1891
The Simons Family – FTTDIN
1891 marks the year when W. C. Simons, along with his brother, L. A. Simons, and brother-in-law, J. L. Brady, arrived in Lawrence by horse and buggy to enter the newspaper business. There were already seven papers being published in Lawrence as well as several at the university. The ledger for their first day of business leasing the Lawrence Record from J. B. Watkins stated: “Lawrence, Kansas, December 14, 1891 . . . We J. L. Brady, W. C. Simons and L. A. Simons commence business this day with L A. Simons’ capital of $50.00.”
A few months later, the three newspapermen gave up their lease and began publishing the Lawrence World, using old, used, rusty equipment discarded by other town publishers. L.A. Simons was bought out, and various newspaper purchases and consolidations took place over the years. All of these purchases used borrowed money and often involved taking on other papers’ debts. In 1911, fire destroyed the building where The Journal was being published, so two papers merged to create the Journal-World in February of that year. Three years later, J. L. Brady sold his shares of stock in the World Company to take advantage of opportunities in Arkansas. W. C. Simons became the sole owner-operator of the newspaper and majority stockholder in the World Company.
Responsibility for the business has passed from generation to generation of the Simons family over the years. According to various sources, today’s Journal-World represents the merger or purchase of 40 newspapers from at least 104 published in Lawrence since the city was founded in 1854.
Step Sponsored By: The World Company