The ''Indianapolis Journal'' was a newspaper published in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The paper published daily editions every evening except on Sundays, when it published a morning edition.

History

On March 7, 1823, Harvey Gregg and Douglas Maguire published the first issue of the ''Western Censor & Emigrants' Guide'', a year after the city's first newspaper, the ''Indianapolis Gazette'', was established. On October 19, 1824, Gregg sold his interest in the paper to John Douglass. Douglass and Maquire published the ''Western Censor'' until renaming it as the ''Indiana Journal'' on January 11, 1825, and expanded and enlarged the publication. From the outset the paper advocated for government-sponsored internal improvements and protective tariffs that would aid Indiana’s agricultural economy. These positions led the ''Journal'' to align with the Whig Party beginning in the mid-1830s. Purchased in 1845 by John D. Defrees, and operated by him for nearly a decade, the paper was the first in Indianapolis to install a steam driven printing press. Under his leadership, the paper became Indianapolis's first permanent daily, the ''Daily Indiana State Journal'', in April 1851. The title changed to ''Indianapolis Morning Journal'' in 1853, then to ''Indianapolis Daily Journal'' the following year, and ultimately to ''Indianapolis Journal'' in 1867. Berry R. Sulgrove joined the ''Journal'' in 1854 as editor and acquired a controlling interest in the paper a few years later. He transitioned the paper from the Whig to the Republican camp. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Sulgrove published strong pro- Union columns supporting the policies of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

and of Indiana governor Oliver P. Morton. During the war, the ''Journal''s daily circulation reached 6,000; while that of the Democrat and Copperhead-aligned '' Indianapolis Sentinel'' saw a decline in its daily readership due to interference and shutdowns enforced by Morton. The Journal purchased several other Indianapolis newspapers during Sulgrove's ownership. These included the ''Atlas'' in 1861, the ''Evening Gazette'' in 1867, the ''Evening Commercial'' in 1871, and the ''Daily Times'' in 1879. John C. New, a banker, attorney, and leading Indianapolis-area Republican figure, purchased the ''Journal'' in 1880. New's leadership helped the paper excel, dramatically increasing its readership. In 1886, New bought the '' Indianapolis TImes'', which was published in the afternoon. Rival papers, including the ''Indianapolis Mirror,'' went out of business, leaving the ''Journal'' as the only daily newspaper in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The paper featured regular columns from famous writers and figures including

James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...

, Benjamin Harrison, and Eugene V. Debs. Riley's poem " Little Orphant Annie" was first published in the paper in 1885. During most of its history, the paper consisted of eight pages and at its peak had a circulation of 11,000. The paper commonly supported Republican candidates for office and published editorials supporting Republicans positions. During the late nineteenth century competition from the '' Indianapolis Star'' began a decline in the ''Journals readership. The ''Star'' eventually took a majority readership in the region. Charles S. Henry bought the paper from the New family in 1903, but sold it to the ''Star'' in June 1904. The combined papers were published as the ''Star and Journal'' until October of that year, at which time the ''Journal'' was dropped from the paper's name.

References

A Brief History of the Indianapolis Journal
from the State Library's Historic Newspaper Digitization Blog * *{{cite book, title=James Whitcomb Riley: a life, author=Van Allen, Elizabeth J., publisher=

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Press, year= 1999, isbn=0-253-33591-4, page=162 Mass media in Indianapolis Newspapers established in 1823 Publications disestablished in 1904 Newspapers published in Indiana Defunct newspapers published in Indiana 1823 establishments in Indiana 1904 disestablishments in Indiana