Polk County Itemizer-Observer

History

''Dallas'' ''Itemizer''

In 1868, J. H. Upton founded the Polk County Signal in Dallas. It was political newspaper created to support Democrat candidate Joseph Showalter Smith who was running against David Logan for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. The Signal was a four-page seven-column paper published on Mondays. An annual subscription cost $3.** It ceased in March 1869. The paper's office space was bought by Frank Stuart who started a new title called the Polk County Times. He sold the paper to D. M. C. Gault who in March 1970 relaunched it as the Oregon Republican. About a year later R. H. Tyson became editor and publisher. At that time the paper claimed a 500 circulation.** In 1872, Tyson sold the paper to P. C. Sullivan, who renamed it to the Liberal Republican in support of Horace Greeley and his Liberal Republican Party. Henry Sullivan and A. R. Lyle were the paper's next owners followed by Reese Clark. Casey and Hammond purchased the Republican in August 1874 and renamed it to the Dallas Itemizer. Casey bought out his partner and then sold the paper to Walter Williams and George E. Good. Up until then the paper used a Washington hand-press when Good installed a power press. In 1883, Good sold the paper to Rev. J. S. McCain, who later that year sold the paper to V. P. Fiske, followed by Graham Glass Jr. and Mr. Prudhomme in 1885 and W. A. Wash in June 1888. Fiske repurchased the Itemizer from Wash in 1906. M. L. Boyd with E. Bloom leased the paper in 1914. Bloom dropped out after three years and Boyd operated the paper for the remainder of Fiske's ownership.

''Polk County'' ''Observer''

In 1888, Charles C. Doughty and George Snyder started the Polk County Observer. The paper was originally in Monmouth but later moved to Dallas. Doughty became the sole owner after a few months. Carey Hayter became a co-owner in 1892. Hayter bought out Doughty in 1899. He leased the paper to Jack Allgood and Dean Collins in 1910. A year later the Observer was sold to Eugene Foster and William Totten. Foster later died and Totten sold out to Gerald Volk and H. Parsell in 1914. Parsell was later bought out by Volk. He sold the Observer a few months later to Lew A. Cates, former publisher of the Cottage Grove Sentinel. Two years later Cates sold the paper to H. W. Brune. He returned it to Cates in 1917 to enlist in the army during World War I.** E. E. Southard then purchased the paper, and Cates had it back after a few months.** E. A. Koen bought the paper in 1919. The Observer plant was destroyed by fire in April 1921, but Koen never missed an issue.** Earle Richardson became the owner on March 1, 1924.

''Polk County Itemizer-Observer''

In 1927, Fiske sold the Dallas Itemizer to Earle Richardson, who then merged it with the Polk County Observer to form the Polk County Itemizer-Observer. Richardson published the paper until selling it to Eagle Newspapers in 1964. On November 11, 1970, a gas leak ignited in the newspaper's office and caused an explosion. Mechanical equipment including two offset presses valued at $175,000 were destroyed in the blast. The paper's total losses, covered by insurance, were estimated to be up to $500,000. No one was injured. In 1992, the Itemizer-Observer (circulation 5,200) absorbed the Sun-Enterprise (circulation 2,400) of Independence and Monmouth, both owned by Eagle Newspapers. The Sun-Enterprise was formed in 1975 after the merger of the Polk Sun and Enterprise Herald. In March 2020, Eagle sold the Itemizer-Observer to Scott Olson. The newspaper was sold again in October 2023 to Country Media, Inc.

References

References

1. "Polk County Itemizer-Observer". [[Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association]].
2. "Newspapers and Genealogical Resources". [[University of Oregon Libraries]].
3. Turnbull, George S.. (1939). "[[wikisource:en:History of Oregon Newspapers". [[Binfords & Mort]].
4. (March 29, 1869). "State Items.". The Oregonian.
5. (May 8, 1869). "State Items.". The Albany Register.
6. (March 5, 1870). "State Items.". Corvallis Gazette-Times.
7. (August 12, 1872). "Oregon.". The Oregonian.
8. (August 21, 1874). "Dallas Itemizer". Weekly Corvallis Gazette.
9. (August 21, 1874). "Presto, Change.". Albany Democrat.
10. Fiske, V. P.. (November 23, 1929). "Impressions And Observations Of The Journal Man". The Oregon Daily Journal.
11. (February 16, 1883). "General News". Albany Democrat.
12. (June 7, 1888). "The Itemizer Sold.". Daily Statesman.
13. (June 29, 1906). "Itemizer Changes Hands {{!}} W. A. Wash Sells the Plant and Subscription List to Captain V. P. Fiske". Polk County Observer.
14. (July 4, 1914). "Leases Itemizer {{!}} Polk County Paper Is Under News Management.". Daily Oregon Statesman.
15. (March 1, 1892). "From County Seat of Polk {{!}} Some Personal and General Items from the County Over the River.". Daily Oregon Statesman.
16. (March 13, 1899). "A Newspaper Insolvent.". The Eugene Guard.
17. (July 27, 1911). "Dallas Observer Sold To Publishing Company". The Oregon Daily Journal.
18. (February 10, 1914). "Volk Gets Polk Observer {{!}} Semi-Weekly Newspaper Goes Into Hands of One Man Again.". The Oregonian.
19. (April 24, 1914). "Change In Ownership". Polk County Observer.
20. (September 3, 1916). "Dallas Paper Sold.". The Oregon Statesman.
21. (September 2, 1916). "Dallas Observer Sold.". Albany Daily Democrat.
22. (August 29, 1917). "Dallas Observer Sold.". The Oregon Statesman.
23. (July 2, 1919). "Newspaper Sold". The Oregon Daily Journal.
24. (April 5, 1921). "Fire Guts Dallas Paper {{!}} Building and Plant of Polk County Observer Damaged.". The Oregonian.
25. (February 29, 1924). "Paper Changes Owners {{!}} Earle Richardson Buys Weekly Polk County Observer.". The Oregonian.
26. (May 27, 1927). "2 Polk County Papers Merged Under One Head". The Oregon Daily Journal.
27. (1964-04-16). "Polk County Publisher Sells Paper". The Capital Journal.
28. Davies, Daniel W.. (November 13, 1970). "Show Must Go on, Does for Burned Out Dallas Firms". [[Statesman Journal]].
29. Easterling, Jerry. (1980-01-20). "The Eagle is soaring: Newspaper chain undergoes rapid growth in past decade". Statesman Journal.
30. Visoky, Tom. (1992-12-23). "Two Polk weeklies merge today". Statesman Journal.
31. Mentzer, Emily. (2020-03-31). "Eagle sells IO to Scott Olson".
32. Barreda, Virginia. "Salem-based Eagle Newspapers Inc. sells Polk County Itemizer-Observer".
33. (2023-09-29). "Salem based Country Media buys Itemizer-Observer".