The First Family of Tidewater Times by Michael Valliant
Tidewater Times magazine looks great for being 67 years old. It has outlived just about every free publication in the region; its readership is enthusiastic and growing and its reputation is built around unparalleled editorial content, striking photography and artwork, and long-standing relationships with advertisers. The magazine began in 1952, when Omer J. Shively, Jr., advertising manager of The Star Democrat, looked at a business opportunity for the newly opened Tidewater Inn.
“They thought it would be great to have a little magazine to be given away at the Tidewater Inn that focused on the community. It would be pocket-sized, and it would fill an information gap that The Star Democrat couldn’t fill,” said Hugh Bailey, who owned the Tidewater Times from 1976 to 1995. The magazine passed from Shively to the Perry family, then on to Jane Bailey (no relation). In 1972, Hugh Bailey was leaving Economy Printing, where he had
Standing: Margie Sevigny and her husband, Jay; Mary, Ben, John and Anne Farwell. Seated: Hugh and Evelyn Bailey. 25