DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and it's quite a story for a sheet of newsprint. Way back on January 21, 1883, the first issue of the Corpus Christi Caller rolled off the press. Three men put it together: Eli Merriman, who already owned the Corpus Christi Free Press; Ed Williams, co-owner of the Semi-Weekly Ledger; and a fellow named W.P.
Caruthers — and it's Caruthers who gets the credit for naming the thing the Caller. Now, among the original stockholders was one Captain Richard King, founder of the King Ranch. Even in the newspaper business, that name had a way of showing up.
Fast forward to 1917, and W.E. Pope — a man who would go on to represent Corpus Christi in the state legislature for many years — purchased the town's Daily Democrat and renamed it the Times. Eleven years after that, Pope sold the Times to Houston Harte of San Angelo and Bernard Hanks of Abilene, two men who between them owned several Texas newspapers.
Then in 1929, that same Harte-Hanks group turned around and purchased the Caller as well. Two papers, one roof — almost. The Caller and the Times had been operating out of two separate locations, and so they were consolidated at a third site that very same year, 1929, and combined as the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, with Grady Kinsolving as publisher.
By 1935, the whole operation had moved to the location where it's stood ever since. Now here's the number that puts all of this in perspective. The Caller-Times has outlasted over two dozen newspapers that have served this city — going all the way back to the 1840s, when the very first two, the Gazette and the Star, were setting type on the Texas coast.
More than two dozen competitors, come and gone. One paper, still runnin'.
What the marker says
The first issue of the Corpus Christi "Caller" was published on January 21, 1883. It was established by Eli Merriman, owner of the Corpus Christi "Free Press", Ed Williams, co-owner of the "Semi-Weekly Ledger", and W.P. Caruthers, who is credited with naming the "Caller". One of the original stockholders was King Ranch founder Captain Richard King. W.E. Pope, who was to represent Corpus Christi in the state legislature for many years, purchased the town's "Daily Democrat" in 1917 and renamed it the "Times". Eleven years later he sold it to Houston Harte of San Angelo and Bernard Hanks of Abilene, owners of several Texas newspapers. In 1929 the "Caller" was purchased by the Harte-Hanks group and the two papers were combined as the Corpus Christi "Caller-Times" with Grady Kinsolving as publisher. The "Caller-Times" has outlasted over two dozen newspapers that have served the city since the first two, the "Gazette" and the "Star", were published in the 1840s. The "Caller" and the "Times" were in two separate locations until operations were consolidated at a third site in 1929. The newspapers have been published at the present location since 1935. (1983)