Georgia Historic Newspapers

John Henry Magill and E. B. Benson published the first issue of The Sun on August 16, 1876, in Hartwell, Georgia. The Bensons were a prominent Hartwell family and provided the initial materials necessary for newspaper publication. W. P. Smith briefly assisted Magill at the editorial helm in 1876, but Magill was largely the editorial voice for The Sun for the next 34 years. The weekly four-page newspaper politically aligned with the Democratic Party and circulated at a subscription cost of a dollar and fifty cents per year. In May 1879, the paper’s title was expanded to the Hartwell Sun, and continues to print under that masthead today. By mid-1883, Benson was no longer directly associated with the Sun, and W. R. Stephenson assisted Magill in the paper’s management. In 1886, the paper had several stakeholders and operated under the management of J. H. Magill and Company. Magill, D. C. Alford, and J. B. Thorton were the paper’s publishers in 1890, and that arrangement continued until 1892 when W. H. Williams took ownership. In 1896, John Magill and his cousin, James Magill, purchased the Sun from its various stakeholders. The Magill family published the paper until John Magill sold out to another cousin, Leon Morris. Leon Morris was joined by his brother, Louie Morris, and the two edited and published the paper until Leon’s death in 1926. Louie managed the Sun until his own death in 1955 and in the process became a significant figure in the community. Presently, the Hartwell Sun is owned by Community Newspapers, Inc. and the paper continues to serve as Hart County’s legal organ.

Provided by: Digital Library of Georgia