A History of Early Calgary Newspapers

This article explores the history of the prominent early Calgary newspapers The Calgary Herald, The Calgary Tribune/Albertan, and the Calgary Eye Opener.

From left are George Rouleau, a Calgary lawyer; Andrew Armour, a founder of The Herald; North West Mounted Police Constable Thomas Clarke, who helped set type; and Thomas Braden, the other founder of The Herald. Calgary Herald archive photo.

The Calgary Herald

Less than 10 years after the North West Mounted Police established their fort on the banks of the Bow[i], the first newspaper in Calgary was established:

“The population of the settlement is only about 400 and most of them have turned out to greet the train – the first to arrive carrying freight. And on that train is a simple Washington hand press, some cases of type, ink and paper – the raw materials which are destined to produce the first Calgary Herald.”[ii]

The Calgary Herald began on August 31, 1883 as a 4-page weekly, The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser. It was produced on this hand press in a tent pitched at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers. The publishers were Thomas Braden, a school teacher, and his friend Andrew Armour, a journeyman printer.

The first ever front page of the Calgary Herald. Photo from The Calgary Herald[iii].

Armour and Braden ran their newspaper for 18 months before selling to Hugh S. Cayley – later jailed for his editorial opinions – and a new era for the Herald had begun. In 1884, Cayley moved the paper out of the tent and into a two-storey building at about what is now 208 8th Ave SE, the first of eight moves. Eventually, the publisher's name was changed to Herald Publishing Company Limited and began publishing the Calgary Daily Herald, a daily version of the newspaper, on 2 July 1885.

Andrew Armour (left) and Thomas Braden (right), founders of the Calgary Herald. Calgary Herald, August 31, 1968.

However, Cayley sold out the following year and The Herald Printing and Publishing Company was formed under the direction of Ernest J. Chambers. By now, The Herald had made its second move to a site close to 811 Centre St S. It was then purchased by Ontario-born businessman Alexander Lucas and his partner, George Eastman. Lucas was the founding president of the Calgary Board of Trade, secretary of the Calgary Gas & Waterworks Company, and the mayor of Calgary from 1892-1894. Calgary became a city near the end of his term of office, making Lucas both the last mayor of the Town of Calgary and the first mayor of the City of Calgary.

This building at 113 8 Ave SW was the home of the *Calgary Herald* from 1887-1894 and remains on Stephen Avenue. "Calgary Wine and Spirit Company, Calgary, Alberta." [ca. 1911], (CU169112) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

The Calgary Herald Block, a two-storey brick and sandstone structure, was constructed at 113 8 Ave SW in 1887 to house the Herald Printing and Publishing Company. Lucas and Eastman constructed the building at an approximate cost of $5,000.00; its architect and contractor remain unknown. Lucas later bought out Eastman's interest in the newspaper, although Eastman evidently retained his interest in this building. The IOOF (Independent Order of Oddfellows) had its rooms in the building during the Herald's occupancy. The Herald entered financial difficulties by the early 1890s, and in 1893, the Herald Publishing Company was liquidated and Lucas sold his interest in the paper. Eastman remained the owner of the building until 1900. The building underwent several renovations and was restored to its original appearance in 2003. It remains to this day on Stephen Avenue.

In late 1894 John J. Young and Charles A. Macgrath bought the paper and returned it to daily publication. J.J. Young soon became sole owner and managing editor after Macgrath sold out.

J.J. Young and his McLaughlin, the second car in Calgary, circa 1905. PHOTO BY CALGARY HERALD ARCHIVE.

"Calgary Herald building, Calgary, Alberta.", 1900, (CU11054651) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

J.J. Young was a capable journalist and versatile man who had worked his way through the hard times of the late 1890s and at the turn of the century the paper was well on its feet. By 1895 things were going well and the Herald made its fourth move to a site at 134A 8th Ave SW across from the Alberta Hotel.

In 1903, The Herald moved to its fifth site – under J.J. Young’s direction, a new building was erected at 702 Centre Street S known as the Central Building. It was to house The Herald for 10 years and was demolished in the 1980s. It was located where the Hyatt hotel is today.

The old Herald Block at 702 Centre Street; the Herald Building was later renamed the Central Building and was demolished in the 1980s. 1914-08, (CU1558288) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

In the summer of 1906, J.J. Young had a conversation with a visitor named James Hossack Woods from Ontario, who was soon to the link The Herald with other newspapers under the ownership of William Southam. Young asked Woods to come out west and manage the paper. On April 24, 1907, Woods took over as editor and managing director for the next 28 years. Woods combined varied newspaper experience with drive, durability, and flair. Woods wrote to the Southam family, an Ontario newspaper publishing company, suggesting the Southam’s might like to come into Western Canada by buying The Herald. After a period of negotiations, a deal was made in January of 1908; the Southams bought the paper for $30,000 and Woods retained his interest in the paper.

