Louisville financier James Buckner Brown (1872–1940)[1] sought to operate the paper as a counter to the positions of the Bingham newspapers the Louisville Times and the Courier-Journal.
Brown invested nearly five million dollars in the combined newspapers.
[2] Brown lost his fortune in 1930 when his bank holding company BancoKentucky failed.
After the BancoKentucky's failure, Brown had to reduce the newspapers expenditures and it suffered in quality as a result.
[4] John B. Gallagher, a New York City advertiser purchased the newspaper in a bankruptcy receiver's sale for $315,000.