The Commercial Advertiser was established in the fall of 1837, by Jonathan Angevine and J. S. Buchanan, sr., and sold to S. D. Rice in June, 1838. Mr. Angevine was a native of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and died in September, 1839. He was one of the founders of the Palmyra Courier in the spring of 1832. His widow, now Mrs. D. L. Duffy, writes that she and her sister, Miss C. E. Harvey, both set type, folded papers, and assisted generally in getting out the Advertiser.

The Pacific Monitor succeeded the Advertiser, and is mentioned elsewhere. Its original editor, Dr. Matthew Fife, is now in St. Louis. 

After the Hannibal Journal, in 1841, the next paper was the Hannibal Gazette, the first Democratic paper in the town, Henry D. La Cossitt, editor and proprietor, the first number of which journal was issued November 12, 1846. It ran to May 3, 1848, when the Missouri Courier was brought from Palmyra by Joseph P. Ament, and some sort of consolidation effected. October. 3, 1855, the Courier was taken back to Palmyra.

In 1850 the Hannibal Journal was sold to Raymond & Buchanan, who were succeeded the same year by Orion Clemens, who changed the name to the Western Union, which was published weekly for two and a half years, daily six months (the first of the latter being issued March 16, 1853), and then sold by Clemens in the fill of 1853 to William League, of the Messenger. The latter paper was started as a weekly Whig journal, September, 1851, by Anderson & League. Afterwards Anderson retired, and July 15, 1852, a tri-weekly edition was begun and continued until December 7, 1858, when it was changed to a daily. 

In 1860 Mr. League sold out to Frazee, Ebert & Co, A short time before the sale the office was destroyed by fire. In 1863 the paper was consolidated with the Palmyra Courier, and the name
changed to the North Missouri Courier, the publishers being Winchell, Ebert & Marsh. It has been continued as a daily and weekly ever since, except a few months' suspension. The present name of the paper is the Hannibal Courier, Birch & McDowell, editors and publishers. Other papers published in Hannibal from time to time have been the True American, a weekly Know Nothing paper started April 12, 1855, by Brown & Dalton ; a daily edition was begun May 19, 1856, by Lewis F. Walden. The American lived but a year or little more. The National Democrat, weekly, was started January 8, 1857, and continued a year; Albert G. Clark, publisher. It was succeeded by the Hannibal Democrat, started in 1860, by Ament, Appler & Reagan, and continued until the spring of 1861, when the daily was changed to the Evening News. Not long afterward the paper was suppressed by the Federal troops for alleged disloyalty. 

The Evening Press, daily, was started in the spring of 1861, by Dr. H. H. Meredith, continued about a month, when the publication suspended and all hands went into the Union army. The Chronicle, weekly, was started by A. Sproul and Wm Frazee, in the fall of 1862, and continued about two years, when it was changed to the Monitor (Sproul in the meantime having sold his interest to Frazee) and moved to Clarksville, where it was suspended. A paper called the West and South, a weekly at first, was started by Thos. W. Hawkins, in 1868, and ran two years; a portion of the time a daily edition was issued.

The Hannibal Clipper, at first a monthly, was started December, 1870, by Dowler B. Newberry. First issue, 2,000 copies; following issues 3,000 to 4,000. Terms of subscription 25 cents a year. Ran as a monthly until February, 1874, when it was changed to a weekly; S. D. Rich and D. B. Newberry, publishers. On the 4th of July Newberry withdrew from the firm and the publication was continued by Rich to June 15, 1879, when a half interest was sold to W. H. Heaton, of Abingdon, Ill. The Daily Clipper was started in September, 1874, and continued to 1878, when it was sold to W. H. Russell, James Hayward and B. Coontz, who consolidated it with the Herald, under the name of the Clipper-Herald. In December, 1878, Coontz sold his interest to Hayward & Russell, who continued it to May 7, 1881, when it was consolidated with the Morning Journal. The latter paper was started in October, 1878, by R. A. Cohen and John Connelly, ran till the Christmas following, when it was sold to W. S. Hallock and Charles Roberts. A few months later Roberts sold his interest to W. S. Hallock. Later on Theo. Waelder bought a half interest, when the firm name changed to Hallock & Waelder. May 7, 1883, W. H. Russell obtained sole control of the Clipper-Herald and consolidated it with the Journal, when the firm was known as Hallock, Russell & Waelder. In the spring of 1883 Waelder sold out to Hallock & Russell, when they became sole proprietors and publishers. The present publisher is S. W. Hallock.
Various other publications have been issued from time to time, but their character has not been such as to prominently identify them with the history of the city, and for the most part their days, like those of man, have been "few and full of trouble."