Chino Valley Champion

History

Richard Gird, the founder of Chino, also founded the Chino Valley Champion in 1887, as a "promotional sheet for the sale of the lands of the Chino rancho and to propagandize his newly established community. It was the first business in the new town. Everything that Gird purchased to put out the newspaper, its presses and its type, was bought "direct from the factory."

Although it was announced that "B.U. Mofflit, late of the Oakland Tribune, will have charge of the newspaper," John Wasson, a real estate agent in Pomona, was the first editor. The first issue of the Champion Valley Champion came off the press on November 11, 1887. The Los Angeles Herald wrote of the first issue that the newspaper was "already setting forth the merits of this delightful location" and later that the newspaper was a "well conducted, artistic little sheet."

Wasson left the paper in 1891 and bought a half interest in the Pomona Times. Edwin Rhodes succeeded his as proprietor. He edited the paper for 16 years and later became president of the First National and Chino Savings Bank. On the Champion's tenth birthday, Rhodes wrote: "It is a veritable fact that in the case of Chino a newspaper was started and the town built around it."

The Champion was purchased by Charles A. Gardner in 1906 (who dropped the word Valley from the masthead), John M. Reed in 1907, Ralph C. Homan in 1909, and Elmer L. Howell Sr. of Valentine, Nebraska in 1920. Three years later Howell was joined by his brother-in-law Charles H. Frady. His son R.E. "Bob" Frady became the business manager in 1925. Howell retired due to ill health and Bob Frady succeeded him in 1938. After his father died in 1943, Bob Frady was left as the paper's sole proprietor.

In July 1949, John S. Randolph Jr. and Joseph M. Kaukusch bought the paper. They sold it about six months later in January 1950, to Harry H. Hobart and his son William W. Hobart, of Wisconsin. In 1952, Richard "Dick" E. Blankenburg, former co-publisher of The Roseville Press Tribune, and E.V. Pederson of Grants Pass, Oregon, bought the Champion. At the time the paper's circulation was 1,600. In 1956, Allen P. McCombs, a graduate of Stanford University, bought the Champion from Blankenburg. The sale price was $65,000.

In 1994, McCombs merged the paid edition of the Champion with the paper's freesheet called the Chino Valley News. The total circulation was 41,000. Bruce Wood took over as publisher in 2006 and McCombs operated the paper for 61 years. In 2017, he sold it to Will Fleet and Ralph Alldredge, owners of the Tracy Press. At that time the paid circulation was 2,000. In 2021, McCombs was inducted into the California Newspaper Hall of Fame. Alldredge, who also owned the Calaveras Enterprise, died in 2022.

References

References

1. (November 8, 1962). "The Champion Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary This Week". Chino Champion.
2. Frady, E.R.. (November 23, 1945). "Bob-O-Link {{!}} The Champion Recently Began It's 59th Year". Chino Champion.
3. (October 20, 1887). "Local Laconics.". The Daily Courier.
4. (October 22, 1887). "Local Laconics.". The Daily Courier.
5. (October 18, 1887). "Our Neighbors. {{!}} Pomona". The Los Angeles Times.
6. (November 11, 1887). "Vo1. 1, No. 1". Chino Champion.
7. (January 1, 1888). "Notice". Los Angeles Herald.
8. (February 23, 1888). "Border-Land. {{!}}The Boundary Lines Of Two Counties {{!}} Pomona and El Chino.". Los Angeles Herald.
9. (July 18, 1891). "Notice". The Weekly Courier.
10. (May 11, 1891). "Notice". Daily Times-Index.
11. (November 11, 1927). "Congratulatory Message Set by Former Editor". Chino Champion.
12. (October 29, 1897). "Notice". Chino Champion.
13. (April 4, 1906). "Rhodes Sells The Chino Champion". Daily Times-Index.
14. (November 8, 1962). "Poet, Editor, Gentleman {{!}} Chas. A. Gardner, 1906-07 {{!}} Rhodes' Successor Drops 'Valley' From Original Name Of Paper". Chino Champion.
15. (May 18, 1907). "A Santa Ana Printer Is A Newspaper Owner {{!}} John M. Reed Purchases Entire Interest in the Chino Champion". The Register.
16. Reed, John M.. (May 28, 1909). "Good-Bye". Chino Champion.
17. (June 4, 1920). "Champion Is Purchased By E.L. Howell". Chino Champion.
18. (August 14, 1920). "Chino Items". The Bulletin.
19. (November 8, 1962). "Howell-Frady, 1920--1949 {{!}} Nebraska Family Hold Longest Term As Champion Publishers". Chino Champion.
20. (July 15, 1949). "New Owners Take Over Immediately". Chino Champion.
21. (December 30, 1949). "Father-son Team Succeeds Randolph, Kaukusch Today". Chino Champion.
22. "January 19, 1950". Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.
23. Hobart, William. (January 6, 1950). "Hello Folks". Chino Champion.
24. (June 16, 1952). "Blankenburg Buys Chino Newspaper". The Union.
25. (September 27, 1956). "Blankenburgs Announce Sale of Champion to Allen P. McCombs". Chino Champion.
26. (October 21, 1956). "Chino Weekly Purchased by Standford Grad". The Los Angeles Times.
27. Allen, David. (October 18, 2016). "Newspaperman Al McCombs has been a champion for Chino for 60 years".
28. Ault, Tony. (May 19, 1971). "Newspaper and Law Offices Destroyed; Arson Suspected". Progress-Bulletin.
29. (May 20, 1971). "Causes of Two Chino Fires Probed {{!}} School Trustees at Meeting As Their Businesses Burn". The San Bernardino County Sun.
30. McCombs, Al. (May 26, 1971). "Rolltop Is Destroyed But Roundup Goes On". Chino Champion.
31. (May 26, 1971). "Champion opens temporary office after big fire". Chino Champion.
32. (August 4, 1994). "'New' Champion invites reader participation". Chino Champion.
33. Mullen, Patrick. (2017-01-26). "Former Signal Publisher Buys Chino Paper".
34. (November 17, 2021). "McCombs, Deuel to Newspaper Hall of Fame". California News Publishers Association.
35. (November 13, 2022). "In Memoriam: Ralph Alldredge, 79".