Abilene Reporter-News from Abilene, Texas • 189

PREACHER'S SON THE ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS 1 Abilene Texas Suaday Moralng April 1 1958 I I COLORFUL GILBERT from Memboy Publisher urn Reporteriwws Youthful Newsman Started 'Build Abilene1 Drive in '81 He helped found the short-lived Sweetwater and had a hand in establishing papers at An-soq Midland and San Angelo After he sold his Reporter ia May of 1886 he purchased the Dallas Times Later he consolidated It with the Herald and for many years was publisher of the Dallas Time-Herald He organized the Texas Press Association in 1889 and served as president In 1890 hr organized the Southern Afternoon Pres Association and served 8s its president three years ponies He was quite a Derby fan He operated tlie Coon Hollow ranch near Lake Abilene for years until it became a part of the Camp Barkelcy reservation during World War II Then he bought the Bear Cove Ranch south of town Mr Hanks left his multiple business 'interests in trust for his family which includes Mrs Hanks his daughter Mrs Andrew Shelton and tiiree granddaughters Sharon Sindy andScottie Howard McMahon who had for 10 years been Assistant publisher succeeded Mr Hanks as publisher of The Abilene Reporter News Mrs Hanks became president of The Reporter Publishing Company and Andrew Shelton the executive vice president PUBLISHER Howard McMahon above Is the top executive of The Abilene Reporter-News the publisher He is vice president of Tlie Reporter Publishing Co: which publishes the paper Mr McMahon has been associated with the newspaper since 1904 was named assistant publisher in 1938 and was made publisher in January 1949 after the death of Mr Hanks Mr McMahon has served as Abilene's Chamber of Commerce president was a prime figure in securing of the Air Force Base and was named top citizen of the town for 1954 He and Mrs McMahon live at 1349 Highland Ave Congratulations to the Citizens of the City of Abilene on 75 Years of Progress- WELCOME MEN OF THE A A portrait of Charles Edwin Gilbert founder of this newspaper-hangs in the lobby of tlie Reporter News building at North 2nd and Cypress Sts According to tlie portrait he is a bowhiskered serious dignified gentleman But he was a fireball newspaperman He really mi joyed a good light He was still a few weeks away from his 26th birthday when he landed in Abilene some time dur-I ing tlie spring of 1881 lie rame lure from Navasota where he had established the "Tab- i let" The newspaper there was run- ning well but the pioneering urge was still strong in (he young news-! man He had been reared in Alabama where he was born July 4 1855 but caught the western fever and came to Texas five years earli- er When he heard of tlie new town the TIP Railroad had established lie pulled stakes and moved his wife young daughter Gertrude and two sisters later Mrs Torn Andrews and Mrs It Hudson) to tlie new village They lived at first in a Ihree-ruoin shuck later in quarters built behind the newspaper "plant" lie erected the west side of Pine St about four blocks north of the railway station Gilbert got his first copy of The Abilene Rciorler otf his Wash hand press June 17 1881 Tiir months later rouble hit him While he was downed by typhoid fever fire broke out in Horn's ul Marshall Bernard Hanks whose life conformed to llie highest American tradition was the one man most responsible for building The Abilene Reporter News into the modern newspaper it is As he was building this publication he also helped develop a newspaper empire which is still growing more than seven years after his death Mr Hanks began his first work with the old Abilene Reporter as a newsboy when he was eight years old He was later chief executive of the paper for 35 years He died at the age of 64 on Dec 12 1948 Son of a pioneer Baptist preacher Dr Hanks the newspaper man was born in Dallas Sept 19 1884 His father was then pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas immediate predecessor to the late Dr George Truolt Abilene was only 11 years old when Dr Hanks brought his family to Abilene and took over the pastorate of The First Baptist Cliurch Tlie Reporter was owned and operated by George Anderson when young Bernard Hanks took his first job as deliveryboy In order to take the job he needed a pony So with his lather's direction he entered into his first business venture he recounted in later years He got himself a second job to help pay fpr the horse He "contracted" to drive neighbors' milch cows to the pasture of the lute Col II Par-ramore located then in what is now nearly mid Abilene He charged the neighbors 81 per month for the service and split the dollar with Col Parrainore To Simmons Baylor He got his first four grades of schooling in Abilene public schools then went to the elementary deportment of Simmons College Aft-er completing high school work at Simmons in 1801 he entered Bay lor University Ill health struck him in college IIis condition wasn't helped by his playing a St Reporter-News City's Oldest Firm tS! -Ti 8--1 Abilene's newspaper Tlie Abilene Reporter-News is the oldest continuous business firm in the city The first edition of "The Reporter" ancestor of the