When the time is right, it is important to recognize the fact and be willing to pass the torch.
And that is just where the Dunn family has arrived.
Beginning in August, ownership of the Lewis County Herald will change hands for the first time since 1956.
A 68 year gate-keep for journalism and community service began on March 1, 1956 when Hulon O. and Byrne K. Dunn purchased the newspaper business from Ernest Pollock. The then 24 year old Byrne and 30 year old World War II Navy veteran, Hulon, moved to Hohenwald with infant son, Hulon Junior from Milan.
Mr. Dunn was trained at the Nashville School of Printing and had been in the employ of the Milan Mirror.
The young couple confidently and compassionately took on the daunting task of reporting the weekly happenings in Hohenwald, Lewis County.
Developing relationships and forging pathways, they settled in to grow their family and make a living with standards of hard work, fairness, honesty and consistency.
During their lifetime, Mr. and Mrs. Dunn grew the Herald from a six page publication with a circulation of 800 to a 24 page publication with an average circulation of 3,750.
A Brief History
Publication of the Lewis County Herald began in 1898 with a masthead stating "devoted to upbuilding Hohenwald and Lewis County," under publishers Schubert and Jones.
W.W. Pollock became editor and publisher of the Lewis County Herald in March 1920. Prior, Nathan W. Black was publisher with James E. Chessor, editor.
Hulon O. Dunn remained editor and publisher until his death in 1987 at which time his wife, Byrne, assumed the role.
Hulon Junior and another son, Walton, returned to the newspaper business in 1987. Becky Jane Dunn Newbold joined the staff in 2003 as assoicate editor when she and her family moved to Hohenwald from Gadsden. At that time, Hulon Junior became managing editor. Becky's husband, Shane, joined the office staff.
Other family members often took on tasks to help out. Hulon Dunn III, Donald Dunn, Callie Dunn Sharp, Josh Barnett, Cody Newbold Nixon, Luke Newbold, Zach Newbold and Corey Dunn, grandchildren of Hulon and Byrne, each learned portions of the trade.
Hulon Junior took over as editor and publisher at the retirement of his mother in July 2015. Walton Dunn was promoted to associate editor. Mrs. Newbold stepped away from the family business during the years of 2011-2016 to publish a magazine. Upon her returning April of 2016, she was named managing editor until her retirement in 2020. Mrs. Dunn passed away in March 2022.
Hired by Mr. Dunn as a teenager, the employee with the most longevity and loyalty was Glenda Whitehead Atkinson, who worked with each generation of the family until her retirement in the spring of 2021. Julie Reeves has become a member of the family as well working in the office since 1989. Also currently employed is Josette Riley in the role of receptionist/ad sales. An untold number of teenagers stuffed inserts and helped with the mailing on Wednesday afternoons. Many community reporters and contributing photographers have blessed the Dunn family through the years with their engagement in the Herald.
Next Steps
Amanda Rose Curtis of Hohenwald, an employee of the Herald, will begin assuming ownership in August 2024 as owners, Editor & Publisher Hulon Dunn Jr., Walton Dunn and Robert Dunn hand over the reigns.
Miss Curtis holds a Communications degree from Middle Tennessee State University and has been in the print industry since 2018. She lives in Hohenwald where she resides with her two nieces. She is an active member of the community, serving on the Lewis County Fair Board, is a member of the Elks Lodge, and member of the Rock-the-Lot Committee.
"I feel like everything I've done in life, every move I have made, was to land me here. From my days of learning to write poetry in fourth grade with Ms. Cindy Graves, to gracing the television sets of college students at MTSU as a news anchor on MTTV News, There is something to be learned in every season, and I really try to live by the saying, "never be the smartest one in the room." I want to always be growing and learning how to propel myself forward, making life better for not only myself, but also for those around me. We're all just making it up as we go, truth be told, and none of us are special enough to have it all figured out.
The Herald has a revolving door that is always open for opinions, critiques, ideas, and stories. Let's work together to record an incredible history of our little piece of Heaven on earth. I will begin writing editorials next week and look forward to sharing my, "why" then. For today, enjoy the fact that our small community is blessed enough to still have a newspaper that records the happenings, a way for us to reference our past, in the future. I'll be here, thanking God that Hulon and Julie trust me enough to continue working here, because the place just doesn't run without them.
