# History of Oregon Newspapers

HISTORY OF OREGON NEWSPAPERS
by
GEORGE S. TURNBULL Professor of Journalism, University of Oregon
Binfords & Mort, Publishers
Portland, Oregon
Copyright, 1939, by Binfords & Mort
Printed in the United States of America
TO MARY LOU,
Whose understanding sympathy and helpfulness have been indispensable
PREFACE
THIS work, as many of my good friends know, has been a long time on the way. Some of the material here included was gathered as far back as 1923, not long after I had begun to edit Oregon Exchanges, a publication for Oregon newspaper folk, which was issued for 15 years by the University of Oregon School of Journalism and which was succeeded in 1932 by the present Oregon Publisher. Just when I discovered that I really was busy on this job I can't be sure. At one time Hal E. Hoss, Irl S. McSherry, and I discussed a plan to collaborate in writing Oregon's journalistic history. We were unable, because of adverse circumstances, to do this.
Dean Eric W. Allen of the School of Journalism urged me along at a time when the researching looked particularly tough. Mary Lou Burton Turnbull suggested I'd better get out this book instead of publishing an occasional monograph on phases of the subject. Arne G. Rae, while manager of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, made bales of helpful newspaper clippings avail able. His successor, Harry S. Schenk, has been doing likewise, relieving me of a great deal of newspaper-reading.
George H. Himes, grand old man of Oregon printing, almost the sole remaining link with the old pioneer days of the territory, has been exceedingly helpful with first-hand information. Miss Nellie B. Pipes, of the Oregon Historical Society, daughter of the first president of the Oregon Editorial Association, has taken no end of trouble finding invaluable sources and bits of information, besides giving much helpful advice. Dean Alfred Powers of the General Extension Division of the Oregon State System of Higher Education, writer of history and fiction, has offered suggestion and encouragement. Professor Edmond S. Meany and Dr. L. H. Creer of the University of Washington history department gave useful help on background and methods. Dr. R. C. Clark of the University of Oregon history department has given much encouragement.
Oregon editors and publishers, present and past, have in so many cases given valuable aid at the expense of much time and trouble that it is not feasible to list them here. Some of this help is acknowledged in text and footnotes; let it be said here that this help is grate fully appreciated. To some others appreciation already has been ex pressed in person. Still others were of considerable assistance. Dorothy Dill (Mrs. Ralph Mason) helped put an alarmingly bulky and recalcitrant manuscript in shipshape for the printers! Minnie Lee, historical researcher and feature-writer, wrote that most attractive blurb for the publishers. N. W. Ayer & Co., Philadelphia, made their entire file of newspaper directories available for the copying of data. This copying was capably done by Charles M. Snyder of the University of Pennsylvania history department.
​Others who aided in various ways are David Foulkes, for many years mechanical superintendent of the Oregonian; William A. Bowes, former secretary of Multnomah Typographical Union No. 58; Arthur Brock, old-time member of the union; Claire Warner Churchill; Robert C. Hall and S. Paasche of the University of Oregon Press; M. H. Douglass, University of Oregon librarian; helpful staff members of Portland, state, University, and historical society libraries; Roger Bailey, Gordon Connelly, Orval Etter, Ruth McClain, Inez King (Mrs. W. N. Herring), Margaret Veness, Lynnette Davis, Geneva Drum Manning, Ruth Gregg Case, Margaret Duniway, Jean Gulovson. I am sorry if I have neglected to mention some equally helpful friend.
Indispensable financial help in meeting necessary expenses incident to the research has been given by the General Research Council of the Oregon State System of Higher Education and is here gratefully acknowledged.
To bring this work within the reasonable limits set by the publishers it has been necessary to omit extended mention of some fairly interesting little papers, and some towns whose papers have not come down to the present are receiving only bare mention. The exclusively literary type of publication is not included in this history of news papers; for the literary publications the reader is referred to Alfred Powers' very valuable and interesting History of Oregon Literature.
Thanks again to all who have helped or wanted to help. I hope the readers will like the book.
George S. Turnbull.
University of Oregon,
CONTENTS
I.
II.
THE PIONEER PERIOD.
THE STATEHOOD PERIOD.
III.
JOURNALISM IN THE COUNTIES. (Counties in chronological order of founding of their first newspapers)
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was legally published within the United States (or the United Nations Headquarters in New York subject to Section 7 of the United States Headquarters Agreement) before 1964, and copyright was not renewed.
* For Class A renewal records (books only) published between 1923 and 1963, check the Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database.
* For other renewal records of publications between 1922–1950, see the University of Pennsylvania copyright records.
* For all records since 1978, search the U.S. Copyright Office records.
Works published in 1939 could have had their copyright renewed in 1966 or 1967, i.e. between January 1st of the 27th year after publication or registration and December 31st of the 28th year. As this work's copyright was not renewed, it entered the public domain on January 1st, 1968.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1977, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 46 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
It is imperative that contributors ascertain that there is no evidence of a copyright renewal before using this license. Failure to do so will result in the deletion of the work as a copyright violation.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse