California business paper is 128 years old

While most weekly business newspapers track their origin to the 1980s, the Fresno Business Journal was honored Tuesday by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors for being more than a century old.

A story on its website states, “The Business Journal traces its roots back to 1886, less than six months after the incorporation of the City of Fresno.

“That was the year that H.C. Miller founded the Abstract of Records, publishing public notices and legal documents.

“Two years later, the business was purchased for $180 by Midwest native Morris Shelby Webster, who continued publishing public notices as the first adjudicated newspaper in Fresno County along with his sons Norman and Lloyd.

“Norman Webster carried the torch for the next 60 years as the Daily Real Estate Report and Abstract of Records and then as the Daily Legal Report until his retirement in 1979.

“Under his son Gordon M Webster Sr., who came on board in 1948, the business was incorporated and changed its name again to the Fresno Daily Report to broaden readership.

“In 1992, fourth generation publisher Gordon Webster Jr. created Pacific Publishing Group to oversee The Business Journal and other products, including The Legal Directory and The Book of Lists.”

Read more here.