Miami Evening Record Formed in 1903
The story of the formation of the Miami Evening Record in 1903 by Frank Stoneman, which was acquired by Frank B. Shutts to form the Miami Herald in 1910.
On September 15, 1903, Frank B. Stoneman relocated the Orlando Record to Miami and renamed it to the Miami Evening Record. At the time, Stoneman was editor of the Orlando Record and partnered with Ashley and Athos LaSalle in the move. He is also remembered as the father of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
The Miami Evening Record initially found success competing with the Miami Metropolis, but its fortunes shifted after the Panic of 1907. The collapse of the Fort Dallas Bank, coupled with a loss of confidence in Miami’s financial institutions, triggered a recession that severely hurt the paper’s operations.
In December 1907, the paper reorganized, shifting publication to the morning and adopting the new name Miami Morning News-Record. Despite the change, financial struggles persisted, and the paper teetered on the brink of bankruptcy before being rescued by a local attorney.
With assistance from Henry Flagler, Frank B. Shutts purchased the failing publication in the winter of 1910 and renamed it the Miami Herald. Shutts, founder of the law firm Shutts & Bowen, had been brought to Miami from Indianapolis by Flagler to oversee the Fort Dallas Bank bankruptcy. Choosing to remain in the city, he established his law partnership and acquired the paper that same year.
The Miami Herald published its first issue on December 1, 1910. By the land boom of the 1920s, it had grown into the largest newspaper in the world, fueled largely by real estate advertising. However, the prosperity proved unsustainable, and during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the paper once again came close to financial insolvency.
On October 25, 1939, Shutts sold the paper to John S. Knight, who assumed the role of editor and publisher. Knight appointed his brother James as business manager, setting the stage for decades of growth. In 1974, the Herald merged with Ridder Publications to form Knight-Ridder, which was later acquired by McClatchy Company in 2006.
Resources:
Miami Herald: “About Us”
Miami News: “Obituary for Athos T. LaSalle”, November 14, 1956.
Tampa Times: “Miami Evening Record Has Made an Appearance”, September 24, 1903.