Carson City, NV – Capitol Publishing Group, the parent company of The Missouri Times, today announced an expansion into the Nevada market by reviving the historic Territorial Enterprise as a magazine that will provide in-depth coverage of the Nevada state political scene.
“We could not be more excited about our new venture. Obviously via Mark Twain the Territorial Enterprise is an exciting title for any Missourian interested in journalism. We just hope to do a good job adding to the coverage of the Nevada public policy process”, said Territorial Enterprise publisher Scott R. Faughn
The Territorial Enterprise was founded in 1858 by William Jernegan and Alfred James, and was Nevada’s first newspaper. The Territorial Enterprise gained prominence when a young Samuel Clemens began covering the then Territorial Assembly and writing certain dispatches under the pen name Mark Twain.
The website, www.territorialenterprise.com, will launch on Thursday, March 12, 2015, along with the first print issue which will be a monthly glossy magazine. The publication’s Twitter ID is @TerritorialEnt.
“In this time of radical change in the media world there is a certain quality to taking a historic title like the Territorial Enterprise and modernizing it to the digital world that I believe Mark Twain would appreciate”, said Faughn.
“Our team at The Missouri Times has a passion for sharing information about politics and public policy process with our readers,” said Territorial Enterprise publisher Scott Faughn. “Expanding our company in the form of resurrecting the Territorial Enterprise in Nevada is a great next step toward our company’s goal of connecting people with more information about their government.”
“I am thrilled to be part of the team that is resurrecting Nevada’s oldest and most irreverent newspaper,” said Elizabeth Thompson, who has been covering Nevada politics and policy since 2008 and will serve as the publication’s editor.
The Territorial Enterprise gained prominence when a young Samuel Clemens began covering the then Territorial Assembly and writing certain dispatches under the pen name Mark Twain.
“In this time of radical change in the media world, there is a poignancy to taking a historic name like the Territorial Enterprise and modernizing it to fit the digital world that I believe Mark Twain would appreciate,” said Faughn.
The owner of the Mark Twain Saloon and historic Territorial Enterprise building in Virginia City and consultant to the project, John Schafer, enthusiastically welcomed the publication back to Nevada.
“It is with great excitement that I look forward to watching the revitalization of one of the most magical names in western journalism,” said Schafer.
Founded in Genoa, Nevada in 1858, and later published in Virginia City, Territorial Enterprise was graced by the wit and wisdom of writers including Mark Twain and William Wright. The paper was out of publication for a time, revived in 1946, and then later purchased and re-revived by author, journalist, and railroad historian Lucius Beebe and his long-time companion and co-author Charles Clegg in 1952. Clegg and Beebe sold TE in 1961.
The publication languished, and the new owners printed the last issue in 1969. In the 1980s, John Schafer’s family revived the paper, which they later sold to owners who planned to turn it into a humorous magazine of national stature. The plan never came to fruition; TE has been dormant since.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
