The News of the Day

Windsor Hotel in Americus, Georgia. Notice the Crow's Nest

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Her name was Marie Louise Scudder Myrick. She was descended from Dr. Nathaniel Scudder, a prominent physician and member of the Continental Congress. He signed the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, and was the only member of the Continental Congress to be killed in action during the Revolutionary War.
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So it was no surprise when she married Colonel John Bascom Myrick, another prominent soldier who had fought in the Mexican War. He served as attorney general of the county in Tennessee where he lived. In 1891 the couple moved to Americus, Georgia. Colonel Myrick purchased the Americus Times and the Americus Recorder newspapers, which he consolidated into the Americus Times-Recorder between 1890 and 1891. This new newspaper was started in 1892 and still runs today.

In 1895 the Colonel died unexpectedly. Marie became the owner, manager and editor of the Americus Times Recorder. At the time it was considered one of the "best and most politically influential papers in the state." For twelve years she was the grande dame of Americus. She lived in one of the most prominent places, the “Crow’s Nest” of the famed Victorian Windsor Hotel in downtown Americus. As the editor and owner of the Americus Times she was the first woman in the South to hold this distinction. She proved to be a stellar newspaper editor and was respected throughout the South as she continued to build the reputation of the paper. Never one to mince her words she was known for being out spoken on the issues of her day.

In 1907 she sold the paper and retired. In 1913 she moved to Savannah, Georgia to be close to her bachelor son Shelby Myrick. They built one of the first homes in the new Ardsley Park, the first suburb of Savannah. The imposing red brick colonial was built on a full city block which was made up of 16 lots. When built, it featured eight bedrooms and six baths, plus tennis courts with stables behind. The home is known as Myrick Place. It is said that age did not slow her wit or strong voice on the issues of the day. Prior to her death, Louise had the remains of her late husband relocated from Oak Grove Cemetery in Americus, Georgia, to the Myrick Family tomb at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.

Although she only spent her later years in Savannah, she made a lasting impression. She paved the way for other women editors. The Savannah Morning News’ first woman editor was Rexanna Keller Lester.  Under her leadership, the Savannah Morning News was awarded for general excellence by the Georgia Press Association. The newspaper also received the 2002 Batten Award, the nation’s highest honor in community journalism, for a series on improving public education and the 2000 Batten Award for Civic Journalism for a series on aging. The newspaper received the 2000 Southern Journalism Award for reporting on prison health care. Lester served as a Pulitzer Prize judge for national reporting in 1997 and commentary in 1996 and as an international judge for Society of News Design World’s Best Designed Newspapers 2002.
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Today women editors, though few, are not considered an anomaly. Thanks to women such as Marie Louise Scudder Myrick and Rexanna Lester.

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Scudder's tombstone in Bonaventure Cemetery.

Myrick home in Ardsley Park.