The Messenger was purchased by the Hager family, owners of the competing Owensboro Inquirer, in 1929.
[4] Immediately after taking control of the paper, Pettit published a series of items vigorously criticizing the Republican Party and its policies during the Civil War.
[5] On November 17, 1864, Pettit was arrested on orders from General Stephen G. Burbridge on charges of being "notoriously disloyal" to the Union.
[4] With this new equipment, Pettit revived the Monitor and published his stories of wartime banishment, bringing him significant acclaim in Kentucky.
[4][6] The newspaper was purchased by A.H. Belo Corp. (then-owner of the Dallas Morning News) in 1997 for an undisclosed sum.