Media in the San Francisco Bay Area
James King of William began publishing the "Daily Evening Bulletin" in San Francisco in October, 1855 and built it into the highest circulation paper in the city. He criticized a city supervisor named James P. Casey, who, on the afternoon of the story about him, ran in the paper, shot and mortally wounded King. Casey was lynched by the early vigilante committee. The "Morning Call" was established and began publishing in December 1856, and later merged with the "Bulletin" to become the long-running "Call-Bulletin". The "San Francisco Chronicle" debuted in June, 1865 as the "Dramatic Chronicle", founded by Charles and M.H. de Young aged 19 and 17.
The Mercury News
The newspaper now known as the "Mercury News" began in 1851 or 1852. California legislators had just moved the state capital from San Jose to Vallejo, leading to the failure of San Jose's first two newspapers, the "Argus" and "State Journal". A group of three businessmen led by John C. Emerson bought the papers' presses to found the "San Jose Weekly Visitor". The "Weekly Visitor" began as a Whig paper but quickly switched its affiliation to the Democratic Party. It was renamed the "Santa Clara Register" in 1852. The following year, F. B. Murdoch took over the paper, merging it into the "San Jose Telegraph". W. A. Slocum assumed control of the "Telegraph" in 1860 and merged it with the "San Jose Mercury" or "Weekly Mercury" to become the "Telegraph and Mercury". William N. Slocum soon dropped "Telegraph" from the name. By this point, the "Mercury" was one of two newspapers publishing in San Jose.