Kerrville Daily Times
Historical marker location:Several newspapers have served the residents of Kerr County since its organization. Most of these have ceased to publish but one, the Kerrville Daily Times, has served area readers as the only daily newspaper published in the Hill Country. One of the oldest businesses in continuous operation in the county, the paper began as the Center Point News in 1910. James J. Starkey, son of Kerr County pioneers J.M. and Martha Starkey, led a group of investors who moved the Center Point News to Kerrville in 1925. Starkey originally renamed his publication The Latest, but changed the name in January 1926 to the Hill View Times, writing that “a person standing on a hill top and viewing the times of the day can get a clear and accurate perspective of events.”
In October 1926, Starkey once again changed the name of his weekly newspaper to The Kerrville Times. He also served in community affairs, including as chairman of the Democratic Party in Kerr County. James sold the assets of The Times publishing company to his nephew, G. Rankin Starkey, in 1934, and continued to write a weekly column, “Pioneer History,” until his death twenty years later. G. Rankin Starkey and co-publisher Sam P. Braswell converted the weekly paper to a daily run in March 1949 with the debut of the Kerrville Daily Times. William E. Dozier, who added a weekend edition to The Times in 1976, was elected president of the Texas Press Association in 1979. The Times later produced an electronic edition and purchased the assets of the kerrville mountain sun, continuing to publish that historic newspaper. A Texas company, Southern Newspapers Inc., purchased The Times in 1995. The Times and its employees have a long history of service to the community and the newspaper industry.