The history of Athens News Courier
Published 12:00 pm Sunday, October 29, 2023
On Jan. 4, 2023, the Athens News Courier began its 150th volume — the number that correlates to the number of years a newspaper has published.
Typically a newspaper’s volume number would indicate the number of years a newspaper had been in circulation and to find its origin date, simply subtract from the current year.
But with the history of newspaper mergers in Athens and Limestone County, the volume count no longer aligns with the number of years and is categorized by the Library of Congress as “irregular.” Regardless, the Athens News Courier is proud to celebrate its 150th volume — and its long history — serving our community.
The Athens News Courier’s beginning goes back to about 1880, when Charles M. Hayes created The Alabama Courier. Volume 1, Number 1, was published Oct. 7, 1880.
The Limestone Democrat, published by the Limestone Democrat Co., was created in 1881, and was a competitor of The Alabama Courier. The earliest edition of the Limestone Democrat on record at the Limestone County Archives is dated Dec. 2, 1891, from Volume 1. The Library of Congress has the Jan. 2, 1892, edition as Volume 1, Number 41.
A third Athens-Limestone paper is listed by the Library of Congress as being in existence in the years preceding the merger. The exact start date of the Athens LC News Leader is unclear, but recorded as being in circulation from “196?-1968” with the July 21, 1966, edition being Volume 1, Number 37.
In 1968, Robert Bryan, owner of The Cullman Times, purchased the competing weekly papers and merged them into the daily Athens News Courier. At the time of the merger, The Alabama Courier was publishing Volume 87 and the Limestone Democrat ended on Volume 78.
When the first edition of The Athens News Courier was published Oct. 7, 1968, Bryan began it as Volume 86. The reason behind the numbering is not understood at this time.
Bryan sold the Athens News Courier to Hollinger in 1997. Hollinger later sold the paper to its current owners, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., now known as CNHI, LLC, an Alabama-based newspaper group.