By 1911, the Herald had outgrown the Central Building. Southam Limited purchased two corners at 7th Ave and 1st St Sw, one from Senator James Lougheed and the other from Theodore Revillon. They built a 10-storey building with the newspaper housed in lower floors and basement. This building was known as the Southam Building (Herald Building) and was located at 130 7th Ave SW. Excavation began in August of 1912 and the paper moved in on December 13, 1913.

Designed by Montreal architectural firm Brown and Vallance and built between 1912 and 1913, the Southam Building was one of Calgary's best examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Between 1913-1932, the Southam Building housed the offices of the Calgary Daily Herald, during which time it was also known as the Herald Building.

Corner view of the Southam/Herald Building, located at 130 7th Ave, SW. It housed the Calgary Herald from 1913-1932. Peel’s Prairie Provinces.

"Lobby at Calgary Herald [Southam Building], Calgary, Alberta.", [ca. 1913], (CU182670) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

The British pottery makers Royal Doulton were commissioned to design gargoyles for the building, with several of the most prominent each depicting a newspaper character. The gargoyles were named "The Architect," "The Other Architect," "The Editor," "The Sub-Editor," "The Steno," "The Cleaning Woman," "The Printer's Devil," and "The Typesetter."[iv] Over 240 gargoyles from the building were saved thanks to strong public pressure when the building was demolished in 1972, and then auctioned in 1994.[v]

"Gargoyles on Calgary Herald building, Calgary, Alberta.", 1912, (CU184334) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

The Southam Building was one of two buildings built contemporaneously by the Southam Company at the intersection of 1st Street South West and 7th Avenue South West, the other being the Southam Chambers. The Herald remained in the Southam Building until 1932, when it moved across the street to the six-storey Southam Chambers at 605 1 ST SW, vacating the ten-story Southam Building. The Southam Chambers served as the headquarters for the Herald until 1981.

Southam Chambers located at 7th Avenue and 1st Street SW. Built in 1913, this six-story building was originally occupied by a furniture company. In 1932, the Calgary Herald moved in, vacating the ten-story building across the street which was also built by Southam in 1913. Copied from PA-1013-12.

The Calgary Tribune/The Albertan

Thomas Braden purchased the site on which the Tribune Block now stands in the late 1880s. Prior to acquiring the property, Braden had played an important role in establishing early publications in Calgary including the Calgary Herald in 1883 and the Calgary Tribune in 1885.

From 1889 until 1892, the Calgary Tribune was printed in a wood-frame building on the current site of the Tribune Block. In 1892, with the backing of the Eau Claire and Bow River Lumber Company and James A. Lougheed, Braden constructed the Tribune Block building. The Tribune Block is an elegant three-storey Romanesque Revival commercial building with a two storey façade. The Romanesque Revival style of architecture was popularized in the late 1880s in major American cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York.

The Tribune Block is located along downtown Calgary's Stephen Avenue Mall, a National Historic District. It features a rock-faced sandstone façade with checkerboard patterned parapet stonework, rounded upper-storey windows, and a ground floor storefront. The building is also an excellent example of the use of local materials - Paskapoo sandstone from J. G. McCallum's Elbow River Quarry and brick from the Calgary Brickyard - in the construction of many of Calgary's prominent early buildings.

Tribune Block (December 1892) PA-3527-1, Glenbow Archives, Calgary.

The new space allowed for state-of-the-art printing presses and an expansion of the Tribune’s administrative infrastructure. Despite the Tribune’s success, Braden was beset by financial difficulties and in 1893 ownership of the building was assumed by the Eau Claire and Bow River Lumber Company. Braden dissolved his financial control of the Tribune two years later, though the newspaper continued publication with Braden as editor.

The newspaper was then renamed the Alberta Tribune and passed through several owners until 1902, when William McCartney Davidson took control of the publication. In 1906, it was renamed the Morning Albertan/Albertan and printing of the publication continued in the Tribune Block until the building was sold in 1907 and the association of the paper and the building was ended.[vi] The Tribune Block remains to this day on Stephen Avenue as a designated Municipal Historic Resource.

"Front page of 'The Morning Albertan', Calgary, Alberta.", 1921-07-19, (CU1155098) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

In 1926 William Davidson sold the Albertan to George M. Bell. Gordon Bell then succeeded as publisher in 1936, who was succeeded by Harold Bell in 1940. G. Max Bell purchased the Albertan from the estate of his father in 1943 and remained publisher until 1972.[vii] The paper had a series of title variations on the Albertan and was the main rival to the Calgary Herald. In June 1980 the paper was sold to the Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation and renamed Calgary Sun.

