Columbus (Ohio) Citizen-Journal Photograph Collection

Collection Synopsis as researched by the Ohio Historical Society

Note: The physical location of this collection is the Grandview Heights Public Library. For information on accessing the collection please call 614-486-2954 or send an email to: ghp@ghpl.org.

            Historical  sketch:   On November 9, 1959, the Columbus Citizen and the Ohio State Journal  merged to form the Columbus Citizen-Journal, a new morning paper selling for seven cents daily or forty-two cents weekly.   The previous day, a Sunday, the Columbus Citizen and the Dispatch Printing Company, of which the Ohio State Journal  was a division,  issued statements concerning the change.   The Columbus Citizen-Journal  editorial  staff would have offices in a separate part of the expanded facilities of the Dispatch Printing Company at 34 S. Third Street,  and combine some features, cartoons and syndicated columns of both the Citizen and the Ohio State Journal.   The Dispatch Printing Company would print the new paper and share business,  advertising,  and circulation staff.   The Columbus Citizen, under editor Don E. Weaver, took over the editorial responsibility for the Citizen-Journal, which also continued as a Scripps-Howard publication.   Some members of the editorial  staff of the Ohio State Journal  were offered positions with the Columbus Dispatch.   All  other employees from both newspapers, whose services were no longer needed, were given liberal  severance pay.   This arrangement was deemed the most economically efficient by all three newspapers.  With this merger, the Ohio State Journal, which began in 1811  as the Western Intelligencer,  suspended publication.

          In  1809, New England native Col . James Kilbourne and Robert D. Richardson bought and transported  from Connecticut the first press to appear in central Ohio.   They arranged for the publication of the Western Intelligencer, but Richardson did not publish the paper in 1809 and it lay dormant until 1811.   Finally, on October 26,  1811,  Kilbourne published the Western Intelligencer in Worthington, Ohio, with the stated purpose to promote "the principles of Republicanism and whatever else may be found conducive to the perpetuity of our free system of government and the unparalleled prosperity of our happy country shall  be carefully preserved and supported."

          Joel  Buttles and George Smith took over the paper in little over a month,  and eventually moved the operations to Columbus when the Ohio legislature designated Columbus as the new site for the capital of Ohio.   In 1814 the Western Intelligencer acquired the additional name of Columbus Gazette,  finally dropping the former name altogether.   Eventually Col. Philo H. Olmstead bought into the paper and then became the sole owner in 1826. Later that year, George Nashee was elected to the new post of the office of state printer.   He came to Columbus to start his own newspaper but instead aligned himself with Olmstead.   The Columbus Gazette became the Ohio State Journal  and Columbus Gazette acted as the official  journal of the Ohio legislature.   The newspaper was published at least three times a week when the legislature met, but less frequently during adjournment.

          Between 1826 and 1840, there were several changes in ownership as the Ohio State Journal  and Columbus Gazette absorbed other newspapers in financial  difficulty.   In 1840 the newspaper shortened its title to the Ohio State Journal  and during the following years became more politicized.   In 1854, the editor, Oren Follett, published an announcement of a meeting which led to the formation of the Republican party in Ohio.   The Journal became perhaps the most influential paper In Ohio and certainly of the Republican party,  and continued in this capacity under the ownership of James Comly and various associates between 1865 and 1878.

          Near the turn of the century, J.D.  Ellison, principal  stockholder from 1882 to 1902,   began a search for a new owner, since the paper, although undoubtedly influential, was never a financial success.   Robert F. Wolfe and his brother Harry P. Wolfe, Columbus shoe manufacturers interested in pursuing additional business ventures, were considering purchase of the paper when they heard Sen. Joseph R. Foraker and Congressman  J.J. Gill had come to town with similar intentions.   The Wolfes hurriedly arranged a meeting with Ellison and soon emerged as new owners, earning the enmity of Sen. Foraker and his Republican party faction who were hoping to use the paper for their own political gain.   The Wolfes reversed the paper's financial situation and started to exert their influence on local politicians to make substantial improvements around the city.   Robert F. Wolfe, president of the Ohio State Journal Company, died in 1927, but was succeeded by his son, Edgar T. Wolfe Sr., who with Harry P. Wolfe continued the direction of the newspaper.

