About Us

The Jena Times

The Jena Times Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 23, 2005, after completing 100 years of service; thus, it is said to be the oldest continuously operated business in LaSalle Parish.

Established in 1905, some five years before LaSalle Parish was created from part of Catahoula Parish on January 1, 1910, the newspaper has completed over 100 years of service to residents of LaSalle and surrounding parishes.

The present editor and publisher, Sammy J. Franklin, has held that position since January 1, 1968. He has published and edited over one-third of all editions published since 1905.

Franklin was the youngest publisher in the state at age 27 when he purchased the paper in 1968, however, a recap of previous owners and editors of the paper back through the years revealed that Franklin was not the youngest owner of the paper.

Lee Brooks, father of the late Rev. K. G. Brooks of Jena and several other well-known Brooks children, first formed The Jena Times back in 1905 at the age of 23. He operated the paper for about a year, then, his father, J. M. Brooks, took over the operation until 1908 when the paper was sold to A. S. Harrell.

Preceding him in 1904, Walter White started The Jena Tribune, which operated about eight months.

At that time, the newspaper was located in an office on the corner where KJNA Radio now maintains offices and studios.

In 1914, Harrell purchased a site on Second Street, next to the Jena Town Hall, from W. W. Adams. In early 1979, the newspaper offices were moved to their present location at the corner of Third and Elm Street as the old building and site was purchased by the LaSalle State Bank (now Southern Heritage Bank) for expansion purposes.

Harrell operated the paper by himself from 1907 until 1916 when H. Street Hudspeth came to Jena and purchased half interest in the paper. It is not clear what happened to Harrell after that time, but Hudspeth owned the paper until his death in 1926, when it reverted to his widow and son, Street Jr.

In 1928, Q. R. Hudson, Clerk of Court at that time and J. Paul Wade purchased the paper and Wade served as editor for a couple of years until the partnership dissolved in 1933. A corporation with C. I. Humphries as president was then formed and the group purchased the paper.

After several unsuccessful years during the height of the Great Depression, the corporation was dissolved and the paper went back to Mrs. Hudspeth. She managed to get Wade back as editor, a position he held until his death in the mid-1930s.

After that, Edwin Rice operated the paper for Mrs. Hudspeth. During the first year of World War II, Mrs. Hudspeth had trouble finding someone to operate the paper and it operated at a handicap.

It was in 1943 that the late Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Wagner leased the paper and operated it as a team. Later, in 1946, the Wagners purchased the paper from Mrs. Hudspeth and heirs. The Wagners continued to operate the paper for a quarter of a century, from 1943 to 1968, when it was sold to Franklin.

It was under the Wagners that the paper purchased the first web (roll) fed newspaper press. Type was set on linotypes and other hot typesetting equipment for printing.

In 1969, a year and a half after Franklin had acquired the newspaper, the first real change came when the paper was converted from letterpress to offset printing which has continued and allowed the paper to grow with a growing parish.

During the past 38 years, the paper has grown and now ranks as one of the largest weekly newspapers serving a trade territory of its size. It has also been an award winning newspaper during these years, with numerous plaques and other awards lining the walls of the office in recognition of outstanding service.

The newspaper adopted a slogan, "Dedicated to the Progress and Growth of LaSalle Parish," in 1968, and it remains loyal to that slogan today as it begins its second century of operation.

Thus, older than the parish it serves, The Jena Times Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal is proud to serve the citizens of LaSalle Parish and the success the newspaper has enjoyed is due directly to the support from LaSalle Parish businesses and citizens.

The Jena Times Olla-Tullos-Urania Signal is the official journal of LaSalle Parish.