"Mrs. William M. Davidson, nee Ethel M. Heydon, Calgary, Alberta.", 1913, (CU188576) by Unknown. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

Ethel M. Heydon was the women's editor, general reporter and city hall reporter for the Albertan. She worked briefly for the Medicine Hat newspaper before joining the staff of the Albertan in 1910[viii]. She wrote under the pen-name of "Alberta West," and was the founding member of the Calgary Branch of the Canadian Women's Press Club, the city’s first organization of writers. In 1913 she married William McCartney Davidson, publisher of the Albertan, and the couple were active members of the city’s literary community.[ix]

Journalist and editor, Eva Reid joined the Albertan in 1937, combining the unusual functions of police court reporter and becoming the women's social editor. She used to joke that during the dozen years when she wore two such different hats, the two main props of her job were the Criminal Code and Emily Post, and said that should she ever write an autobiography it would been titled "Dope Fiends and Debutantes." Her column “Eavesdrop” quickly became a must-read feature of the Albertan, and Eva's personal popularity soon rivalled other longtime Albertan columnists. Eva Reid helped revive the local Calgary branch of the Canadian Women's Press Club in 1949 after it had been lying dormant since the late 1930s, and served two terms as president. She was named Dean of Newspaper Women in Alberta in 1970 and Woman of the Year by the YWCA in 1981.[x]

Eva Reid at her desk at The Albertan in the 1950s. Photo from Eva Reid, Girl Reporter. Alberta History (Vol. 52, Issue 4).

Calgary Eye Opener

Bob Edwards was best known as the one-man publisher, editor and writer of the infamous Calgary Eye Opener. Edwards was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and moved to Canada in 1892. He moved to High River, and on March 4, 1902 began publishing the Eye Opener which was well received there, but the local clergy abhorred Edwards’ alcohol dependence and his affinity for writing about liquor. In 1904, Edwards allegedly offended a local minister, and soon after, moved to Calgary.[xi]

"Robert C. 'Bob' Edwards, editor of the Calgary Eye Opener.", [ca. 1910s], (CU1124901) by Hess. Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

The Calgary Eye Opener was a widely popular blend of news, commentary and satire. The paper was published at irregular intervals, when the mood struck Edwards. He was a critic of government officials and the excessive moralism of churches, as well as a supporter of the emancipation of women. Edwards became known for standing up for the common person, highlighting the plight of prostitutes and revealing the scams of fraudulent real estate developers. Personally, he battled severe alcoholism, so much so that in 1916 he was one of the supporters of prohibition in Alberta.[xii]

According to Maclean’s, “Edwards attacked professional boosters, stuffed shirts, all governments in power, politicians, monopolies, railway grabs, subdivision sharks, lumber combines, civic pleasure jaunts and all tinsel and show. But he thought well of the N.W.M.P., cowboys and hired men, race tracks, barkeeps, the Salvation Army, hospitals, children, operatic music and the future of the West. Calgary old-timers, who still discuss Edwards, invariably refer to him as ‘a grand fellow and a gentleman.[xiii]’”

Edwards was elected as an independent member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1921, however he was only able to sit for one session before succumbing to illness in 1922. Edwards left a legacy of witty writings depicting the political, social, and economic times of the early Canadian western frontier.

Sources:

[i] “A brief history of Calgary newspapers” CBC Calgary, Jan 19 2016. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-newspapers-history-personalities-1.3411116#:~:text=The%20Calgary%20Tribune%20was%20owned,%2Dthe%2Dart%20printing%20press.

[ii] “The Herald – 85 Years of Going Home.” The Calgary Herald, August 31, 1968. https://www.newspapers.com/image/481426868/?terms=southam%20chambers%20calgary%20herald&match=1

[iii] “The very first Calgary Herald: Published 138 years ago today.” The Calgary Herald, August 31, 2021. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/the-very-first-calgary-herald-published-138-years-ago-today-happy-birthday-to-us

[iv] Southam Building, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southam_Building

[v] “The case of the missing Calgary Herald Gargoyles,” The Calgary Herald. Jan 29, 2015. https://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/the-case-of-the-missing-calgary-herald-gargoyles

[vi] Tribune Block, Inventory of Historic Resources, Heritage Calgary. https://www.calgary.ca/pda/pd/heritage-planning/scripts/discover-historic-calgary-resources.html?dhcResourceId=487

[vii] Calgary Albertan, Alberta On Record, Archives Society of Alberta. https://albertaonrecord.ca/calgary-albertan. Calgary Albertan Fonds F0328, University of Calgary Archives & Special Collections. https://searcharchives.ucalgary.ca/calgary-albertan-fonds

[viii] “A Woman Editor,” Maclean’s, November 1, 1917. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1917/11/1/a-woman-editor

[ix] Fonds glen-792. William and Ethel Davidson fonds. https://albertaonrecord.ca/william-and-ethel-davidson-fonds

[x] Eva Reid, Girl Reporter. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Eva+Reid%3A+girl+reporter.-a0123414402

[xi] Alberta Champions. https://albertachampions.org/Champions/bob-edwards-1860-1922/

[xii] Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.med.017

[xiii] The Eye Opener. 1950. Andrew Snadden, Maclean’s. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1950/2/1/the-eye-opener