Chicago Daily Journal

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Daily Journal

The Chicago Daily (Evening) Journal was first issued on 22 April 1844, by an editorial committee composed of William H. Brown, George W. Meeker, Jonathan Young Scammon, S. Lisle Smith and Grant Goodrich; said committee having been appointed by the association the purchased the Daily and Weekly Express. The paper was published from the old office of the Express for a few months, when it was removed to the Saloon Buildings, on the southeast corner of Lake and Clark streets. After the defeat of Henry Clay to James K. Polk, Mr. Norris withdrew from the paper and Richard I. Wilson, the pungent paragrapher, continued it alone. In the volume for 1845, the number for October 30th is numbered 254 that for October 31st is 155, the serial numbers being continued from the latter number. On 29 December 1845, Nathan C. Greer (who had previously been in charge of the press-room), was associated with Mr. Wilson, as editor and publisher, and on 6 January 1846, the caption that had been printed in Old English disappeared and plain English letters took its place.

Occupying the afternoon field, the Journal found numerous opportunities to demonstrate the advantages which it had in purveying news, it often announcing events of tremendous consequence before the morning papers would get into action. This applied with special emphasis during the civil war, when news facilities were difficult to secure and telegraphic reports had to be supplemented with couriers and correspondents that found themselves seriously handicapped in forwarding their news to its destination.

One of the important pieces of news to be credited to the Journal in war days was the announcement of the surrender of Vicksburg and the capitulation of Pemberton’s army to Grant. So far-reaching in effort was this that though the struggle was maintained for a considerable period, it is conceded that the rebellion never recovered from the Vicksburg victory. Lee’s collapse at Apppomattox was first made known to Chicago readers through the medium of the Journal, while the capture of Sudan by the German army and the obliteration of the fortunes of Emperor Napoleon III, were first announced to Chicago’s citizens by the “Old Reliable,” as the Journal came to be considered by its patrons.

The Evening Journal, whose West Side building at 17-19 S. Canal was undamaged from the Great Fire in 1871, gave the Chicago Tribune a temporary home until it could rebuild. In 1929, the newspaper was relaunched as the Chicago Daily Illustrated Times.