The ''Evening Independent'' was St. Petersburg, Florida's first daily newspaper. The sister evening newspaper of the '' St. Petersburg Times'', it was launched as a weekly newspaper in March 1906 under the ownership of Willis B. Powell. In November 1907, it became a daily paper as the ''St. Petersburg Evening Independent''. The newspaper was known for its "Sunshine Offer", which was first enacted in 1910 by

Lew Brown Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, esp ...

as a way to publicize St. Petersburg as "The Sunshine City". The paper offered copies free following days without sunshine in St. Petersburg. From 1910 until the paper folded in 1986, the ''Evening Independent'' made good on its offer 296 times. The ''Evening Independent'' was acquired by the ''Times'' in 1962, when its previous owner, the Thomson newspaper chain, threatened to close it down. Roy Thomson had originally bought the ''Independent'' so he would have a place to moor his yacht. The ''Evening Independent'' was merged into the ''Times'' in November 1986, initially as part of the ''Times'''s "City Times and Independent" section; the "Independent" name would soon be dropped. Every issue of the ''Evening Independent'', along with the ''Times'', is available for viewing on Google News Archive.

References

Tampa Bay Times Publications established in 1906 Publications disestablished in 1986 Mass media in St. Petersburg, Florida Defunct newspapers published in Florida Evening newspapers Daily newspapers published in the United States 1906 establishments in Florida 1986 disestablishments in Florida {{florida-newspaper-stub