About

Logan, F. S. Fitch, and Company published the first issue of the Griffin Tri-Weekly Star on October 28, 1865, in Griffin, Georgia. F. S. Fitch, the editor, remained associated with the Star off and on for the next decade. During its lifespan, the paper was 4-pages and politically aligned with the principles of the Democratic Party. In November 1868, A. M. Speights and F. E. Bridges acquired control of the Star and changed the title of the paper to the Griffin Semi-Weekly Star. Speights and Bridges were editors and publishers of the newspaper until 1869 when Fitch bought out Bridges’ interest. In 1871, Speights disposed of his interest in the Star to pursue other business interests, which would eventually become the Griffin Daily News. Fitch was joined by J. D. Alexander, and they operated the Star as co-owners and editors. By 1872, the equally Democratic Griffin News was more popular than the Star and that prompted Fitch to sell his half of the interest in the Griffin Star to Eugene P. Speer in June 1873. Under Speer and Alexander, the Star began daily publication and in 1873 absorbed a short-lived Griffin paper titled the Georgia Weekly Cultivator. Acquisition of the Cultivator allowed Speer and Alexander to publish a weekly edition of the Star titled the Griffin Star and Cultivator. During all these structural changes to the paper, Fitch twice returned to the Star as editor only to leave again. In April, 1874, Seneca B. Burr, formerly of the Griffin Middle Georgian, and B. Whitfield purchased the subscriber list and equipment of the Griffin Star and ceased publication of the newspaper. Alexander and Speer eventually purchased the Griffin News, which was founded by former Star owners, Speights and Bridges. Burr and Whitfield moved their acquired materials to new offices in Macon, Georgia, and began publishing the Macon Star. The Macon Star ceased publication after only a few months of operation.