Columbia County Newspapers

Dayton,
Baptist Sentinel, moved to Dayton from Tacoma in the spring of 1890. {History of Southeastern Washington, page 814.) See Tacoma Baptist Sentinel.

Columbia Chronicle, established on April 20, 1878, as a Republican paper to oppose the Dayton News. It was a six-column folio, all four pages being printed at home on a Washington hand press. The publishers were T. M. May & Co. The editor was H. H. Gale and the business manager, E. R. Burk. On November 1, 1878, Mr. Gale, through ill health, was forced to retire and the paper was sold to J. E. Eastham and F. M. McCully, school teachers. Mr. McCully became editor. O. C. White, who had only written two articles began a newspaper career. He bought McCully's interest on May 17, 1879, and by July 12 he was sole owner of the paper. He continued as editor and publisher until February 10, 1883, when he sold to E. T. Wilson and F. M. McCully, who had been proprietor of the Pomeroy Republican. The price of the paper at this transfer was $5000, Mr. Wilson became sole owner and, while continuing the weekly, he began to issue the Daily Chronicle on April 7, 1883. It was a five-column, folio, evening paper selling for nine dollars a year. On September 30, 1884, the evening paper turned its column rules and appeared in full mourning and across the top appeared the words: "Dead Not gone before, but gone behind." The weekly was continued and on May 2, 1885, Mr. Wilson sold a half interest to F. W. Agatz who had been serving as business manager for sixteen months. On September 4, 1886, the paper was sold to O. C. White and J. K. Rainwater for $6000. In June, 1887, the plant was destroyed by fire. A new equipment was secured and Mr. White became sole proprietor on October 1, 1888. He sold a half interest to R. E. Peabody in March, 1890, and in October sold the remaining interest, the new firm being R. E. Peabody & Co. Mr. White had been serving as Secretary of the Territory and became the first Public Printer, under Statehood. (History of Southeastern Washington pages 809-812.)

Inlander, had a changeful career for about ten years. On August 4, 1882, Twyman O. Abbott established the Democratic State Journal to take the place of the burned out News. In August, 1884, J. E. Edmiston, former editor of the News became editor of the new paper. On November 8, 1884, the paper passed into the hands of W. O. and G. N. Matzger who changed the name to Inlander and changed its politics to Republican. A. B. Thompson bought the paper on August 1, 1886, for $1500 and put it back into the Democratic column. In September, 1892, G. S. Livengood became proprietor and supported the Peoples Party. Times became hard and the paper suspended. (History of Southeastern Washington, page 813.)

News, the first paper in that section east of Walla Walla, was begun in September, 1874, to boom Dayton as the county seat for a proposed new county. Elisha Ping furnished the capital and A. J. Cain the experience. It is said that the paper was first printed on a toy press with a hatful of type. It was Democratic. Columbia County was created on November 11, 1875, and Dayton became the county seat. The News suspended for a time in January, 1876, and was sold to James Kerby. In May, 1877, it was bought by T. H. Crawford and J. E. Edmiston. M. H. Abbott & Sons became proprietors in January, 1878. On July 28, 1879, it was sold to J. E. Palmer and James Seaman. W. D. Crow bought Seaman's interest on September 1, 1879, and on April 1, 1881, Walter Crosby and J. Y. Ostrander acquired the property. The plant was destroyed by fire on August 12, 1882, and publication was not resumed. (History of Southeastern Washington, pages 808-809.)

Reporter, "Probably but few people will remember the Dayton Reporter, which lived a very brief life in the spring of 1881. It made its bow early in May and its exit late in the same month. It was a little four-column paper and was edited by E. S. Gay. The press work was done in the office of the Dayton News. Mr. Gay decided to have a plant of his own, and suspended publication until it arrived. The plant came, but before the Reporter could be revised the fire of August 6th destroyed his press and the attempt to add another paper to Dayton was abandoned. The rest of the plant was taken to Pomeroy and used in the publication of the Republican." (History of Southeastern Washington, page 813.)

School Journal, established in April, 1884, devoted to the school interests of Washington Territory. It was an eight-page monthly edited by F. M. McCully, teacher and newspaper man. The printing was done in the office of the Chronicle. It expired after several months.

Washington AHGP | Geographic Names

Source: Washington Historical Quarterly, Volume 13-14, 1923