About The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current
Somerville, Tenn. (190?-current)

The Fayette Falcon

With a lineage dating back to the mid-1830s, the Fayette Falcon claims to be the oldest newspaper in West Tennessee. Beginning with the Somerville Reporter in 1837, the paper went through several name changes before emerging after the Civil War as the Somerville Falcon. In 1908, it became the Fayette Falcon. Walter T. Loggins became the editor and publisher of the eight-page paper, over which he presided for the next 23 years.

The Democratic weekly newspaper, which was published each Friday from Somerville, the seat of Fayette County, offered readers a wide array of content from local political and agricultural news to national sports updates such as the exploits of professional boxer Jack Dempsey. In the 1910s, the Falcon featured advertisements for local, regional, and national products prominently on the front page - including the masthead - and throughout the body of the newspaper. Editor Loggins reminded local businesses and subscribers of this feature, claiming that "the Falcon pays its advertisers and pleases its readers." Loggins also engaged in a common practice of the era, publishing both puffs, known today as advertorials, and reading notices, whereby products were integrated into news accounts. By 1920, the six-column paper reached an estimated 1,150 readers. In 1931, Roy C. Coleson bought the Falcon and remained editor until his death in 1965. Under Coleson's direction, the paper was converted from hot-lead to offset printing. In the 1990s, Carl A. Jones purchased the Falcon which he incorporated into the Jones family of newspapers. Several awards were conferred on the Fayette Falcon for public service, most notably the Taylor Nightingale Award from the University of Memphis for its contributions to journalism in the field of race relations in the 1990s.

Provided by: University of Tennessee