Georgia Historic Newspapers

J. S. Williams founded the Baptist Leader, the North Georgian’s predecessor, in 1890 in Cumming, Georgia. Williams worked as sole editor and publisher of the Baptist Leader for six years before selling the paper on to A. E. Booth in 1896. The following year, the paper had a verified circulation of 1,824 and sold at a cost of one dollar per year. Booth published the paper until 1900, when the publication was organized under a stock company, the North Georgia Publishing Company. The masthead of the paper became the North Georgia Baptist, and the newspaper was edited by Reverend W. J. Hyde. J. E. Kirby replaced Hyde a year later as editor and publisher. Kirby expanded the paper's coverage and significantly reduced the publication's Baptist emphasis. By 1902, Kirby listed his paper as a literary rather than a religious publication and changed circulation days from Thursdays to Fridays. That same year, the paper's title became the North Georgian and would remain as such until it ceased publication. Kirby maintained his literary focus until 1906 when he expanded the paper's emphasis to include non-political reporting. The North Georgian was Cumming's only newspaper until the Forsyth County News entered the market in 1908. J. E. Kirby was sole editor and publisher of the North Georgian for over twenty years, and never strayed from the one dollar subscription cost set at the paper's founding. The Forsyth County News, however, sold for cheaper and proved more popular in the region. The North Georgian's final year of printing was 1927 when Roy P. Otwell merged the two competitors under one title.

Provided by: Digital Library of Georgia