Ellis Island Timeline Stories

1887

The Hearst Foundations

The Hearst Foundations

1887: William Randolph Hearst took ownership of the San Francisco Examiner, the first newspaper in what would become today’s modern, diversified Hearst Corporation.

The Industrial Revolution was transforming the nation, as was the arrival of immigrants from around the world seeking opportunity and belonging. From these new Americans came energy, perspective and promise. They were fast becoming a vibrant and integral part of a still-developing country.

A 1907 black and white San Francisco Examiner front page with the headline "WILL THIS POEM BE THE GREAT AMERICAN CLASSIC?" and a portrait of George Sterling next to "A WINE of WIZARDRY." The text-heavy layout is bordered by ornate floral and abstract motifs. A black and white headshot of a light-skinned man with a mustache, wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a black bow tie, against a neutral background.

1892: Ellis Island opened its doors in New York Harbor.

Not long afterwards, Hearst’s own journey took him to New York, where his New York Journal debuted in 1895.

Like the Examiner on the West Coast, the New York Journal and its companion, the Evening Journal, were written and produced to “appeal to the people.” They embraced global reporting and human-interest storytelling, shared in accessible formats, reflecting the experiences of readers balancing long shifts in factories and shops.

A black and white historic image of the Ellis Island Museum’s Main Building waterfront, featuring a large ornate brick building adjacent to a docked boat. A color, vintage photo of a busy Mulberry Street in early 20th-century New York City, with crowds, market stalls, and horse-drawn carriages. Various men, women, and children in period attire fill the foreground. A black and white front page of the "New York Journal" from August 9, 1896, with a headline about William Jennings Bryan's arrival in Chicago and illustrations of him in expressive poses as an orator.

The growing working class, composed in large part of new immigrants, responded enthusiastically to this style of reporting. Hearst’s newspapers emerged as pioneering examples of a new direction in journalism, one that would empower a wider audience with important news and information.

Black and white photo of a man in a flat cap and collared shirt sitting on bundles of newspapers on a city street. He reads one as pedestrians walk in the background. A vintage comic titled "Modern Improvements in Ancient Times" from the New York Journal, showing historical figures interacting with modern inventions humorously. The illustration features vibrant greens, blues, and browns. A sepia-toned historical newspaper front page from the "New York Journal" from August 30, featuring a cartoon of a man with a hammer, a photo of Bird S. Coler, and headlines about a mass meeting addressing water theft.

Today: Honoring the Journey. Supporting the Legacy.

Today, the legacy of the Hearst Corporation’s early years lives on in the organization, which colleagues from myriad cultures helped shape. The Hearst Foundations are proud to support the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration—a place where millions of journeys began, and where the American story continues to unfold. We honor those who passed through this historic gateway and the generations they inspired.

The beige stone facade of Hearst Tower with art deco sculptures beneath a modern glass skyscraper. It has a prominent, repeating triangular steel frame pattern backed by a bright blue sky. The exterior of the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration with a red brick facade, large arched windows, and a clock tower against a blue sky. A red sign on the floor in front hosts the museum’s name and National Park Service emblem. A vintage advertisement for "The New York Sunday Journal" with the title displayed at the bottom in a mosaic-style border. An illustration of a light-skinned woman in a blue gown with pinned-up, dark hair stands before a deep red backdrop, reading a newspaper. To her left, listed columns and stories appear.
A black and white photo of five people walking on the wooden boardwalk of Ellis Island, mostly dressed in dark early 20th-century clothing and carrying suitcases. A handwritten caption at the top reads "IMMIGRANTS, ELLIS ISLAND." A sepia-toned photo of three young women in traditional clothing, each wearing a headscarf tied under her chin and layered garments, standing together in front of a stepped stone structure. A black and white photo of a family of four amidst a backdrop of luggage and crates. A mother holds her baby with a serious expression and dark clothes, beside her stands a young boy with short hair, wearing a cap, and a young girl sucking on candy, wearing a floral dress and a bonnet.
Silhouetted figures standing indoors, looking toward a large, grid-patterned, semi-circular window. Bright daylight shines through the glass, highlighting trees outside and contrasting sharply with the dark, shadowed interior.