Celebrating the Giddings Times & News: A Cornerstone of Community Development

This article originally appeared on and was written for Giddings Economic Development Corporation by Golden Shovel Agency.

Giddings, a quaint Texan town, has been home to not one but several newspapers, each leaving its indelible mark on the community’s history. From the inception of the first newspaper in 1874 to the active Giddings Times & News of today, these publications have been instrumental in shaping local narratives.

Youthful Ambition: L.M. “Buddy” Preuss Takes the Helm 
In 1961, the Giddings News transformed when Mrs. Ida Bloh Bloom hired 19-year-old L.M. “Buddy” Preuss as its editor. This daring move made Preuss the youngest editor ever in Texas at the time. His youthful energy and passion set the stage for the newspaper’s enduring legacy, working for Mrs. Bloom until 1965.

Harold Bredlow, who was not originally from the Giddings area, bought the Giddings News and Giddings Star in 1965. Buddy opted to not work for the new company and took a new job with the Bastrop Advertiser. Buddy commuted to and from Giddings to Bastrop. The residents and businesses of Giddings felt Mr. Bredlow’s company wasn’t properly representing the town, and they urged Buddy to start his own paper, which he did, a year later.

In July 1966, Buddy and his new wife Louise embarked on their journey by producing the first issue of the Giddings Times. Their new newspaper company produced the first issues out of Buddy’s father’s dry clean shop. Little did they know that this humble beginning would transform into a vital community institution.

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