          On January 1,  1950, the Ohio State Journal Company merged with the Dispatch Printing Company.   The latter became the continuing corporation and the Ohio State Journal became a division of the Dispatch Printing Company.   In the merger, all officers and directors of the continuing company were retained and each newspaper continued its previous publication schedule.

          The Columbus Citizen, unlike the Ohio State Journal, was associated throughout its history of forty-nine years with the same organization, the Scripps-McRae League of Newspapers, which later became the Scripps-Howard League of Newspapers.   While singular ownership offered the Columbus Citizen some stability, its announced intention of maintaining independence of any political  party and its purchase price of one penny insured early success of this new venture.

          George W. Dun, former business manager of the Press-Post, founded the Columbus Citizen with the financial backing of Henry Reinhard.   Dun arranged to share the printing plant and facilities of Der Westbote, a German language newspaper housed at 210 S. High Street,  and contracted with the Scripps-McRae telegraph service, a newly established competitor of the Associated Press.   The first issue of the Columbus Citizen appeared on March 1,  1899,  and with George Smart as editor stated:   "The Citizen will not be an organ of [a] faction or class, but will be independent.   Its independence will not, however, mean that [the Columbus Citizen will] be neutral and fail to express itself positively in regard to principles and men.   It will have convictions and express them forcibly and clearly."

          The paper attained early success and within five months moved to 208 S.  High Street.   On September 24, 1900, the Citizen moved to a portion of the Mithoff Building at 47 E. State Street. This marked the first time the Citizen had its own independent publishing plant.   Another move was made to 34 N.  Third Street in  1910, where it remained until 1959 when the plant was closed at the time of the merger.

          The Citizen's success attracted the attention of E.W. Scripps, a founding member of Scripps-McRae, who threatened to withdraw the telegraphic news service because Scripps-McRae planned to begin publishing local newspapers at a low price.   Since Scripps-McRae was Dun's only source for wire service, he was compelled to allow Scripps to purchase fifty-one percent of the stock in the Citizen, effective July 6, 1907.   Dun held forty-nine percent, but sold to others in the Scripps-McRae organization.

          E.E. Cook followed George Smart as editor.   Cook served in this capacity for more than twenty years.   A succession of other editors followed before Don E. Weaver joined the Citizen as editor in 1945, presided over the merger of the Columbus Citizen and the Ohio State Journal  in 1959, and continued until retirement from the Citizen-Journal  on April 1, 1967.   He was succeeded by Charles Egger who edited the Citizen-Journal  just under ten years, retiring

December 31, 1976.   Richard R. Campbell took over January 1, 1977, and currently serves as editor as the Columbus Citizen-Journal  nears its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Sources:  Moore, Opha.  History of Franklin County, Ohio.

(Topeka, Kansas: Historical  Publishing Co., 1930).  Vol.  1, p. 452-467.

The IMS  '84 Ayer Directory of Publications.   (Fort Washington, Pa. :   IMS Press,  1984), p. 757.

Columbus Citizen.   March 1, 1899;  March 1, 1949;  May 25, 1949; Nov. 8, 1959.

Ohio State Journal.   October 26, 1911.

Columbus Dispatch.   January 2,  1950; November 8, 1959.

Columbus Citizen-Journal.   November 9, 1959; April  1, 1967; January 1, 1977.

Telephone conversation with Barbara Kussow, Columbus Citizen-Journal,  September 25,  1984.

          Scope and content:   This collection, being the morgue of a Columbus, Ohio, daily newspaper,  is strongest in Columbus related areas.   Photographs showing nationally prominent individuals usually depict them while in Columbus.   A wide variety of people, places, and events relating to Ohio or impacting Ohio residents are documented here.   Researchers are advised to check this collection for even the most unlikely topics.

          Since the editorial  staff of the Citizen remained intact after the merger which created the Citizen-Journal,  it is possible that the bulk of these photographs were taken by Citizen photographers.   Few photographs, however, identify either the newspaper or the photographer; many are provided by wire service photographers.   Many photographs carry the original captions with date line and some are marked for cropping.   The majority of the photographs are informal action scenes.