"The Southern Illinoisan" was created in 1947 when Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers of Decatur, Illinois, purchased three area newspapers—the "Daily Free Press" of Carbondale, the "Murphysboro Daily Independent" and the "Herrin Daily Journal"—and merged them into a single publication.Lee Enterprises purchased the "Southern Illinoisan" and other Lindsay-Schaub papers in 1979.