modern daily was published three months and two days after the first tuwnlots were sold It was the first of several papers printed in Abilene the only one to survive A bold young fellow from Alabama then a few weeks shy of his 28th birthday was the editor publisher His name was Gilbert He put out the first copy of The Tlie paper at that time was again in financial difficulties and went into receivership Mr Anderson became the owner with John i i- saloon winch was on South 1st near Stephenson and II Kiefer oak St Ftre spread through the as partners whole block liulialwi in the loss Mr Anderson who has mner waiI Gilbert's newspaper plant been associated with the newspa-' Ie usl his (HjUjpment his fles rJnd ie i and a "special edition" which he board and secretary ol The Repor- had rwuly l0 pri ter Publishing Co re-entered the when he was up and out again newspaper in the daily held June younR huill new quarte 18s6- lor his paper on the north side of From 1895 to 1906 Tlie Reporter i (m-n an( settled down to his main was a private firm Then it wa buyinexs promoting Abilene incorporated a second tune with First there was the matter of tlie Anderson Kiefer and young Ber- county seat Gillwrt and the He-nard Hanks as stockholders porter were in the middle of the Mr Hanks had first become as- bitter light to get tlie courthouse Hendrix -Hall HENDRIX CURTIS HALL AUTOMOBILES INSURANCE LOANS PHONES 1-9381 2-4011 MARSHALL BERNARD HANKS longtime newsman football game while he had raging fever) He was forced by health to withdraw from college his second year After he recuperated he returned to Abilene Jan 1 1904 and took a job in a grocery store Three months later work for the newspaper lie had been for The Reporter business office reporter when with a newspapering and he went working two years as ad salesman employe and part-lime he was confronted choice between banking Henry 2835 PINE ABILENE TEXAS Reporter on June 17 1881 from a Wash" hand press set up in a sociatcd with the newspaper when moved irom Buffalo Gap to Abi-trnt pitched at the comer of South as a schoolboy he became a car- une First and Oak Sts 1 rier Sept 17 1897 Ilis father at Then tliore was tlie long-drawn- lie had come to town at about that time was pastor of the Abi-out an(j equally biller struggle bribe lene First Baptist Church tween the cattlemen and the "nest- The publishing firm Was divided ers" into two corporations The Re- Gilbert took the side of tlie porter Publishing Co and the Abi- lene Printing and Stationery Co on Jan 1 1923 From then on Mr Anderson devoted most of his the paper His salary was raised i was already giving up the ghost time to the printing and office sup- tie running smaller herds He was i company Mr Hanks to the all for fencing the land doing away newspaper company with tlie wide open grazing range First officers ol the Reporter He had quite a light on his hands to 875 per week and he was al-1 Gilbert bought the Eagle's equip-lowed to buy 82000 worth of stock Imcnt freighted it up to Abilene when the business was incorporat- end business was bom James Abilene banker and Ed Hughes Abilene and New York! 15) from Navasuta where he had capitalist offered him a job as cashier of the bank at Hawley with the privilege of buying stock in the concern Mr Hanks chose to remain with time of Abilene's birth (March established the "Navasuta Tablet" and edited it for five years Taylor County already had a newspaper the Texas Eagle ol Buffalo Gap But that venture OF THE KEY Congratulations Abilene! FROM PAST TO PRESENT Congratulations ABILENE ON 75 YEARS OF PROGRESS Proud To Have Been A Pari of Abilene Police Force For 6 Years and Civilian Guard for AFB Camp Barkley My Family Have Been A Part of Abilene Sinre 1892 VOTE FOR A NATIVE SON JACK DAVIS CANDIDATE FOR CONSTABLE PRECINCT 1 TAYLOR COUNTY Watch For Formal Announcement On April 22nd 1956 Publishing Co were Anderson promoting this idea By now he had president: Bernard Hanks sec re- newspaper opposition The Magnet-tary: and Manly Hanks vice-1 ie Quill which took the opposite president Stockholders were Max stand Their rivalry reached a cli-Bentley 'then managing editor) max with a "duel" between Gil-George McDaniel Jr 'then berl and newspaper opposition the circulation manager) and Frank1 Quill editor Gihhs which Grimes was staged downtown April 21 1885 Mr Hanks was general manager Neither was hurt physically of the newspaper until Jan 10 battle for advertising the 1930 when he became president of f-wa papers staged hurt both finan- The Reporter didn't live in a tent long just long enough lor its new trainc home to be finished on an adjoining lot at the rear of the lot which now is site for the Park Building at South First and Oak rue Reporter equipment files and all had just moved into ila new home and settled down to become a real newspaper when disaster hit First its young publisher was struck by typhoid fever The Reporter Publishing Co He lost money Gil- continued as president publisher I an mtorvew with Reporter which swept the community Then until his death Dec 12 1918 Mrs I r-Uitor trank Grimes 2i while he was ill fire destroyed tlie Hanks then became president of au that he opnw- World's