Origins of The Columbus Dispatch

L.P. Stephens

Luther P. Stephens was one of the original founders of The Columbus Dispatch. Later he became GM for the Columbus Press-Post in 1896. He is most known for being the Treasurer of the Columbus, New Albany & Johnstown Railway.

William D. Brickell

Brickell learned the printing trade as an apprentice in Pittsburgh. In 1876 he purchased the Dispatch and owned it until 1905. He also incorporated our first telephone company and the Columbus Electric Light Company.

Lorenzo D. Myers

Captain Myers was a Civil War veteran of the 64^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He came to Columbus in 1866 to publish the Ohio Statesman. He was the editor of the Dispatch for six years beginning in 1876. He later served as Columbus Postmaster from 1882-1886.

The Columbus Evening Dispatch was established in 1871 by 10 men who each subscribed to the Dispatch’s stock in the amount of $1,000, which was paid for by working at the newspaper. The newspaper was politically independent and focused on local news stories, which quickly gained them subscribers. In the third year of operation the newspaper was sold for $10,500 to John H. Putnam and Dr. Gustavus A. Doren. They quickly secured an Associated Press franchise, invested in new printing equipment and then sold the newspaper in January 1876 to Captain Lorenzo D. Myers and William D. Brickell. When he became postmaster in 1882, Captain Myers sold his interest to Brickell, who was the publisher until 1903, when he sold it to Joseph J. Gill of Steubenville.

Bus Brown at WBNS

Jazz musician Bus Brown plays guitar at WBNS radio. Live musical performances were popular among the station's audiences.

In 1905 most of the stock was bought by Robert F. Wolfe and Harry P. Wolfe, who had bought the Ohio State Journal in 1902. When Robert F. Wolfe died in 1927, Harry P. Wolfe and associates became publishers. In 1929 the Wolfe family acquired AM radio station WCAH 1460, but later changed the station name to WBNS (which stood for “Wolfe Bank, Newspaper and Shoes”) in 1934. In 1940 the Dispatch began to publish “Ohio’s Picture Newspaper” – the Columbus Star – a tabloid newspaper focused on local news, sports, movies, theater, night life and gossip.

Fritz the Nite Owl

Frederick Peerenboom, better known as “Fritz the Nite Owl,” hosted Nite Owl Theater on WBNS-TV from 1974-1991. The popular late night show earned five Emmy awards.

In 1950 the Ohio State Journal merged with the Dispatch Printing Company. By 1959, when the Ohio State Journal merged with the Columbus Citizen to become the Columbus Citizen-Journal, the morning newspaper Citizen-Journal was operating under a joint agreement with its rival, the afternoon newspaper The Columbus Dispatch. After the Dispatch decided to let the joint operating agreement expire, the Citizen-Journal soon closed its doors, printing its last issue on December 31, 1985.

The Other Paper

Of all the publications that the Dispatch company owned in the 2000s, perhaps the most popular was The Other Paper. The alternative weekly newspaper was published from 1990-2013 and had a readership of nearly 20% of the Columbus market.

In the 2000s the Dispatch purchased Columbus Alive, The Other Paper, Columbus Monthly, Columbus CEO and 22 weekly newspapers printed by Suburban News Publications. In 2015, the Dispatch was acquired by New Media Investment Group, which later became Gannett Co.

Columbus Monthly

Columbus Monthly debuted in June 1975 despite naysayers who said “a magazine won’t work in this town.”