Houston Post - History

History

The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson. Though that original publication ceased in October 1884, the Houston Post was re-established with the merger of the Houston Morning Chronicle and the Houston Evening Journal on April 5, 1885. J. L. Watson was the business manager and Rienzi M. Johnston was the editor.

Short story writer O. Henry worked briefly for the Post in 1895 and 1896. He had to leave his position at the Post when he was indicted for embezzlement from previous employment at a bank in Austin.

For many years, the Post was owned by the Hobby family, who also began Houston's first radio station, KPRC (AM) in 1925. Amid declining sales, the Post was sold in 1983 to the Toronto Sun. Four years later, MediaNews Group, led by William Dean Singleton, bought the paper.

The Houston Post building, in the 1970s, had contemporary artwork, slate floors, and wood-grain concrete walls. Tours of the building and its facilities were given at the time.

The Houston Post later closed down permanently, with the final edition printed on April 18, 1995. Its assets and liabilities were acquired by Hearst Corporation, the publisher of the Post's rival daily Houston Chronicle. The Hearst Corporation acquired the Houston Post headquarters, which included the newspaper's printing facilities and five offset press lines. Hearst began to use the facilities as part of the production of the Houston Chronicle. Houston Chronicle newspapers were distributed to former Houston Post subscribers. The facility now serves as a Houston Chronicle plant and the headquarters of the Houston Chronicle Spanish newspaper La Voz de Houston.