Dangerous Press

The Metropolis Weekly Gazette was published every Friday in Metropolis, Illinois from 1889 to 1938, with 426 digitized issues available online spanning July 21, 1911 through December 22, 1922. Founded and edited by Joseph B. McCrary, a Baptist reverend and community leader born in Tennessee in 1858, the paper operated under the management of his wife Miranda J. McCrary.

The publication covered local, state, national, and international news, featuring articles on church activities, crime, travel, politics, and science. It regularly included women's interest pieces and humor sections, plus advertisements for rail-accessible tourist destinations like New Orleans, Florida, and Cuba—reflecting Metropolis's significance as a transportation hub located in Massac County along the Ohio River in southern Illinois.

From 1913 to 1917, the paper included "Afro-American Cullings," a section addressing African American social advancement, education, and community issues. It documented African American soldiers in World War I and covered the "Red Summer" violence of 1919, providing important historical record of this significant period.

The paper primarily followed the four-page, six-column format typical of early Black newspapers until 1918, when multi-column front-page headlines began appearing. The McCrary family also operated a confectionary store and sold ice and coal.