About

William B. Harrison established a job-printing office on the corner of Walnut and Fifth Street in Macon, Georgia. On December 2, 1848, Harrison published the first issue of the Southern Museum as a principally literary weekly newspaper, but the paper also included local and national news pieces. The paper’s inaugural issue announced that it would be neutral in politics, and, for two years, the paper did largely avoid having strong political identity. On January 12, 1850, however, Harrison changed the masthead to the Southern Tribune as part of an overall rebranding of the newspaper. In that January 12 issue, Harrison announced adherence to the principles of the Democratic Party and took a stance against “the grand evil that must result from the present anti-slavery movement.” The paper continued to feature Southern literature but now also closely aligned with the states’ rights movement of the day. The Southern Tribune’s final issue published on February 22, 1851, as Harrison and his son moved their printing operation to Savannah to begin a new daily evening paper.