The Bradford Observer was first published on 6 February 1834. From its inception, William Byles had printed, managed and edited the newspaper, becoming its proprietor in 1847. Deemed a paper Liberal in orientation by Mitchell in 1860, and having a circulation of 19,000 copies in 1882, the paper established itself successfully. By the 1870s, it had become a daily newspaper. Each issue had four pages, with the Saturday edition being of eight pages. By 1897, for the week commencing 15 March, the Monday and Thursday papers were sub-titled: "Market Edition". The Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday papers were printed with the sub-title: "Morning Express". Issue no. 4415 of Wednesday 21 February 1877 has four pages, with eight columns per page. The small advertisements on page one have many sub-divisions: Education, Fashions, Appartments, Houses, Money, Mills . Besides the Editorial on page two, there is also a feature on "he Eastern Question". In a report on page four of the "Destructive Gale", a whole column is devoted to the loss of life and to shipping. The weather map on the same page features the UK, showing inches of mercury, together with the state of the seas around the coasts of Britain. William Byles remained proprietor until his death in 1891, at which time his son William Pollard Byles took over ownership. The latter also became a Member of Parliament for Shipley for 1892-5, was also President of the Newspaper Society and was knighted in 1911.

Issue no. 8813 of 29 December 1888, contains amongst the Local and District News on page seven the information that the Late Manager of the Halifax Flour Society has been prosecuted for the embezzlement amounting to 132pounds 17s 4d, of Society funds. At the end of issue no. 8814 of 31 December 1888, a separate one page Supplement is printed of "The Bradford Observer Wool Tables".

The paper changed its title to the Yorkshire Daily Observer on 18 November 1901, and then to the Yorkshire Observer on 16 January 1909; it continued to be published until November 1956.