The Library of Congress

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers

The Library of Congress > Chronicling America > The Ocala evening star.

Search America's historic newspapers pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more

US Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present
close

       

Pages Available: 5,206,652

About The Ocala evening star. (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943
Ocala, Fla. (1895-1943)

Browse Issues | About | Libraries that Have It | MARC Record
Title:
The Ocala evening star. : (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943
Alternative Titles:
  • Evening star
  • Star
Place of publication:
Ocala, Fla.
Geographic coverage:
  • Ocala, Marion, Florida  |  View more titles from this: City County, State
Publisher:
Porter & Harding
Dates of publication:
1895-1943
Description:
  • Began in 1895; ceased in 1943.
Frequency:
Daily (except Sunday)
Language:
  • English
Subjects:
  • Marion County (Fla.)--Newspapers.
  • Ocala (Fla.)--Newspapers.
Notes:
  • Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 5 (June 24, 1895).
  • In 1895, the Ocala (FL) Evening Star [LCCN: sn84027621] surfaced as a rival publication to the Ocala (FL) Banner [LCCN: sn88074815]. These two titles subsequently merged into one publication on September 1, 1943. The resulting Ocala (FL) Star-Banner [LCCN: sn78002071] has remained the daily newspaper in Marion County (FL) since that time. The Ocala Evening Star was also published from 1897 in a weekly edition, the Ocala (FL) Weekly Star [LCCN: sn84027622]. R.N. Dosh, editor of the Ocala Evening Star in the 1920s and 1930s, gave an address to the Ocala Rotary Club, recalling by-gone editors and rival publications, chiefest of whom was Col. Frank E. Harris of the Ocala Banner in the 1890s. He also remembered that the "Star first saw the light of day in the press room of the Florida Baptist Witness...the first editor was A.H. Harding..." The Florida Baptist Witness (Ocala, FL) LCCN sn95026767], which began publishing in 1884, was the weekly newspaper of the Florida Baptist Convention, an organ of the Southern Baptist Convention. A variant edition of the same title continues (ca. 2008) to publish. Ocala (FL) is the seat of Marion County (FL) government. The Freeze of 1894 dramatically changed the Ocala into which the Ocala Evening Star was born. The Freeze devastated the citrus industry in Marion County. Between 1895 and 1943, other forms of agriculture took the place of citrus while tourism in the area grew. The Silver Springs theme park, known for its crystal clear waters, would do its part like no other attraction in pre-World War II Marion County. The County remained primarily agricultural until after the war, when its character would again change dramatically.--E. Kesse, University of Florida Digital Library Center.
  • Latest issue consulted: Vol. no. 46 (Aug. 28, 1943).
LCCN:
sn 84027621
OCLC:
11319113
ISSN:
1943-8869
Related Titles:
Related Links:
Holdings:
View complete holdings information
View
First Issue Last Issue

The Ocala evening star. January 1, 1900, Image 1

Browse:

Calendar View

All front pages

First Issue  |  Last Issue

Ocala Banner, Ocala Star and Ocala Evening Star (Ocala, FL)

The Ocala Bannerwas founded in 1883 as a successor to the Ocala Banner-Iacon, itself the product of a merger between the East Florida Banner and the Florida Iacon. In 1890, the Ocala Banner became a daily. Over the years it bore alternate titles: the Banner, the Daily Banner, and the Ocala Daily Banner.

Situated in rural Marion County, the Ocala Banner covered farming, business, and civic issues in Ocala, where the Freeze of 1895 had devastated the citrus industry and paved the way for diversified agriculture and the growth of tourism.

The most important of the early editors of the Ocala Banner was Frank E. Harris, a veteran of the Confederate army, who ran the paper in the 1890s. Other editors included T.W. Harris, who had published several other newspapers in Ocala, and C.L. Bittinger, who before moving to Florida had served as a commander in the Grand Army of the Republic.

In 1895, the Ocala Evening Star surfaced as a rival to the Ocala Banner. Beginning in 1897, it also appeared in a weekly edition, the Ocala Weekly Star. During an address to the Ocala Rotary Club, R.N. Dosh, editor of the Evening Star in the 1920s and 1930s, recalled that the “Star first saw the light of day in the press room of the Florida Baptist Witness”, founded in 1884 as the weekly press organ of the Florida Baptist Convention, a branch of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Former competitors, the Ocala Evening Star and the Ocala Banner joined in 1943 to form the Ocala Star-Banner, which remains the daily newspaper of Marion County.

Provided by: University of Florida

Top