Safest Drivers ed for 18 months at a loss of 8150 mnnlldy But the Quill folded first and Gilbert wax able to recover his business even though there was another paper in town by then The Tay lor County News Gilbert was very interested in colonization efforts and devoted many columns of his paper to dcs- the company Howard McMahon who had been assistant publisher under Mr Hanks has been publisher sinre January 1940 The Abilene Morning News was started by the company Sept 1 1 1926 It took its name from the old Taylor County News which newspaper plant The files were lost leaving the paper with none of its earliest editions When Gilbert recovered he reopened tlie plant in a building on the north side of the railroad near the corner of what is now North 4th and Tine Sts The Reporter started as a week- 1956 Teamster ed Jan 1 1907 as the Abilene Printing Co Mr Hanks was married Nov 1 14 1906 to Eva May Hollis daughter of a pioneer West Texas physician and surgeon Dr Hollis Sr and Mrs Hollis In the early decades of the newspaper its publishing business was combined with the printing business Both grew until they were split into two companies in 1923 the Reporter Publishing and 'he Abilene Printing and Stationery Co Mr Hanks was general manager of the newspaper portion of the business for years and became president of the' publishing company in 1930 Mr Anderson devoted himself to the printing business Mr Hanks was a man wlo shunned tlie public eye but played a key role in the development of Abilene for four decades He was as interested in the growth of Abilene as in the growth of his newspaper Ilarte-llanki Papers About 28 years ago he began a business association with Houston Harle of San Angelo which has developed the Texas Harte-IInnks Newspapers The two retained separate ownership of their two home newspapers as is true today but between them built a newspaper empire whose publications have more readers than any other in the Southwest The ilarte-llanks papers are the Corpus Christi Caller Times Big Spring Herald Paris Daily News Marshall News Messenger Denison Herald Snyder Daily News Greenville Banner The last two! "Ship by Truck" was established by James A Ixw- crj)jl)f wjal a wonderful pace this new land was He ailded to his paper a supplement "Illustrated lluine" Much ol it was syndicated material but included were pictures and stories designed to attract new settlers of Colorado City Gilbert went on names of the morning and evening -j-he original Fair to Dallas where be organized the papers were merged in 1936 to Gilbert too started the idea of make the present name The Abi-1 tho Abileiie Fair He went to great combine which resulted in CONGRATULATIONS ABILENE 1881 1956 We Arc Proud To Have Had A Part In The Progress of Abilene and Her Neighbors Welcome! MEN OF THE USAF BRADSHAW OFFICE EQUIPMENT REMINGTON -RAND 1137 Butternut Phone 4-5077 Teamster's Local 583 of San Angelo developed the newspapers Corpus Christi Marshall News-Messenger Spring Herald Banner and trouble to stage the first even though some of his enemies charged he had imported some farm products and pul tilin' on display as examples of what could be grown in Taylor County Gilliert was a newspaperman' iwwsmun He had great al skill and was greatly interested in news coverage and editing AFL-CIO modern Dallas Times-llerald He was publishing the Colorado Clipper when he purchased The Reporter A prolonged drought laid Dr Tolar and The Reporter low In May of 1188 the pajier had to suspend publication because of financial difficulties But the suspension' Snyder Daily News didn't last long John Hoeny came ewi on the seme and began publication July 19 1888 The Abilene ing Co publisher of the paper wax formed the charter being an- lene Reporter-News With Houston Harte Mr Hanks Ilarte-llanks group of which now includes Caller Times Rig Denison Herald Greenville WE ARE have been added since Mr Hunks' nounced Jail 30 1891 death In addition they owned: Hoeny left the paper June 2 1893 several radio stations over the and management went to state I BriUain fur a year Hoeny resumed control then left again Feb 15 1893 At that point Tlie Reporter announced it had secured the aerv- ices of a young man from Roby i George Anderson Mr Hunks never did lose the love for horses he developed as a newsboy As an adult he became a crack polo player and breeder of polo HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABILENE GLAD TO HAVE YOU AIRMEN You Can Be Proud Too When You Trade At Wilkies Lower Overhead for Lower Prices Garden Fresh Vegetables Drugs Hardware School Supplies Best Meats in Town WHERE THE BEST COST NO MORE WILKIES FINE FOODS DOUBLY PROUD AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE PROGRESS AND SUCCESS OF THE CITY OF ABILENE THE FOUNDER OF OUR COMPANY MR WILLARD BURTON WAS HERE AT THE FOUNDING OF ABILENE AND SOLD THE MATERIAL FOR THE FIRST BUILDINGS WE SERVE THE AREA FROM FORT WORTH TO EL PASO BURTON-LINGO LUMBER COMPANY I 825 2ND ABILENE TEXAS PIONEER WEST TEXAS LUMBER AND BUILDING MATERIAL DEALER CONGRATULATIONS A BOONE JR Candidate for Tax Assessor-Collector Taylor County YOUR VOTE AND INFLUENCE APPRECIATED rhnne 3-2381 Ahllrnc No 18th Hickory iip a it.