staff, it was in fact owned by Charles Oscar Hearon, the editor of the Spartanburg Daily Herald, and printed on the same presses as the Herald. On October 1, 1982, the Daily Herald and the Spartanburg Journal and the Carolina Spartan were formally combined to create the daily Spartanburg Herald-Journal, now simply known as the Herald-Journal. The Herald-Journal is presently owned by the New Media Investment Group; it reaches 160,000 readers on average every day.

Provided by: University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC