The Star Press newspaper reference files

Collection

Identifier: MSS-365

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection includes the newspaper archives from the Muncie Star Press ranging from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. "Series 1: Biographical files" includes articles on Muncie and Delaware County persons as well as famous peronalities, musicians, actors, politicians, etc. "Series 2: Obituary files" contains obituaries for Muncie citizens and former citizens. "Series 3: Subject files" contains clippings pertinent to an array of subjects, both Muncie and non-Muncie related, such as businesses, clubs, schools, events, social issues, crime, etc. For photographs and negatives, see P.282: The Star Press photographs and negatives.

Dates

Creation: c.1960s-1990s

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Administrative History

The Star Press can be traced back to May 29, 1899, when the first issue of The Muncie Star was published. Founded by Muncie-resident George Foulke McCulloch—the namesake of Muncie’s McCulloch Park—the newspaper was first published at 107 W. Main Street, which is now the location of the Delaware County Building. By 1901, the location was moved to the Kimbrough Block, before being moved again to a building at the southeast corner of Mulberry and Adams streets on March 3, 1906.

In 1901, McCulloch purchased The Muncie Morning News, which thus began the practice of publishing two daily newspapers—The Morning Star in the morning, and The Evening Press in the evening. The consolidated company eventually became Muncie Newspapers Inc. On October 27, 1904, McCulloch sold the company to John C. Shaffer, and upon Shaffer’s death in 1944, the newspapers were purchased by Eugene C. Pullam’s company Central Newspapers, Inc.

Muncie Newspapers, Inc. continued publishing two daily newspapers until April of 1996, when they announced that the two newspapers would be consolidated into one morning newspaper: The Star Press. The change was prompted by declining sales of The Evening Press, a problem that was part of a national pattern of declining evening newspaper sales. The first issue of the consolidated Star Press was published on May 20, 1996.

In 2000, Central Newspapers, Inc. was purchased by the Gannett Company, making them the owners of The Star Press.