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Eagle Newspapers (Oregon)

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Not to be confused with Eagle Newspapers (New York).
Eagle Newspapers
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryMedia
Founded1948
FounderElmo Smith
Defunct2020
Headquarters4901 Indian School Rd NE, Salem OR 97309-0008
Revenue$8 million (1978-79)
OwnerDenny Smith
Number of employees
350 (1980)
Websiteeaglenewspapers.com

Eagle Newspapers was an American newspaper publisher serving the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The company originated in 1948 when Elmo Smith purchased the Blue Mountain Eagle. He would later sell the paper but the company's name would be derived from that title. Smith served a term as Oregon Governor and upon his death the business was managed by his son Denny Smith, who rapidly grew it from three newspapers to nearly twenty in the span of two decades. By 1985, Eagle Newspapers publications accounted for nearly one-half of the weekly newspapers sold each week in Oregon.[1] The company sold off its last paper in 2020.

History

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Origins (1933 to 1968)

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The origins of the company date back to 1933 when Elmo Smith and his wife, Dorothy, borrowed $25 to establish a mimeographed weekly newspaper in Ontario, Oregon.[2] In 1936, the couple bought a press and founded the Eastern Oregon Observer.[3] In 1948, Smith sold the paper and used the proceeds to purchase the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day, Oregon.[2]

That same year Elmo Smith and his friend Bill Robinson purchased The Madras Pioneer and the family business was incorporated as Blue Mountain Eagle Newspapers, Inc.[2] In 1961, the company purchased the Hood River News[2] and the Polk County Itemizer-Observer in 1964.[4] The Blue Mountain Eagle was sold In 1968 to Donna and John Moreau.[5]

Expansion (1968 to 2004)

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Elmo Smith died in 1968 and the company was passed down to his son Denny Smith, who was a jet fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. At the time he was pilot for Pan American Airlines.[3] BME purchased the Central Oregonian in 1969.[6] A year later the company moved its headquarters in 1970 from Dallas to Salem after a gas leak led to an explosion that destroyed its printing plant.[3]

The company acquired the Independence Enterprise-Herald and the Woodburn Independent in 1971; the Canby Herald in 1972; Goldendale Sentinel in 1974; Polk Sun of Monmouth in 1975;[3] White Salmon Enterprise,[7] Molalla Pioneer and North Willamette News in 1976;[8] The Dalles Reminder, Sheridan Sun and Lake Oswego Review in 1978.[3]

BME purchased the Polk Sun of Monmouth in 1975 from Frank Parchman, and then merged it with the Independence Enterprise-Herald to form the Sun-Enterprise.[9] A year later BME merged operations with the owners of the North Willamette News of Aurora in 1976. The deal included the Molalla Pioneer and Wilsonville News along with the BME-owned newspapers Canby Herald and Woodburn Independent.[8]

The company's name was shortened to Eagle Newspapers, Inc. in 1979 when the company merged with newspaper publishing companies in Hood River and Hermiston.[3] Eagle pooled resources with Jerry Reed, who owned the Hermiston Herald, in a stock-for-stock exchange along with Dick Nafsinger, who owned the remaining shares in Hood River News which had been operating as a subsidiary of Eagle.[10]

That same year Eagle launched the free weekly Tualatin Valley Observer, which ceased after three years.[11] In 1981,[12] Joe Blaha, who worked at Eagle, founded the West Linn Tidings.[13] Eagle acquired the Idaho County Free Press in 1981.[14] In 1984, Eagle bought the Sunnyside Sun[15][16] and sold the Goldendale Sentinel to A.J. and Lynda McNab.[17] That same year Jerry Reed divested from Eagle Newspapers and regained ownership of the Hermiston Herald.[18]

The company purchased the Newberg Graphic in 1985.[19] Also in 1985, Eagle entered into an agreement with The Guard Publishing Co., which owned the The Register-Guard, to manage its five weekly newspapers in Washington County. The papers were operated by its subsidiary Times Publishing Co. and included the Valley Times in Beaverton, Tigard Times, Tualatin Times, Forest Grove News-Times and Cornelius Times.[1] In 1987, the Lake Oswego Review (which also published the Lake Oswego Review and West Linn Tidings) was merged into Times Publishing Co. and Eagle obtained part ownership of the new joint venture,[20] which was called Community Newspapers, Inc.[21] The business was sold to Steve Clark in 1996.[22]

