New Orleans Picayune

American newspaper

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July 1, 2026

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The New Orleans Picayune was a prominent American newspaper founded in 1837. Its name originated from "picayune," a small coin, reflecting the newspaper's initial sale price of about six and a quarter cents.1

The paper played a significant role in the career of Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson, who became the first woman publisher of a daily newspaper in the Deep South. She took over management of the Picayune in 1876, successfully clearing its debts and increasing its circulation through innovative journalism, including departments for women and children, advice columns, and comics. The Times-Picayune is now the major daily newspaper in New Orleans.23

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Eliza Jane Poitevent Holbrook Nicholson
…New Orleans Times, and the New Orleans Picayune. Over family objections, she accepted the post of literary editor of the Picayune in 1870. In May 1872 she married Alva M. Holbrook, who until the preceding January had been owner and editor of the paper. She published Lyrics, a volume of…
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…New Orleans Times, and the New Orleans Picayune. Over family objections, she accepted the post of literary editor of the Picayune in 1870. In May 1872 she married Alva M. Holbrook, who until the preceding January had been owner and editor of the paper. She published Lyrics, a volume of…
Read More