Originally known as the "Hale County Hesperian," this newspaper was established in the late 1880s by D.B. Hill and John Davidson. In 1891 John Minor Shafer, an early Plainview area settler, became the owner and publisher. The newspaper remained a Shafer family operation until 1912. Its name then was changed from the "Hale County Herald" to the "Plainview Herald," and later to the "Plainview Daily Herald." Consolidation with the "Plainview News" in 1929 allowed for continued growth and expanded coverage. In 1978 the "Daily Herald" was purchased by the Hearst Corporation. (1984)