History

Today’s Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald first published in 1909 as the Ahoskie Patriot. The paper had several owners during its early years. In 1915, J. Roy Parker bought a half interest and the newspaper company would remain a Parker family business until the late 1980s.

By 1931, the company had acquired four more local papers – the Windsor Ledger, which was later sold; the Jackson News; Aulander Advance; and the Gates County Index.

In 1962, the Daily Roanoke-Chowan Times, a publication in Murfreesboro, merged with The Herald to form a tri-weekly newspaper. The Herald was printed Mondays and Fridays and the Roanoke-Chowan Times was printed Wednesdays.

This operation continued until 1977 when, for the first time, all three publications were printed under the name The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.

In the early 1980s, the Parker family sold its interest in the News-Herald and the publication had a succession of owners during the next decade. In 1996, the Northampton News also merged with the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald.

In 2000, the newspaper was sold again to Boone Newspapers, based out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Internet presence

www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com