Oscar H. Cravens

Oscar H. Cravens was a Bloomington newspaper publisher, postmaster and banker. He was born in Centre Valley, Hendricks county, Indiana, December 1, 1869.

In August, 1891 he bought a half interest in the print shop of Harry T. Bott located on the west side of the courthouse square. They did business as Bott & Cravens briefly before Bott sold his half interest and Oscar and his brother John W. Cravens went into business together as Cravens Brothers Co.. They founded the Bloomington World newspaper in December of 1892. In an era of openly partisan newspapers the World supported the Democratic party.

The Cravens Brothers Co. purchased the Bloomington Courier from Henry Feltus in 1895 for $2,000. The Courier became a weekly version of the daily World, with a subset of articles in the World appearing in the Courier.

In 1898 Cravens married Bertha M. Miers, daughter of Congressman Robert W. Miers, representative for the Second District of Indiana. Cravens sister Jennie was married to Samuel M. Ralston, Governor of Indiana.

Some sources indicate that John Cravens sold his interest in the newspapers to Oscar in 1906, but the masthead of the Evening-World changed from 'Cravens Bros, Pubs.' to 'Oscar Cravens, Pub.' in January of 1905.

After the election of President Woodrow Wilson in 1912 Cravens was appointed Bloomington postmaster in June of 1913, replacing Walter S. Bradfute, publisher of the Bloomington Telephone, a Republican newspaper.

Cravens sold the World newspaper to George W. Purcell in 1926. He became president of the Monroe County State Bank in the same year.

Cravens and his wife retired to Los Angeles, California in 1940 and he died there January, 1962. He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.