Brenham Banner Press. Founded Jan. 1, 1866, as weekly "Southern Banner", by Dan McGary and John C. Rankin, Confederate veterans. For his independent policies, editor McGary was jailed that year; shop and nearby businesses burned. But paper survived; became a daily in 1876. "Banner" was merged with "Press" in 1912 by George Meu. Mrs. Ruby Robertson, on staff in 1912, in 1917 became first woman in Texas to edit a daily. Jim Byrd, production superintendent, has been on force since 1921. Ben F. Blanton, a newspaperman since 1939, became editor and publisher on Feb. 1, 1962. #8306