124 East Main Street (70560) • P.O. Box 9290 • New Iberia, LA 70562
337.365.6773
www.iberianet.com

The Daily Iberian can trace its roots back to 1893, when it published its first issue on February 9 of that year. S.P. Watts was its first editor and in that first issue wrote, “It will be our endeavor to give a faithful chronology of the daily happenings of the city of New Iberia, the land known as the Attakapas, and the general news of the whole country.”

In the first issues that February, Watts wrote several editorials about the need to improve roads in the area around New Iberia, “…on the road leading to St. Martinville is a mud hole that is impassable, persons coming to the place, must of necessity turn to seek another road to town. This should not be allowed to remain there.”

Local news and commentaries on local issues continue to be the focus of The Daily Iberian, still including issues with area roads, news about local residents, local government and more.

The paper underwent many changes over the years, ceased publication several times, became a weekly for various periods and switched locations of its business offices five times, now resting iust a few blocks down Main Street from its initial offices in the Old Opera House downtown that no longer stands.

Early issues were printed alongside handbills and programs for the vaudeville and minstrel shows that made up most of the Opera House fare.

The newspaper moved to its current location in 1963, occupying the property and facilities of what had been an automobile dealership. An extensive remodeling and expansion in the 1970s created the basic footprint of the facility the newspaper now occupies, though there have been cosmetic upgrades in the years since.

The Daily Iberian website, www.iberianet.com, is thought to be the most frequently visited in the community. It also publishes a variety of specialty products and does some commercial web printing for other area publications.