Historical Marker
Brenham Banner Press
Historical marker location:
Brenham, Texas
( 2000 Stringer Road (accessed off US 290 W. bound feeder road in the 500 block), Brenham)
Founded Jan. 1, 1866, as weekly "Southern Banner", by Dan McGary and John C. Rankin, Confederate veterans. For his independent policies, editor McGary was jailed that year; shop and nearby businesses burned. But paper survived; became a daily in 1876.
"Banner" was merged with "Press" in 1912 by George Meu. Mrs. Ruby Robertson, on staff in 1912, in 1917 became first woman in Texas to edit a daily. Jim Byrd, production superintendent, has been on force since 1921.
Ben F. Blanton, a newspaperman since 1939, became editor and publisher on Feb. 1, 1962.