The Moundsville Echo is a weekly newspaper serving Moundsville, West Virginia and surrounding Marshall County since 1891.[1] The paper had a circulation of 2,750 in 2016. It is owned by Moundsville Echo, LLC[2] and published by Charles M. Walton.[3] In 2024, the daily newspaper briefly closed and relaunched as a weekly published on Thursdays.[4]
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Moundsville Echo, LLC |
| Founder(s) | James Davis Shaw |
| Publisher | Charlie M. Walton |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Moundsville, West Virginia |
| Circulation | 2,750 (as of 2016) |
| OCLC number | 13148366 |
History
editThe Echo was founded in 1891 by James Davis Shaw as the Moundsville Echo, a weekly.[5] In 1896, it went to daily publication.[6] Shaw billed it as an independent paper, featuring the slogan "The news unbiased and unbossed" on the masthead.[7]
On J.D. Shaw's death in 1917, the publication passed to his son, Samuel Craig Shaw.[8] Shaw's politics were largely Democratic, and in those years he was a proponent of barring black voters to ensure a Democratic victory.[9]
The paper was passed down in turn to Samuel Cockayne Shaw in 1951. In 1984, the Echo was up to a circulation of 5,000, published in a nine-column format and adhering to its publisher's penchant for Simplified Spelling.[10] Sam C. Shaw, who was nicknamed the Flying Turtle because of his slow running, was a beloved tinkerer who was known for collecting news via his bike route.[11] He designed and installed several electronic systems in the town, including the fire alarm system, which did not work during its unveiling ceremony. Shaw rigged the system using a toaster and the system worked, and continued to work for several years using the toaster.[11] Sam C. Shaw operated the paper until his death in 1995.[12]
After Shaw's death, the paper was published and edited by Charles "Charlie" L. Walton from 1995 until 2014; he died in 2019 at the age of 78.[13] The paper was then published by his son Charlie M. Walton.[14]
In June 2024, The Echo closed after 133 years in business due to a staff shortage. A handwritten note was left on the paper's office door that read “The Echo Is Permanently Closed Due To Lack of Help.”[15] Walton said he and two part-timers were the paper's only employees. He was unsuccessful in hiring more workers and decided to stop publication.[14] In July, Walton announced the paper will relaunch as a weekly and be renamed to the Moundsville Weekly Echo.[4]
Related Resources
editReferences
edit- ^ "Newspapers Currently Received in the West Virginia Archives and History Library" (PDF). West Virginia Division of Culture and History. State of West Virginia. December 2016.
- ^ 2016 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Directory (PDF). West Virginia Press Association. 2016.
- ^ "Moundsville Daily Echo". Mondo Times. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ a b Wright, D.K. (July 8, 2024). "Moundsville Echo will return as a weekly newspaper after briefly shutting down". WTRF. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ "About The Moundsville echo". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ "About The Moundsville daily echo". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ Schramm, Robert W. (2004). Moundsville. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738517353.
- ^ "Samuel Shaw". Arizona Republic. 2 January 1957. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ The Tammany Times. Tammany Publishing Company. 1903.
- ^ "70-year-old editor attacks every day with newfound zeal". Lincoln Journal Star. 28 October 1984. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ a b "e-WV | Sam Shaw". www.wvencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
- ^ "Moundsville Daily Echo | West Virginia Public Broadcasting". www.wvpublic.org. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
- ^ "Former West Virginia newspaper publisher Charlie Walton dies". Associated Press. 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
- ^ a b "West Virginia newspaper, the Moundsville Daily Echo, halts operations after 133 years". Associated Press. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
- ^ Wright, D.K. (2024-06-03). "Moundsville Daily Echo newspaper closes after 133 years "due to lack of help"". WTRF. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
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