Multnomah-Hood River County OR Archives History - Books .....Clark County Sun 1928 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com September 13, 2009, 1:43 am Book Title: History Of The Columbia River Valley From The Dalles To The Sea, Vol. II, Pages 473-475 The Columbia River valley has been fortunate in the character of its newspapers, those advance agents of progress and prosperity, and Clark county is indebted to its wide-awake journals in no small degree. Conspicuous among these is the Clark County Sun, owned and published by J. D. Riordan and E. N. Blythe, who possess the true spirit of modern journalism and are putting out what is conceded to be one of the best weekly newspapers on the coast. It is also generally regarded as a most important factor in the advancement and improvement of the section which it serves and has gained a well merited popularity with the reading public. The Sun was first established about 1908 as the Washougal Sun, at Washougal, Washington, by Kelley Loe, who published it for a few years, and then sold it to Edward Curran. After serving the people of that community for six or eight years, the Sun plant was moved to Vancouver and there reestablished as the Clark County Sun. Some years later Mr. Curran sold the property to Newell and Thomas Harlan, who published the Sun until January, 1923, when they sold it to J. D. Riordan. Mr. Riordan put new life into the publication, making it a newspaper in the real sense of the word, and its increased subscription list soon attested the appreciation of the people of the community. In May, 1926, E. N. Blythe bought an interest in the Sun and the business was incorporated as the Sun Publishing Company, of which Mr. Riordan is president and Mr. Blythe secretary and treasurer. The Sun is now the official paper for Clark county and the city of Vancouver, and has the largest circulation of any country weekly in the state of Washington. When Mr. Riordan took over the paper it had a circulation of about eight hundred, but it has steadily advanced in popularity and four thousand copies are now issued weekly. The fact that prizes have never been given or contests held for the purpose of boosting the subscription list attests the fact that merit alone has built up the circulation, and today the Sun is not only a first- class news purveyor, but is also highly regarded as an advertising medium. The paper is published on Friday mornings and contains from twelve to sixteen six- column pages, double the size of the paper when Mr. Riordan took it over. The Sun specializes in farm, country and community news and has been a consistent advocate of better schools, improved roads and modern methods in agriculture, standing always for all that is best in the life of the community, and it well deserves the splendid support which it receives. J. D. Riordan, president of the Sun company, was born in La Center, Clark county, Washington, in 1888, and is a son of M. J. and Margaret (Holland) Riordan, both of whom were born in Ireland. His father came to California in an early day and engaged in mining, subsequently following that occupation in Arizona and New Mexico. About 1884 he came to Clark county and bought a ranch. Soon afterwards he again went to California, where he was married, and in 1887 he returned to his ranch, to the operation of which he devoted his efforts until his retirement from active pursuits, when he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he now lives. To him and his wife were born four children, namely: J. D., of this review; Mary, who is the wife of O. Hiim, of Washougal, Washington; Michael H., who was drowned in 1914; and Margaret, who is the wife of Justin H. McCarthy, who operates the Riordan ranch at La Center. J. D. Riordan attended the public schools at La Center and the high school at Vancouver, and during the latter course worked some in logging camps. He then entered the University of Washington, from which he was graduated in 1913. While in the high school he gained his first practical experience in the publishing business as a solicitor of advertisements for a theater program and while in the university he was for three years connected with the college daily as assistant manager and manager. During his junior year he was president of his class and during his senior year was president of the student body. On leaving college he went to work in the advertising department of the Seattle Sun, but about a year later he turned his attention to political affairs and became deputy county auditor of Kings county, which position he held until the United States became involved in the World war, when he enlisted and was sent to Camp Lewis. He was discharged from the service because of physical defects and then returned to Clark county and went to work on his father's ranch, where he remained until 1921, when he accepted a position as traveling salesman. In 1922 Mr. Riordan ran for the office of county treasurer, and made a good race, being defeated by only forty-nine votes. In January, 1923, he bought the Clark County Sun, to the publication of which he has since devoted his attention. He is a man of sound, practical judgment, progressive in his business methods, and has maintained the paper on a plane that has commended it to the favor of those who appreciate a real newspaper. Mr. Riordan is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and the Chamber of Commerce. Straightforward in manner and cordial in his social relations, he has made a host of warm friends and is deservedly popular among his acquaintances. E. N. Blythe was born in Hood River, Oregon, May 6, 1879, and is a son of Samuel F. and Emma Jane (Nation) Blythe, the former born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Birmingham, England, their marriage occurring in Portland, Oregon. Samuel F. Blythe was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he served four years and six months. He first enlisted in the Twenty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and later became attached to the Thirteenth Missouri Regiment. At the end of four years he reenlisted and became a member of Hancock's Veteran Corps. He was a printer by trade, but on leaving the army he and four of his comrades started west, walking from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Fort Benton, Montana. After looking that country over, they took up land claims in the Gallatin valley and spent the entire winter in ditching their land and getting out fence rails. However, in the spring, three of his partners quit and so Mr. Blythe also gave up his claim and, going to Virginia City, Montana, went to work in the state printing office. A year later he went to San Francisco, where he was employed at his trade until July 4, 1870, when he went to Portland with Ben Holladay, and assisted in establishing the Daily Herald, which also was owned by Holladay. He remained there until 1877, when, on the advice of his physician, he went to the Hood River valley, where he died May 20, 1928. He could not altogether remain away from the newspaper business, however, and from 1894 to 1904 he was the owner and editor of the Hood River Glacier. To him and his wife were born four children: Samuel F., Jr., deceased; a daughter who died when about eighteen months old; E. N.; and Clara, who is the wife of David Marlor, of San Diego, California. E. N. Blythe attended the public schools at Hood River and entered the University of Oregon, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1902. In September of that year he went to work on the Portland Oregonian and in the following year went to Hood River, and shortly afterwards to Lewiston, Idaho, where he became a member of the corporation that published the Lewiston Evening-Teller. Eighteen months later he was offered a position on the Oregonian, which he accepted, being engaged in desk work until the United States entered the World war, in April, 1917, when he went to the Oregon Journal, on which he was employed at desk work until 1924. He then went to the Vancouver Evening Columbian, in which he bought an interest and devoted his efforts to that publication until May, 1926, when he sold out and bought an interest in the Clark County Sun and is now secretary and treasurer of the Sun Publishing Company. In November, 1902, Mr. Blythe was united in marriage to Miss Isabel Jakway, who was born in Iowa and was a member of Mr. Blythe's class at the University of Oregon. To them have been born three children, namely: Robert J., who died at the age of nineteen years; Barbara, who is employed in the office of the Oregon Journal, and Alice, who is a student in the University of Washington. Mr. Blythe is a member of Vancouver Lodge No. 823, B. P. O. E.; the Kiwanis Club and the Clark County Country Club and is a director of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Blythe took an active part in college activities and was a charter member of the first Greek letter national fraternity at the University of Oregon, the Sigma Nu. He and the late C. N. McArthur also established the first newspaper on the campus there, and Mr. Blythe was the manager of The Webfoot, the first annual publication at that institution. He was a member of the first class in journalism to be established in the university, the class consisting of two members. His wide experience in the newspaper business has been invaluable to him in the conduct of the Clark County Sun and he is recognized as a keen and discriminating newspaper man, with an instinctive sense for news when it is news. Messrs. Riordan and Blythe are performing a distinctive service for the communities reached by the Sun and are recognized as men of progressive views and a sincere interest in the welfare and progress of Clark county. Additional Comments: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/history/1928/historyo/clarkcou5gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 10.2 Kb