Baldwin Times
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = Baldwin Times
| image =
| caption =
| type = Twice weekly Newspaper
| format = Broadsheet
| foundation = {{Start date| 1890}}
| ceased publication =
| owners = Gulf Coast Newspapers, Osteen Publishing Company
| publisher = Parks Rogers
| editor = Cliff McCollum
| circulation = 1,000
| headquarters = 901 N. McKenzie St., Foley, Alabama, United States
| oclc = 11836647
| website = {{URL|gulfcoastnewstoday.com/baldwin-times}}
}}
The Baldwin Times is a twice-weekly newspaper serving the Bay Minette area in the U.S. state of Alabama. It has a current circulation of about 1,000 as of 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/1/6560/20925|title=Baldwin Times|website=Mondo Times|access-date=11 July 2018}}
History
Founded in 1890 as the Daphne Times the paper was relaunched five years later as the Baldwin Times after local lawyer Abner Smith bought the publication for seventy-five dollars at a foreclosure auction in 1894.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Q5BOVSXDuEC&q=%22abner+smith%22+%22baldwin+times%22&pg=PA48|title=The Sleeping Juror & Other Baldwin County Courtroom Tales and History|last=Crosby|first=Samuel Neil|date=2002|publisher=Alabama Law Foundation|isbn=9780971777606|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21788922/personal_and_pertinent/|title=Personal and Pertinent|date=8 April 1895|work=Pensacola News|location=Pensacola, Florida}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789018/among_the_alabama_newspapers/|title=Among the Alabama Papers|date=11 April 1895|work=The Alabama Inquirer|location=Hartselle, Alabama}} Initial subscriptions numbered only around 250. The paper moved from Daphne to Bay Minette in 1901{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xPyfvxih2iUC&q=Jimmy+Faulkner+the+baldwin+times&pg=PA19|title=Baldwin County|last1=Lewis|first1=John C.|last2=Outlaw|first2=Harriet Brill|date=2009|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9780738568348|language=en}} where, suffering from illness, Smith sold it in 1905 to Ira Jones,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789479/baldwin_times_changes_hands/|title=Baldwin Times Changes Hands|date=12 January 1905|work=Atmore Record|location=Atmore, Alabama}} but later bought back the paper, running it from 1911 to his death in 1922. It was sold to R.B. Vail, a former manager at the Western Newspaper Union in July 1922.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789749/welcome_friend_vail_into_the/|title=Welcome, Friend Vail, into the Community Newspaper World|date=13 July 1922|work=The Weekly Herald|location=Wetumpka, Alabama}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789839/atmore_record_now_owned_by_rb_vail/|title=Atmore Record Now Owned by R.B. Vai|work=The Florala News|location=Florala, Alabama}} The following year Vail would go on to buy the Atmore Record. In 1927, he was elected president of the Alabama Press Association.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789961/apa_to_honor_past_presidents_in/|title=APA to Honor Past Presidents In Convention at Panama City|date=9 July 1952|work=The Montgomery Advertiser|location=Montgomery, Alabama}}
The Times was acquired in 1936 by James H. Faulkner, a recent college graduate who later ran for Governor, and served both in the Alabama Senate and as mayor of Baldwin.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21789587/handsome_young_mr_faulkner_puts_color/|title=Handsome, Young Mr. Faulkner Puts Color in the Governor Race.|date=28 March 1954|work=The Anniston Star|location=Anniston, Alabama}} Faulkner expanded his holdings in 1947 when he bought the Monroe Journal from A.C. Lee (Harper Lee's father) for fifteen thousand dollars.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QxN-rxy3nEsC&q=Baldwin+Times+%22jimmy+faulkner%22&pg=PA102|title=Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee|last=Shields|first=Charles J.|date=2007-04-01|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9781429900911|language=en}} Jimmy Faulkner was later given a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Alabama Press Association and both Faulkner University and Faulkner Community College System are named in his honor. The Faulkner family owned the Baldwin Times until 1974, when they sold it to Frank Helderman and his son.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i1OaAgAAQBAJ&q=Jimmy+Faulkner+the+baldwin+times&pg=PA8|title=Focus on the Media|last1=Northrop|first1=John Jr.|last2=Suitts|first2=Steve|last3=Tullos|first3=Allen|last4=Waid|first4=Candace|last5=Goodwyn|first5=Larry|last6=Blackwell|first6=Gloria|last7=Thrasher|first7=Sue|last8=Conway|first8=Leonard|last9=English|first9=John|publisher=The Institute for Southern Studies|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22776296/3_baldwin_weeklies_are_sold/|title=3 Baldwin Weeklies Are Sold - Newspapers.com|work=Newspapers.com|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en}}
Helderman Jr. sold the Baldwin Times, which was then part of the Baldwin Publishing Company, to Terry Everett in 1981.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22776643/everett_buys_balwins_six_weeklies/|title=Everett Buys Balwin's Six Weeklies - Newspapers.com|work=Newspapers.com|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en}} In 1983, Everett established Gulf Coast Media, which included the Baldwin Times, along with five other papers he purchased. Everett went on to sell all of his papers in 1988 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, where he served until 2009.
Gulf Coast Newspapers was sold by Worrell Enterprises Inc. to Heritage Newspapers Inc. in 1996.{{Cite web|url=http://bi.galegroup.com/essentials/article/GALE%7CA18067979?u=vol_m58c&sid=summon|title=Redirect Page|website=bi.galegroup.com|access-date=2018-08-13}} It was owned by Crescent Publishing Company from 2000 to 2014.{{Cite news|url=https://lagniappemobile.com/five-baldwin-newspapers-new-ownership/|title=Five Baldwin newspapers under new ownership - Lagniappe Mobile|date=2014-09-03|work=Lagniappe Mobile|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en-US}} In 2014, Gulf Coast Newspapers was purchased by Osteen Publishing Company News. As of 2018, Osteen Publishing Company still owns and publishes the Baldwin Times.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theitem.com/about/|title=About Us {{!}} The Sumter Item|website=www.theitem.com|language=en|access-date=2018-08-13}}
Awards
In 2018, Gulf Coast Newspapers and the Baldwin Times won the first place award from the Alabama Press Association for the following:{{Cite news|url=http://gulfcoastnewstoday.com/stories/gulf-coast-media-newspapers-win-7-alabama-press-awards,62809|title=Gulf Coast Media newspapers win 7 Alabama Press awards|work=GulfCoastNewsToday.com|access-date=2018-08-14|language=en}}
- Best Editorial Column or Commentary for “Alabama can be better” by Cliff McCollum
- Best Humorous Column for “Call center crazies” by Cliff McCollum
- Best Editorial for “What will you decide to do?” by Gulf Coast Media Editorial Board