Our History

The Union Publishing Co. began printing the "Shelbyville Weekly Union" on May 9, 1863, In 1873. the "Shelby County" was dropped and the word "Shelbyville" was substituted, becoming the "Shelbyville Union" which continued until the late 1940's. In 1887, Horace Martin published Shelby County's first daily newspaper, naming it "The Daily Union". It was then published in multiple locations along Main Street in Shelbyville over the next 20 years, until the building at 100 W. Main was built in 1916 (or 1917). In 1941, R. L. Frazier became the owner and with Tony Storm, published the paper until Frazier's death in 1974. In the 1950s, Frazier's two children, George and Frances, began working at their father's paper where work continued through their father's passing in 1974, and Frances' in 1996. George became the sole owner and publisher until the paper operations were sold in May of 1999 to a successive list of regional and national newspaper groups. Over its long history, stories say it was printed every weekday with only two issues missed-both due to power outages in Shelbyville- one in the 1930s and one in 1967.