On Wednesday, April 2, the former Hennessey Clipper newspaper building, located at 117 S. Main St., was sold at auction. For over 130 years, the Clipper was a cornerstone of the Hennessey, Oklahoma, community, covering local events and serving as a vital news source. First published on June 13, 1889, by J.B. Campbell, it was originally a weekly paper with a $1 yearly subscription.
By 1893, C.H. Miller later took over as editor and publisher, giving the paper a Republican perspective and adjusting its layout. Around 1902โ1903, N.F. Daves became the publisher and moved the publication to Thursdays. By 1906, the Clipper had 600 subscribers.
The Walter family took ownership in 1904. In 1977, Bill Walter returned to Hennessey as editor and publisher, joined by Barb Walter in 1978 as managing editor. They co-published the paper for 35 years, selling it in 2014 to The Trail Miller Company, which owned other small-town papers across Oklahoma.
In August 2020, the Clipper shifted to a bimonthly publication, expanding its focus to broader topics across western Oklahoma. As a result, it could no longer publish legal notices or obituaries, marking the end of its role as Hennesseyโs main news source.
The Hennessey Post, part of the โAll About Hennesseyโ platform, began publishing a newspaper digitally in 2020, added a print version in 2021, and joined the Oklahoma Press Association in 2023, becoming the townโs official newspaper.
The Hennessey and Canton newspaper buildings were sold by Wiggins Auction Company of Enid. The Hennessey building sold for $26,000 and the Canton building for $16,000โboth purchased by Cory Shuman of Utah via phone.
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