Established in 1907 by Mr. and Mrs. Austin Johnson, The Piedmont Journal has been covering the local happenings for over 100 years now.

Born in Cherokee County in 1880, Mr. Johnson gained printing and editing experience in Alabama and Georgia. In 1906 a death in the family brought him to Piedmont, where he discovered the town was without a newspaper.

In the words of Mr. Johnson, it was the days “when men wore derbies…women in their gorgeous ground-level skirts with that ‘swish-swish’ rustle as they walked…you rented a horse and buggy at the livery stable for transportation or rode the train to Anniston…vegetables out of season were practically unknown here…a full morning’s work of shopping, shucking, and shelling were necessary for a housewife to prepare a meal…”

When The Anniston Hot Blast installed new equipment, Mr. Johnson secured a $650 loan from The First National Bank of Piedmont and purchased the press, type and equipment. He and his wife set out to do what some thought was impossible – make a newspaper venture survive in Piedmont.

Mr. Johnson was “fresh off the floor of The Atlanta Journal” where he worked as a printer. With “plenty of iron-clad nerve” and a sum total of $27 in operating capital the Piedmont Journal was launched. The paper was located over Meadows Drug Store at the time.

Mrs. Johnson, who “had the nerve to go out, sell and collect for as many yearly subscriptions in advance,” raised those funds “mostly in silver,”

The Johnson’s had a long and colorful career in the business with him writing and her selling the advertising. His editorials were reprinted over much of the South.

After 56 years of dedicated service to the community, “trials and tribulations…ups and downs…good fortune and bad…” Mr. and Mrs. Johnson sold the paper to the Piedmont Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Consolidated Publishing Company, in November 1963.

In February 1964 Cecil Weatherbee, a native of Gadsden, assumed the duties of general manager of the paper. He had 23 years experience in the newspaper field and leased the enterprise from Consolidated Publishing Co. beginning in 1965.

Weatherbee’s only son Lane joined the staff in 1966 and the two worked together as publisher and editor until the elder Weatherbee retired in the late 1980s.

The name of the paper was changed to The Piedmont Journal-Independent and Lane served as editor and publisher while his wife Carol handled the advertising and bookkeeping. Their son Greg worked at the paper for a number of years as writer and photographer.

As retirement age grew near, the Weatherbee’s made plans to travel and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They sold the newspaper back to Consolidated Publishing in 2005 with the contract to take effect in January 2006.

In October 2005, Mrs. Weatherbee unexpectedly passed away and Lane reconsidered his retirement plans. He continued working for the paper until March 2006.

In the March 15, 2006 edition of the paper, the name reverted back to The Piedmont Journal and Publisher Robert Jackson and Managing Editor Jimmy Creed introduced a totally redesigned format to the public. The new format was well received by the readers and the community.