The second historic plaque, in a series of 10 plaques to be placed at historic buildings in Toccoa, was set and unveiled on Thursday, Dec. 1, in front of The Toccoa Record.
The paper started in 1873, one year before the city received its charter. Originally named The Northeast Georgia Herald, the paper was later renamed and moved operations to 67 W. Doyle St. The building was completed in 1906 and has been the home to the paper for over 100 years.
In the 1970s, the business changed ownership from a local family to a sole proprietor, Charles Hamilton. With the new change of ownership, Mr. Hamilton excavated the basement for the newest line of newspaper press units, allowing paper to become the first weekly newspaper in Georgia to incorporate the use of offset printing. The business progressed even further by the 1980s and became the first to convert to an all computerized newsroom.
In 1995 the paper was bought by Community Newspapers, Inc. (CNI), and merged with a weekly publication, The Chieftain. Both continue to be a part of CNI, which includes 28 other newspapers.
Eight more plaques are scheduled to be unveiled in the upcoming year, eventually aligning with a walking tour and podcast to highlight the historic aspects of downtown Toccoa. The next plaque is dedicated to be unveiled on Jan. 5, at 5 p.m. All persons are invited to attend!
