Temple, Bell County
The Temple Daily Telegram, which dates to 1907, has had a strong historical impact on the development of the area. It has ties to the earliest community newspaper, the Weekly Times, first distributed in 1881, the year of Temple's founding. The Temple Daily Telegram grew and prospered from its inception, and by 1929, when newspaper executive Ward C. Mayborn and his three sons, Frank W., Don and Ted, purchased the operation, it was an important employer in Temple. In 1930, Frank W. Mayborn became the sole owner and publisher. During Frank W. Mayborn's ownership, the Temple Daily Telegram grew to be an influential community institution. It won numerous journalistic awards, supported and advocated community projects and sponsored civic events. In the 1930s, the newspaper pushed for construction of local reservoirs, and that continuing effort eventually led to construction of Belton Dam (1954) on the Leon River, as well as Stillhouse Hollow Dam (1968) on the Lampasas River, ensuring important municipal water sources. Mayborn and the Temple Daily Telegram led the way in other economic activities for the area, including government projects such as Camp Hood (now Fort Hood) and McCloskey General Hospital (now Olin E. Teague Veterans Hospital); the Temple Industrial Foundation, which assisted in attracting new businesses; and U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities. After Frank W. Mayborn's death in 1987, his widow became the sole owner and publisher of the Temple Daily Telegram. Today, over a century after its founding, the newspaper continues to serve and promote the greater Temple area. (2007)