Siskiyou Daily News

History

In August 1878, B. H. Evans published the first issue of the Scott Valley News in Fort Jones, California. At some point Frank Norcross became an owner and sold his stake to his partner Samuel P. Curtis in September 1879. A year later Ed. S. Culver bought a half-interest. Culver retired and was succeeded by Frank Markey on Jan. 1, 1883. In May 1886, Curtis skipped town. He left for Ukiah, taking all the business' available funds and leaving it $500 in debt. Markey struggled to run the paper on his own and decided to close it that August due to financial problems.

About four months later, L.D. Clark, founder of the Oroville Mercury, relaunched the News. Clark continued to operate the paper in Fort Jones and invented an automatic hand-press frisket to improve production. He got it patented it in December 1891. The Scientific American published an article on Clark's device a year later. In May, 1894, Clark sold the paper to E. H. Ellsworth. In June 1895, J. N. Bohen joined Ellsworth as a co-owner and the two moved the Scott Valley News to Yreka and changed its name to the Siskiyou News. In 1897, their partnership dissolved and Bohen exited. In 1898, W. J. Balfrey bought the News for $2,150.

Ten days after selling the paper Ellsworth was stopped by Constable E. E. Dixon while attempting to board a train in Montague with his family to San Francisco. At the time Ellsworth was being sued for libel by local citizens and for unpaid wages from an employee. He posted bail but another warrant for his arrest was issued stemming from another libel case. Ellsworth refused to be detained and shot Dixon, who later died from his injuries. Ellsworth was later found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 21 years imprisonment.

In 1900, W. S. O'Brien paid Balfrey $2,850 for the business. A year later W. D. Crow bought the paper from O'Brien. Crow sold it in 1905 to brothers Frank E. and Horace Holbrook, former owners of the Times-Index. Horace sold out to his brother two years later. In 1923, Frank Holbrook sold the News to Herbert G. Moody, who had been editor The Searchlight in Redding. At that time the News had a 2,000 circulation and 17 paid correspondents. The Redding paper was owned by Moody's father, which he sold to his son in 1925. In 1929, H. G. Moody sold the News to his father H.L. Moody. A year later business was acquired by the Siskiyou Publishing Company for $18,000.

On Oct. 2, 1941, the Siskiyou News, owned by Albert Wedin, and the Yreka Journal, owned by Walter B. Stafford and William G. Bailey, were merged to form a daily called the Siskiyou Daily News. In 1948, Wedin sold the Daily News to E. Glenn Drake, who was succeeded as publisher in 1951 by Edgar J. Foss. At that time business operations were moved to Turlock. In 1979, the chain Thomson Newspapers Inc. bought the paper from Foss. The company owned more than 100 papers by 1993 when it sold the Daily News and four others to Hollinger.

In 1997, the Daily News was among the 167 papers acquired by Leonard Green & Partners from Hollinger for $310 million. A year later the investment firm formed Liberty Group Publishing to manage its publications. In June 2005, Fortress Investment Group bought Liberty for $527 million. The company was then renamed to GateHouse Media. In 2019, GateHouse merged with Gannett.

References

References

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4. (September 13, 1879). "Notice". Trinity Journal.
5. (September 23, 1880). "Notice.". Scott Valley News.
6. (January 13, 1883). "Corpartnership Notice.". Scott Valley News.
7. Markey, Frank. (August 7, 1886). "To The Public.". Scott Valley News.
8. (December 3, 1886). "Monday.". Chico Weekly Enterprise.
9. (April 2, 1892). "Speed The Hand-Press!". Scott Valley News.
10. Clark, L.D.. (May 26, 1894). "The Scott Valley News,". Scott Valley News.
11. (June 5, 1895). "Notice". The Oakdale Graphic.
12. (April 10, 1897). "Notice". The Siskiyou News.
13. (December 21, 1898). "Bought a Newspaper.". Marysville Democrat.
14. (December 27, 1898). "Montage Officer Shot And Killed {{!}} Constable E.E. Dixon Murdered By E.H. Ellsworth.". Record Searchlight.
15. (February 21, 1900). "Editor Ellsworth to Serve Sentence.". The San Francisco Examiner.
16. (August 23, 1900). "Bills of Sale". The Siskiyou News.
17. (September 5, 1901). "Brevites". The Siskiyou News.
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19. (November 19, 1905). "Personal". The San Bernardino County Sun.
20. (January 8, 1907). "Change in Yreka Paper". Record Searchlight.
21. (September 13, 1923). "Former Redding Man Buys Newspaper in Siskiyou County". Weekly Searchlight.
22. (July 18, 1925). "H. G. Moody Is New Owner Of Searchlight". The Searchlight.
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24. (April 15, 1930). "Daily Siskiyou News Sold By H.G. Moody". The Searchlight.
25. (October 2, 1941). "Siskiyou News, Yreka Journal Merge Into a Daily". Siskiyou Daily News.
26. (June 30, 1948). "Wedin Sells Interest In News, Journal". Siskiyou Daily News.
27. (July 7, 1948). "Yreka Paper Deal". Medford Mail Tribune.
28. (October 20, 1951). "New Mexican Becomes Publisher In Siskiyou". The Sacramento Bee.
29. (August 28, 1979). "Chian buys Yreka paper". Record Searchlight.
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