The Star-Herald Newspaper
419 Main Street * Belton, MO
64012
816/331-5353 * Fax: 816/322-3943
info@thestar-herald.com or news@thestar-herald.com
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HISTORY
(taken from above website!)
The Star Herald has been serving the people of northwest Cass County for more than 100 years.
The Star Herald is one of Belton's oldest businesses, established in 1892.
The First Hundred Years, a book of Belton history published in 1972 summarizes much of the colorful history of journalism in Belton.
L.D. Connely published the first newspaper, before Belton celebrated its sixth birthday. The year was 1878 and the paper lasted only a few months.
In 1880, John H. Tritt of Ohio established a weekly newspaper, The Belton Mirror. The Mirror was sold two years later to C.M. Williams, a Harrisonville lawyer.
The newspaper has undergone several name changes during its 100-year history, but Williams was the first publisher to make such a change. He changed the name to the Cass County Leader and within a few months sold it to R.J. McNutt. From this point, the paper changed hands several times in a short period of time.
McNutt transferred half interest to W.A. Hail in 1886. McNutt sold his interest to Dan C. Idol and started another paper in Drexel. McNutt returned to Belton in 1893 and began a competitive newspaper, The Belton Herald, which Idol purchased the next year. The Leader suspended publication in the late 90s and The Herald became the only newspaper.
The plant was destroyed by fire in 1904 and for several months the paper was printed in the Cass County Democrat office in Harrisonville.
Idol sold the paper to J.R. Devoy of Seneca, Kan., who put in a new plant. Ownership was transferred in 1907 to L.B. Brady Harris and in 1911 was resold to Idol, who retrained ownership until 1923, when it was sold to L.O. Reagan, who was publishing The Belton Star, the history book indicates. The paper then became known as The Belton Star-Herald.
Newspaper offices have been in the 300 block of Main Street; at the back of what is now Dryden's Drug Store at 401 Main St.; and at 418, 425, 419 and 421 Main.
As was the case in its infancy, the newspaper changed hands a number of times in the 1920s and 1930s. During the 10 years from 1924 to 1934, the newspaper had a succession of owners and editors. Little is known about any of them.
But in 1934, it was announced that Scroggs had again become the paper's owner and had named George E. Spear as editor and publisher. Spear and his wife, Florence, later bought the paper. Spear served until his death in 1960, but his wife and son, George Jr., operated the paper until 1963.
The paper was then sold to J.W. Brown Jr., owner of The Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville, who named Joseph J. Maurer as managing editor.
In 1965, a local corporation, The Belton Banner, was formed and purchased the paper from Brown. Maurer became corporation president and retained his duties as editor. The company was operated for more than 20 years by Maurer and his wife, Dodie.
In 1978, Raymore was added to the flag, making the paper The Belton-Raymore Star-Herald. After Joe Maurer's death in 1985, Dodie continued operating the paper until 1986 when it was purchased by Inland Industries of Lenexa, Kan. In 1999, the newspaper was purchased by Knight-Ridder, the current owner.
