Baytown Sun
Encyclopedia
The Baytown Sun, is a newspaper published in Baytown, Texas
, United States. It was first published 1919 as the Goose Creek Gasser. The paper is owned by Southern Newspapers Inc.
, a news-media company based in Houston, Texas
.
, in 1931 the Daily Tribune merged with newspapers in the nearby communities of Pelly
and Baytown. The new newspaper was named the Daily Sun and was published in the Daily Tribune's hometown of Goose Creek. During the mid 1940s the towns of Baytown, Goose Creek and Pelly voted to incorporate
into one city, with Baytown being the surviving name. Therefore, in 1949 to better identify with the new community it served, the paper was given its current name, Baytown Sun.
which when answered, the author stated, would eventually reveal the killer's name. However, if the police answered incorrectly, another child would be killed on Christmas. In an unusual request, the letters also demanded the answers to the riddles be printed on front page of the Baytown Sun. When the Baytown police approached then-Sun publisher Leon Brown with the request to publish the answers on the front page, he agreed, stating: "Police Chief Wayne Henscey said their publication could very well save a life. I was convinced, as were my editors, that the Sun's cooperation was a life or death situation..."
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
, United States. It was first published 1919 as the Goose Creek Gasser. The paper is owned by Southern Newspapers Inc.
Southern Newspapers Inc.
Southern Newspapers Inc. is a publishing holding company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company was founded originally as Southern Newspapers, Inc., of Tennessee in 1967 by B. Carmage Walls...
, a news-media company based in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
History
The Baytown Sun was founded in Goose Creek, Texas, as the weekly publication, Goose Creek Gasser, in 1919. By 1928, the paper was operating under the name Daily Tribune. Due to the economic pressures caused by the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, in 1931 the Daily Tribune merged with newspapers in the nearby communities of Pelly
Baytown, Texas
Baytown is a city within Harris County and partially in Chambers County in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. state of Texas. Located within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, it lies along both State Highway 146 and Interstate 10. As of 2010, Baytown had an population of 71,802...
and Baytown. The new newspaper was named the Daily Sun and was published in the Daily Tribune's hometown of Goose Creek. During the mid 1940s the towns of Baytown, Goose Creek and Pelly voted to incorporate
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
into one city, with Baytown being the surviving name. Therefore, in 1949 to better identify with the new community it served, the paper was given its current name, Baytown Sun.
Halloween killer
In December 1985, the Baytown Police Department received five letters from someone identifying themselves as "Madman" and claiming to have been the killer in the Halloween murder of a local 11-year-old girl. Each letter contained a riddleRiddle
A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and...
which when answered, the author stated, would eventually reveal the killer's name. However, if the police answered incorrectly, another child would be killed on Christmas. In an unusual request, the letters also demanded the answers to the riddles be printed on front page of the Baytown Sun. When the Baytown police approached then-Sun publisher Leon Brown with the request to publish the answers on the front page, he agreed, stating: "Police Chief Wayne Henscey said their publication could very well save a life. I was convinced, as were my editors, that the Sun's cooperation was a life or death situation..."