Early History
The paper began publication on July 29, 1786, with the encouragement of Hugh Henry Brackenridge as a four-page weekly, initially called The Gazette. It was the first newspaper published west of the Allegheny Mountains. Published by Joseph Hall and John Scull, the paper covered the start of the nation. As one of its first major articles, the Post Gazette published the newly adopted Constitution of the United States.
In 1828, the paper was sold to Morgan Neville, and the name briefly changed to Pittsburgh Gazette and Manufacturing and Mercantile Advertiser. In 1829, Neville sold the paper to David McClean, who reverted to the former title.
In 1844, the paper became a morning daily paper. Although the paper's editorial stance at the time was conservative, the paper was credited with helping to organize a local chapter of the new Republican Party, and with contributing to the election of Abraham Lincoln. The paper was one of the first to suggest tensions between North and South would erupt in war.
After a consolidation of papers in 1866, the paper was again renamed and was then known as the Commercial Gazette.
In 1900, George T. Oliver acquired the paper, merged it with another paper (The Pittsburgh Times) and formed a new paper, The Gazette Times. After several more mergers of newspapers in Pittsburgh, including the Dispatch, publisher Paul Block bought the paper in 1927 and it became the Post-Gazette on August 2.
Read more about this topic: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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