The Marion Star
The Marion Star (formerly known as The Marion Daily Star) is a newspaper in Marion, Ohio. The paper is owned by the Gannett Newspaper organization, the paper is also notable as having once been owned and published by Warren G. Harding (prior to his election as President of the United States), and his wife Florence Kling Harding.
Founded as the Daily Pebble, the format of the small daily grew and became The Marion Daily Star. When Harding acquired the newspaper in the 1880s, it was struggling. The dubious financial position of The Marion Daily Star improved following the marriage of Harding to Florence Kling DeWolfe who promptly set about to straighten out the accounting, and increasing circulation. American Civil Liberties Union founder and Socialist candidate for President Norman Thomas carried the Daily Star as a youngster growing up in Marion where his father was minister of the First Presbyterian Church.
Under Harding the newspaper's editorial position leaned toward the Republican Party platform, but remained somewhat neutral because of its position of the daily newspaper of record for Marion County. However, Harding also launched The Marion Weekly Star – a once-a-week summary newspaper designed for mail delivery and rural circulation; this paper was unapologetically Republican in its editorials. The Weekly Star was published from the 1890s into the 1910s when it was discontinued.