Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....The County Newspapers 1934 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 20, 2006, 3:50 am Book Title: Where Rolls The Kern CHAPTER XXII. The County Newspapers. NO HISTORIAN, regardless of his ability or the thoroughness with which he pursues his work, can ever hope to compete in anything more than a minor degree with the local newspapers in the compilation of a historical record of a given locality. Day by day and week by week the local editors and their staffs are compiling and preserving in their files the complete histories of their various communities, and thus impounding for future generations a full record of the trials and triumphs of their respective localities. This being the case, a work of this kind would be far from complete should it fail to devote at least a little space to a record of the founding of the the County's most outstanding journals. As has been recorded in detail in an earlier chapter, the County's first newspaper—The Courier—was founded at Havilah, in 1864. As has also been previously recorded, this paper was later moved to Bakersfield shortly after the founding of the town, and was re-christened The Kern County Weekly Courier. The Courier later became The Californian, and in 1891 commenced daily publication. After many changes in ownership and editorial management, it came into the hands of Alfred Harell in 1895, and continues to grow and prosper under his ownership and editorial direction. It is now the County's leading publication, and is one of the outstanding daily newspapers of the State, being housed in a building and equipped with mechanical facilities that would do credit to a city many times the size of Bakersfield. Shortly after The Courier removed to Bakersfield, a paper appropriately named The Miner was established at Havilah. Of this publication little is known, and it is presumed that its existence was brief, since soon after its foundng Havilah lost the county seat, and started to lose prestige as a point of commerce. October 20, 1875, the Kern County Gazette was established by J. F. Lithicum In September, 1880, the Gazette was acquired by George Wear, who had arrived in Bakersfield in 1875, and who for a time had been editor of the Calijomian. Wear published the Gazette for a number of years, and gained much distinction as an editor, his editorials being widely quoted throughout the State. He also served a term in the State Legislature as a representtive [sic] of Kern County. The Gazette passed out of the journalistic picture sometime about the beginning of the present century. The Kern County Weekly Echo was founded in August, 1886, by a stock company composed of land owners whose water battles it fought, with Sylvester C. Smith as editor. In 1889, Smith, with a partner, bought the paper, and later obtained full control of it. Subsequently he converted it into a morning daily, and as such it prospered for a number of years. Smith was elected to Congress, and gained much distinction both as a statesman and as an editor. After Smith's death the Echo seemed to decline in importance, and after a number of changes in management it was absorbed by the Californian about 1925. The Kern County Democrat made its editorial bow as a weekly September 20, 1890, with E. A. Purschell and Alfred Harrell as the founders. Harrell disposed of his interest in the paper, and later acquired the Californian. In 1895 the Democrat was edited by Fred H. Allen, who later became somewhat prominent as an oil operator in Ventura County. About this same time, 1895, The Standard was an aggressive and somewhat militant publication. It was published by A. C. Maude, who had previously published the Californian. The Delano Courier first saw the light of day January 27, 1887, under the sponsorship of Edward A. and Charles L. McGhee. It seemed to prosper to a moderate degree, at least, for a number of years, but finally ceased to be. For a number of years Delano was unable to boast of a newspaper until 1908 when the Delano Record was launched by G. W. McClintock. It continues to be a thriving and influential journal, and is now printing an edition for McFarland. The Summit Sun appeared on the Tehachapi horizon October 31. 1890, with E. J. H. Nicholson occupying the editorial chair. The founder soon sold the paper to Horatio S. Bilyou. After a few years of community service the Sun ceased to shine, and Tehachapi was newspaperless until the launching of The Tehacahapi Tomahawk, shortly before the close of the last century. C. A. Seay was one of the early editors of the publication, if not actually its founder. Subsequently it was for a number of years edited by Charles Heath, who also officiated as Justice of the Peace of the township. The Tomahawk was finally buried, and in its stead came The Echo, and later The Tehachapi News, a paper that is still flourishing under the direction of George R. Burris, after a number of changes in ownership. Shortly after the founding of Randsburg, a newspaper was established there by C. J. McDevitt. During the early days of the camp the paper prospered; but by 1910 Randsburg had become rather unpromising as a location for a newspaper, and McDevitt removed his plant to Taft, where he founded the West Side Courier. Randsburg again has a newspaper, a product of the News plant at Tehachapi. Mojave has had newspapers from time to time, the present one also being a product of Tehachapi News plant. In 1903 the Union Labor Journal was established at Kern City, and has continued to be a faithful weekly chronicler of the events of interest to those affiliated with organized labor. Along about 1908 the Maricopa Oil News was established by F. W. Train, a veteran newspaper man of Ventura County. The News prospered under various managements for a number of years, but with the decline of the town, its prospects became dimmed, and its publication was finally suspended. The Maricopa paper is now printed in Taft. In 1908, the California Oil World was launched at Bakersfield as a weekly newspaper devoted exclusively to the subject of oil. The founder was Charles P. Fox, a Bakersfield newspaper man, who was recognized as an authority on the subject to which the publication was devoted. Some years later the journal was removed to Los Angeles, where it continues to appear weekly in magazine form. Fox has since passed to the Great Beyond, but the publication is still under the editorial direction and business control of the surviving members of his family, and is highly regarded as an authoritative publication by oil men in all parts of the country. As previously mentioned, the West Side Courier began publication in Taft in 1910, and a few weeks later The Midway Driller was established in the same bustling city by Walter Sharp, an able newspaper man. In 1911 he acquired the rival paper, The Courier, and combined it with {his Midway Driller. About 1913 he sold the property to A. M. Keene, who converted the paper into a daily, and has since published it with outstanding success. He also prints weekly papers for McKittrick, Lost Hills and other nearby towns. The Wasco News came into being in 1911, and has grown into an influential and prosperous journal. McFarland's first newspaper began publication in 1913. It finally ceased to appear, and in 1927 the McFarland News was established. It later ceased publication, and now a McFarland paper is being put out from the Delano plant. The Shafter Progress was another publication that was in existence for a number of years. This record of Kern County newspapers is probably not complete, for there have undoubtedly been other jounalistic ventures that blossomed and faded without leaving any greatly outstanding record, but it at least chronicles the birth, and more important changes in the lives of the County's leading journals. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Where Rolls the Kern A History of Kern County, California By Herbert G. Comfort MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA: The ENTERPRISE Press 1934 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/history/1934/whererol/countyne288nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 8.5 Kb