Hersam Acorn was founded in 1997 after the merger of the New Canaan Advertiser, founded in 1908, with Acorn Press, founded in 1937. In September 2007, the company made its largest acquisition to date, buying the former Hometown Publications and Trumbull Printing, founded in 1959, from Journal Communications, which had purchased them in 1979.

The original eight Hersam Acorn newspapers are all broadsheets and publish on Thursday. Following the Hometown acquisition, Hersam Acorn redesigned its 11 newest papers and said it would give them a local focus. Hersam Acorn newspapers in late 2007 (with weekly circulation in parentheses) were: