The Evening Telegram – W.J. Herder, 1879

Front page of the April 14, 1879 issue. The early issues of the paper were 4 pages with 3 small columns that were printed on an antiquated hand press and looked it.

Building Newfoundland’s Daily Voice

William James Herder (1849–1922), born in Old Perlican, Newfoundland Colony, founded The Evening Telegram, Newfoundland's first permanent daily newspaper. At the age of fourteen, he began an apprenticeship with the Courier in St. John's, learning every aspect of the printing trade. When the Courier encountered financial difficulties, Herder purchased its plant and equipment and, on April 3, 1879, launched The Evening Telegram with an initial press run of just 500 copies.

Inspired by the American penny press, Herder sold his newspaper for one cent, making it affordable to a wide audience. Rather than relying on political patronage, the paper emphasized circulation and advertising while offering readers local news, shipping and fisheries reports, selected international news, poetry and serialized fiction. Although its early readership was largely Protestant, the paper's broad appeal and accessible price helped it reach households across Newfoundland.

The success of the The Evening Telegram soon attracted competition. In 1882, businessman J.E.A. Furneaux launched the Evening Mercury, followed in 1894 by J.A. Robinson’s Daily News. Fierce editorial rivalry among the three dailies reflected Newfoundland’s increasingly partisan political landscape, with each paper championing different political causes and vigorously debating issues such as the proposed trans-island railway. Debate over the proposed trans-island railway fuelled demand for daily news and commentary, helping sustain three competing newspapers in St. John’s by the end of the nineteenth century.

Success came quickly. Within two years, growing circulation enabled Herder to purchase larger presses and move the operation into more spacious premises. As political debate intensified over the proposed trans-island railway, The Evening Telegram established itself as an influential voice in public affairs, providing readers with timely reporting and vigorous editorial commentary.

Under Herder's leadership, The Evening Telegram grew from a modest one-cent newspaper into Newfoundland's leading daily. By pioneering a permanent daily press, embracing new printing technology and building a broad readership, Herder transformed his newspaper into one of the province's most influential institutions. The paper remained under Herder family leadership until 1991, a remarkable legacy that spanned more than a century.

The Herder Newspaper Dynasty

For more than a century, The Evening Telegram was more than a newspaper, it was a family enterprise. William James Herder’s greatest achievement may have been ensuring that The Evening Telegram remained a family newspaper long after his death. From 1922 until 1991, three generations of Herders guided the paper, giving it a remarkable continuity that few Canadian newspapers could match.

William H. (Will) Herder succeeded his father as President and Publisher in 1922, continuing the newspaper’s growth until his death in 1934. His brother Herbert Augustus (‘Gus’) Herder served as Vice-President and Circulation Manager but died only four months later. Leadership then passed to Ralph Barnes Herder, a First World War veteran, who guided the paper through the Depression and the Second World War. In 1935, Ralph established the Herder Memorial Trophy, still awarded to Newfoundland and Labrador’s senior hockey champions, in memory of his five deceased brothers.

James Milley Herder, the youngest of the seven brothers, became publisher in 1955 and oversaw a period of continued expansion during the late 1950s and 1960s. In 1970, Ralph’s son, Stephen Rendell Herder, became the third generation of the family to lead the newspaper. Although The Evening Telegram was sold to Thomson Newspapers later that year, Stephen remained publisher until 1991, bringing to a close 112 years of continuous Herder family leadership.

Few Canadian newspapers remained under the guidance of a single family for so long, making the Herders one of Canada’s most enduring newspaper dynasties.

William James Herder, founder of Newfoundland’s most successful daily newspaper.

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