Antelope Valley Press

History

On April 3, 1915, Archie J. Hicks published the first edition of the Palmdale Post. At the time, the Valley was home to about 3,500 people. In February 1921, Hicks bought the Tehachapi News. He sold the Post on June 17, 1922 to James E. Davis, who changed the name to the Palmdale Reporter. C.D. Williamson acquired the paper in June 1927 and renamed it to the South Antelope Valley Press.

In July 1929, Williamson sold the paper to R.B. Cameron and Paul Hubbard, owners of the Lancaster Ledger-Gazette. That October, Carl F. Blaker became a co-owner. Cameron and Hubbard sold their stake in March 1930 to Fred B. Hitchings. Blaker left that May after buying The Piru News. Hitchings sold the Press in 1935 to Henry L. Loft and went on to buy the Van Nuys Tribune. In 1948, John Hungerford, publisher of the Reseda News, purchased the Press from Lewis A. Reddell. At that time the paper's circulation was 1,200. A year later Charles B. Colby bought the paper and sold it in 1955 to James W. Metcalfe.

On 1958, a group of four businessmen bought the paper, then known as the Antelope Valley Press. The new owners were Arthur H. Folz, Lamont Odett, and brothers Maurice W. Markham and Ralph H. Markham. Folz and Odett were connected with the San Fernando Sun and Mission Publications. The Markham brothers owned The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet. In 1961, Ralph Markham bought out his brother and Odett bought out Folz. The Odett family and Markham family then operated the paper together until 1994 when Richard Lamont Odett Jr. sold his company shares to William C. Markham. At that time the daily circulation was 60,000. On June 30, 2017, the Markham family sold the Press to Antelope Valley Press Inc., a newly created business led by Canadian newspaper executive Steven Malkowich.

References

Sources

• Larsen, Lisa. "". Newspapers and Technology. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
• "Important Dates in Palmdale and Antelope Valley History". Palmdale City Library. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
• "Bill Mackenzie". Palmdale High School. Retrieved September 4, 2007.

References

1. "Annual Audit Report, March 2011". [[Verified Audit Circulation]].
2. (2024-11-13). "About Us".
3. (July 29, 2025). "Bringing you the news for the past 110 years".
4. (July 3, 2017). "Antelope Valley Press sold to new owner".
5. (February 19, 1921). "Palmdale Post Publisher Buys Tehachapi News". The Tehachapi News.
6. (February 23, 1923). "Newspapers". The Tidings.
7. (July 13, 1929). "Newspaper Is Sold To Lancaster Men {{!}} South Antelope Valley Press Changes Hands". Pasadena Star-News.
8. (October 25, 1929). "Notice". The Tehachapi News.
9. (March 3, 1930). "Hitchings Buys Palmdale Press". The Los Angeles Times.
10. (May 14, 1930). "Mrs. Knapp Sells Piru Newspaper {{!}} Piru News Purchased by Antelope Valley Newspaper MAn". Morning Free Press.
11. (May 26, 1930). "Carl F. Blaker Buys Piru 'News'". The Los Angeles Times.
12. (April 19, 1935). "Newspaper Is Sold". Owens Valley Progress Citizen.
13. (October 14, 1935). "Antelope Valley Man Purchasing Van Nuys Paper". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News.
14. (November 1, 1948). "South Antelope Valley Paper Changes Hands". Visalia Times-Delta.
15. (March 29, 1955). "Metcalfe Buys Weekly Paper in South Antelope". Valley Times.
16. (April 9, 1955). "South Antelope Valley Press Sold by C.B. Colby". The Los Angeles Times.
17. (June 19, 1958). "Markhams Enter Antelope Valley Newspaper Field". The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet.
18. (January 6, 1994). "In Brief {{!}} Markham buys out Odett at Antelope Valley Press". Daily Press.
19. (2017-07-05). "AV Press sold to new owner".