Alfred Horatio Belo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Horatio Belo
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| Born | May 27, 1839 Salem, North Carolina |
| Died | April 19, 1901 (aged 61) Asheville, North Carolina |
| Place of burial |
Salem Cemetery, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Service/ |
 Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–65 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Commands held |  55th North Carolina |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | Founder of The Dallas Morning News |
Alfred Horatio Belo (born May 27, 1839 – died April 19, 1901) was an important American businessman. He is best known for starting The Dallas Morning News newspaper in Dallas, Texas. He worked with his business partner, George Bannerman Dealey, to create this famous newspaper. The company that owns The Dallas Morning News today, called A. H. Belo Corporation, is named after him.
Contents
Alfred Belo's Early Life
Alfred Belo was born in Salem, North Carolina, in May 1839. He received a good education from a young age.
Serving in the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Alfred Belo fought for the Confederacy. He was an officer in the Confederate States Army. He led a group of soldiers called the 55th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Belo was injured twice during the war. He was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg and again in the Battle of Cold Harbor.
Starting a Newspaper Business
After the Civil War ended, Belo moved to the Houston area in Texas. He was looking for new job opportunities. There, he met a newspaper writer named Willard Richardson. Richardson published a newspaper called Galveston Daily News and the Texas Almanac. His company was known as The News.
Becoming a Business Partner
Willard Richardson was impressed by Alfred Belo's intelligence. He asked Belo to become his business partner. The company's name was then changed to Richardson, Belo, & Co. After Richardson passed away, Belo became the only owner of the company. In 1881, he changed the company's name again to A. H. Belo & Co.
Belo was very forward-thinking. He used new technology to improve his newspaper business. He even connected his home to the Galveston Daily News office using the newly invented telephone. His newspaper was known for using the latest printing technology available at that time.
Founding The Dallas Morning News
In 1885, Alfred Belo decided to expand his newspaper business. He sent George Bannerman Dealey to Dallas to help start a new newspaper there. Dealey had been working for Belo's company since 1874. Belo trusted him a lot.
Dealey was made the business manager for this new project. He was in charge of creating the newspaper, which became the first newspaper in a chain of newspapers. The very first edition of The Dallas Morning News was printed on October 1, 1885. The building where the newspaper was located was special because it used the city's first commercial electric lights.
Alfred Belo's Family Life
Alfred Belo married a woman named Nettie Ennis. They had two children together: a son named Alfred Horatio Belo, Jr., and a daughter named Jeannette Belo. One year before Alfred Belo passed away, his family built a beautiful home in Dallas, Texas, known as the Alfred Horatio Belo House.
Later Years and Death
Alfred Belo died on April 19, 1901. He passed away at his family's summer home in Asheville, North Carolina. Belo had never fully recovered from the injuries he received during the Civil War. He often spent many months of the year outside of Texas, looking for comfort and relief from his old wounds.
