About Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994
Palatka, Fla. (1919-1994)

Palatka Daily News

Palatka is located on the upper St. Johns River and serves as the seat of Putnam County, Florida. The town was crossed by a number of railroads--the Florida Southern; the Georgia Southern and Florida; the Jacksonville, the Tampa and Key West; and the St. Augustine and Palatka--and served as a junction for routes continuing to the west and south. 1865-95 is known as the "golden age" for Palatka, when it not only home to these major railroads, but also to seven steamboat lines. Palatka was the major shipping point in Florida for citrus and timber, as well as a popular destination for tourists. On November 7, 1884, a fire devastated Palatka, practically wiping out the entire city. By 1890, Palatka had recovered and reemerged as a "more refined city" with eight first-class hotels and three new residential districts. Unfortunately, the "Great Freezes of 1894-1895" destroyed most of the region's citrus groves. Following this devastation, Palatka could no longer keep up with Jacksonville's rise as an economic center. Although still important, Palatka's railroads could not compete with those in Jacksonville, and Palatka's steamboats operated only during tourist seasons. However, by 1910 the lumber industry had expanded, making Palatka the industrial center it is today.

In 1914, H.P. Nerwich began publishing the Palatka Morning Post, which was later purchased by the Palatka Daily News on May 21, 1921. Published by G.M. Guerry and M.M. Vickers, the Daily News, had begun publication in 1919. During its early years, the Palatka Daily News covered national events such as the Women's Rights Movement and the passage of the 19^th Amendment, prohibition, and the Ku Klux Klan. Readers were also informed of international affairs such as World War I and the Greco-Turkish War.

In 1926, Vickers sold the Daily News to a corporation headed by Clayton C. Codrington of the Deland (Florida) Daily News. In 1958, John H. Perry of Perry Publications purchased both the Palatka Times-Herald and the Palatka Daily News, merging them into one publication. About ten years later, the Palatka Daily News along with the Leesburg (Florida) Daily Commercial, which was also owned by Perry Publications, were privately sold to Gardner Cowles of Indian River Newspapers, Inc. A new editor-publisher, Ed Walthall, replaced the husband-wife team that had run the paper under Perry's management. In 1971, the New York Times purchased both titles. The Palatka Daily News continued as an afternoon paper with a daily circulation of 6,500 until 1994 when it became known simply as the Daily News. As of 2000, the Daily News (more commonly referred to as Palatka Daily News) was owned by Community Newspapers Inc. of Athens, Georgia.

Provided by: University of Florida