Zula Brown Toole (November 13, 1868 – October 27, 1947) was an American newspaper publisher who founded the Miller County Liberal in 1897, making her the first woman to establish and publish a newspaper in the U.S. state of Georgia.[1][2] In 1996 she was inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Zula Orlena Brown[3] was born November 13, 1868[4] the daughter of Samuel Morgan[4] and Eldorendo Virginia Brown (nee Higgs)[4]ofDecatur County, Georgia.[5] Her father was a veteran of the Confederate Army, who was a merchant and farmer.[4]
She married W.B. "Tony" Cook[4] on June 27, 1891[3] but was widowed in 1896 with a one-year-old son. At first, she earned a living by teaching[6] and was also the local postmaster from 1893 to 1898.[7]
She thought the area needed a newspaper, so she collected 500 signatures of people who promised to subscribe if she started one,[8] which was required for a state franchise.[7] She saved $200 from her teaching job and used it to buy a hand press and metal type. On September 11, 1897, she published the first edition of her newspaper, the Miller County Liberal.[6] In the early days of the paper, Toole rode a bicycle to gather news, working on the paper before and after her daytime teaching job.[6]
Three years after starting the newspaper, she married Joseph E. Toole[5] (a local farmer) on April 21, 1901.[3] It was at that point she gave up her teaching job. Mr. Toole died in 1917.[6] Toole had a total of three children.[7]
In 1932, Toole established a second paper, the Decatur County Advance in Bainbridge. She operated it until 1939, when poor health forced her to retire.[6] Her daughter took over that newspaper.[7]
Just after the 50th anniversary of founding the Miller County Liberal[6] Toole died in October 1947 in Colquitt. She was buried in the Colquitt City Cemetery.[5]
The Miller County Liberal continues to be published by descendants of Toole.[3][7] In 1996 Toole was inducted into the Georgia Newspaper Hall of Fame.[2] At the 1996 Summer Olympics a play called Swamp Gravy was performed that depicted elements of her life.[7]
