Time Line: Ben Douglas Meador May 9, 1901 to September 27, 1974
By Carol Campbell
1895: Records show that a newspaper has been continuously published in Matador since the spring of 1895.
May 9, 1901: Born in Matador; parents, Jennie Belle and James E. (Jim) Meador. Died in Matador on September 27, 1974, at the age of 73.
1928-1934: Worked a 6-year stint in California trying to “break into the writing game in the movie studios and Hollywood.” Worked as a “soda jerk” in Simpson’s Drug, Matador; worked on a pile driver building bridges between Matador and Paducah; hauled dynamite form Acme in his Ford roadster; operated the Phillips 66 station in Matador for a year; worked for the Childress Index, his first newspaper job.
June 22, 1929: Married Lila Tipton of Caruthersville, Mo.
Dec. 10, 1931: The first “Trail Dust” column was printed in Floydada by the Hesperian Publishing Company. Trail Dust was printed in a free circulation newspaper which was forced to suspend after only eight issues.
Oct., 1932: Operated a filling station in Matador for $1.00 a day.
Dec., 1933: First published newspaper as Matador Tribune.
Mar. 14, 1934: Purchased the Motley County News from G.C. Mitchell, and combined the two newspapers under the Matador Tribune masthead. The original publishing company partnership comprised of Howard Hamilton and Douglas Meador. Moved to the Masonic Building (located in the back of the Matador Variety Store, (Main and Hwy. 70) where the Tribune was printed for 19 years.
1935: Purchased Hamilton’s interest in Matador Tribune.
About 1938: The Matador Tribune purchased “the circulation, advertising and good will of the Roaring Springs Reporter.” The Tribune became owner of these previous names: Texas Maverick, Motley County News, Matador Gusher, Roaring Springs News, (a second Motley County News from G. C. Mitchell in 1934) and Roaring Springs Reporter.
1940: First publication of “Trail Dust,” 134 pages, cloth bound, sold for $1.60; third printing, November, 1970, 140 pages; sold for $4.95. Book cover: “Star-dusted philosophy by an editor from a small west Texas town.”
1947: Travelled to Guatemala City, Central America where he wrote and photographed for a feature article for a national magazine, assigned by “one of the large news agencies.”
March, 1948: The Matador Tribune started with Volume 54, No. 1 (Volume numbers of past publications were picked up in this number).
1948: Elected as Mayor on a “no salary” campaign. In an Open Letter to the Citizens he wrote: “We are very small and very ordinary separately but collectively we can have a strength that will accomplish the seemingly impossible. We can, with unity, build Matador into one of the most outstanding communities in West Texas.”
April, 1950: Announced his candidacy for re-election as Mayor, saying he would seek a double salary “. . . so if you elect me as your mayor beginning April 4th my salary will be double zero, if it is approved by the council.” Notable quote: “After serving two years without salary I feel that I have made a great discovery. A politician can get along without money provided he has never used it before entering office. It is also pleasant to ignore the tax collector when you are not bothered with a salary.” He won another term, hands down.
1952: Lionism’s highest award of “Outstanding Member” for 1951-52. Member since 1933.
Oct. 9, 1952: Named Texas Newspaperman of the Year. “In recognition of leadership in Texas Journalism, The Texas Editor and Publishers expresses its gratitude to Douglas Meador for devoting his lifetime to a journalistic enterprise; for furthering the ideals and principles of community service, cooperation and achievement in newspaper publishing.”
1953: Constructed the Matador Tribune building (now Tom Edwards Law Office).
1971: Received an Award of Excellence at the 92nd Annual Texas Press Association meeting in Austin.
Aug. 26, 1971: The Southwest Scene Magazine section of the Dallas Morning News featured Doug Meador: The article was titled “The Sage of Matador.”
October, 1972: Letter of congratulations from Governor Preston Smith acknowledging that Cimarron Valley Historical Society honored him on October 15, 1972, for “your great achievements in the field of journalism.” He was presented with a plaque mounted on a frame from the first printing press used in Motley County, which he then erected on a lot across from the Tribune (now Pioneer Park), in honor of his pioneer parents, James and Jennie Belle Meador.
Sept. 27, 1974: Died at Methodist Hospital in Lubbock from a stroke following surgery on a malignant tumor on his left lung.
June 13, 1981: Lila Meador, 72, died of a heart attack.
