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“To inform and serve the citizens of Colorado County.” That’s the mission of the Colorado County Citizen, one of the oldest Texas newspapers now in operation.
Colorado County is a thriving area rich in history and filled with charm, located astride Interstate-10, 70 miles west of Houston, 125 miles east of San Antonio and 87 miles south of Austin.
The Citizen first began publishing in 1857. Today it continues to report the news, explain the history, tell the stories of local people, and foster a sense of community throughout our county.
We invite you to join us in that mission. Subscribe to the Citizen - in print or on line. We publish a print edition every Wednesday, delivered by mail and available at dozens of news racks and stores across the area. Or get the Citizen electronically. See the “Subscriber Services” tab on our menu bar.
The Colorado County Citizen is the official newspaper of Columbus and Colorado County, Texas.
Our History
The Colorado County Citizen has a long and colorful history. It was established in Columbus in 1857 by James Davis Baker. His brothers Benjamin and Hicks, owned minority interests. During the Civil War, all three brothers joined the Confederate army and publication of the paper ceased.
Hicks Baker was killed in the war, but when James and Ben returned, they resumed publication of the Citizen. When James became ill, the paper was sold to Fred Barnard, who changed its name to the Columbus Times. Barnard later sold the Times, but in 1869, began a second newspaper, this time calling it the “Colorado Citizen.” The Citizen triumphed and the Times went out of business.
Over the years, the newspaper was repeatedly sold to different owners. Ben Baker, one of the original founders, bought the paper back in 1873 and served as its editor and publisher until his death in 1907.
After that, the paper changed hands several times until Harry Hurrays bought it from W. L. Pendergraft in 1924. In 1927, Hurr changed the name from “Colorado Citizen” to “Colorado County Citizen,” and it’s stayed that ever since.
In 1998, Jim Chionsini, president of Granite Publications, bought the Citizen from a group of local citizens who had bought it in 1993. For more than 20 years, the Citizen has been a proud member of the Granite Publications family.
