Robert Hugh Miller (November 27, 1826 – February 14, 1911), founder and publisher of the '' Liberty Tribune'', one of the oldest newspapers of continuous publication west of the Mississippi, was born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

on November 27, 1826. Miller established the ''Tribune'' in 1846 and edited it until 1886. His family migrated from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

when he was six, and to

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

when he was 12. As a teenager, he was apprenticed, first to the '' Columbia Patriot'', and later to the ''

Missouri Statesman Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

''. Encouraged by William Jewell of Columbia, Miller moved to

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willia ...

, where he founded the ''Tribune'', which eventually became profitable.

Early life and education

Miller was born in

, His parents were John E.Miller, the son of a

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

owner of Scottish descent and Mary A. (Rogers) Miller. The Millers had two children, Robert H, and Edmund, who died in 1859 in Boone County, Missouri Miller's first years were spent on his father's plantation in

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a United States county (United States), county located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottes ...

Following the death of his father, in 1838, his mother moved to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. His mother remarried after the family moved to

Paris, Missouri Paris is a city and county seat of Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,161 at the 2020 census. History Paris was platted in 1831, and named after Paris, Kentucky, the native home of one of the first settlers, Mrs. James ...

, where his mother taught school. In 1840, aged 14, Miller was apprenticed to the printer's trade in the office of the ''Patriot'', a newspaper published at Columbia, Missouri. When that paper folded, Miller joined the ''Statesman'', where he gained further experience in the printing industry.

Marriage and Family

Forest Hill Robert Hugh Miller Home Liberty Missouri

Miller had four children with his first wife and five children with his second wife,

Career

The ''Tribune'' was started as a Whig paper, until the party's demise in the

US presidential election The election of the president and vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not directl ...

of 1852. From 1860 it then expressed the viewpoint of the Democratic party for the duration of his tenure. Miller became friends with

William Rockhill Nelson William Rockhill Nelson (March 7, 1841 – April 13, 1915) was an American real estate developer and co-founder of ''The Kansas City Star'' in Kansas City, Missouri. He donated his estate (and home) for the establishment of the Nelson-Atkins Museum ...

, founder of the

Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...

, who offered to buy the ''Tribune''. Miller later said he didn't want to sell at the time because he "didn't realize he was getting old". Miller eventually sold the ''Tribune'' to John Dougherty in 1885. Miller died on February 14, 1911.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Robert Hugh 1826 births 1911 deaths Businesspeople from Richmond, Virginia American publishers (people) People from Glasgow, Kentucky People from Paris, Missouri 19th-century American businesspeople