The Leonard Graphic

The Leonard Graphic has been in continuous publication on a weekly basis since 1890, is the oldest business in Leonard, and the oldest newspaper in Fannin County. The City of Leonard was established in 1880 and The Graphic was founded ten years later in 1890 by 20-year-old Albert Erwin. The Graphic has had several owners through the years, but they all had a common goal - to provide a quality publication of community news and interest.

It's hard to talk about the history of Leonard without also talking about the newspaper, as it has chronicled every major event in the town and surrounding area since its inception. The Graphic archives contain articles and information that are imperative to preserving the town's history for posterity. Articles about old homes, businesses, families, and deaths help connect the dots where there is no longer a generation that can remember. Obituaries, birth announcements and engagement/marriage announcements help provide connections for those looking into family history. And the simple tidbits of news from many years past give a nostalgic glimpse into a time when things were slower-paced and more Mayberry-like.

While the archives before 1948 were lost in a fire long ago, older copies of the newspaper sometimes resurface in attics and hope chests, revealing even more character of the town of Leonard and its important news of the time. The oldest known issues of The Graphic, including a framed copy of issue one from 1890, are on display at the Leonard Historical Museum in downtown Leonard.