Eagle purchased the Daily News of Sunnyside and merged it with Sunnyside Sun in 1986 to form the Daily Sun News.[23] Eagle also bought Daily Shipping News in 1995,[24] The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle in 1996,[25]and The Dalles Chronicle from Pulitzer in 1996.[26]

Sell-off (2004 to 2020)

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In October 2004, the company sold the Camas-Washougal Post Record to The Columbian Publishing Co.[27] In January 2013, Eagle sold six Oregon newspapers in Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley to the Pamplin Media Group. The sale included The newspapers included the Canby Herald, Madras Pioneer, Molalla Pioneer, Newberg Graphic, Wilsonville Spokesman and Woodburn Independent.[28][29] In June 2013, Eagle also sold Pamplin the Central Oregonian.[30]

In 2018, the company sold the Daily Sun News to Andy McNab, who renamed it back to the Sunnyside Sun.[31] A year later Eagle sold the Idaho County Free Press in Grangeville to the paper's publisher Sarah Klement.[32] The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle was also sold in 2019 to the paper's manager J. Louis Mullen.[25]

Due to the COVID-19 recession in the United States, Eagle Newspapers announced plans to shutter the Hood River News, The Dalles Chronicle and the White Salmon Enterprise.[33] Instead the paper's publisher Chelsea Marr purchased them in March 2020.[34] The three combined to form the Columbia Gorge News on April 8.[35][36]

In April 2020, the company sold the Polk County Itemizer-Observer to SJ Olson Publishing, Inc.[37][38]

Newspapers formerly published by Eagle

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Title Year acquired Year sold or closed Fate
Blue Mountain Eagle 1948 1968 Sold to John Moreau
The Madras Pioneer 1948 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Hood River News 1961 2020 Sold to Chelsea Marr
Polk County Itemizer-Observer 1964 2020 Sold to Scott Olson
Central Oregonian 1969 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Woodburn Independent 1971 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Independence Enterprise-Herald 1971 1975 Merged with Polk Sun to form Sun-Enterprise
Canby Herald 1972 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Goldendale Sentinel 1974 1984 Sold to Andy McNab[10]
Polk Sun of Monmouth 1975 1975 Merged with Enterprise Herald to form Sun-Enterprise[39]
Sun-Enterprise 1975 1992 Merged into Polk County Itemizer-Observer[39]
White Salmon Enterprise 1976 2020 Sold to Chelsea Marr
Molalla Pioneer 1976 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Wilsonville News 1976
North Willamette News of Aurora 1976
The Dalles Reminder 1978 1996 Merged into The Dalles Chronicle[10]
Sheridan Sun 1978 1981 Sold to publisher[10]
Lake Oswego Review 1978 1987 Ownership transferred to Community Newspapers, Inc.
Hermiston Herald 1979 1984 Herald owner Jerry Reed divested from Eagle Newspapers[18]
Tualatin Valley Observer 1979 1982 Closed
Camas-Washougal Post Record 1980s 2004 Sold to The Columbian Publishing Co.[27]
West Linn Tidings 1981 1987 Ownership transferred to Community Newspapers, Inc.
Idaho County Free Press 1981 2018 Sold to Sarah Klement
Wilsonville Spokesman 1983 2013 Sold to Pamplin Media Group
Sunnyside Sun 1984 1986 Merged with Daily News to form Daily Sun News[23]
Newberg Graphic 1985 1987 Ownership transferred to Community Newspapers, Inc.
Daily News of Sunnyside 1986 1986 Merged with Sunnyside Sun to form Daily Sun News[23]
Daily Sun News 1986 2018 Sold to Andy McNab
Daily Shipping News 1995
The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle 1996 2019 Sold to J. Louis Mullen
The Dalles Chronicle 1996 2020 Sold to Chelsea Marr
Vancouver Value Clipper 2003[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Eagle to manage Times publications". The Oregonian. February 8, 1985. p. 75.
  2. ^ a b c d "About Us". Eagle Newspapers. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Easterling, Jerry (1980-01-20). "The Eagle is soaring: Newspaper chain undergoes rapid growth in past decade". Statesman Journal. p. 66. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ^ "Polk County Publisher Sells Paper". The Capital Journal. 1964-04-16. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ^ "About Us". Blue Mountain Eagle. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ "Pamplin Media purchases Central Oregonian". The Madras Pioneer. 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  7. ^ "Yesteryears: The Hood River 'runs out of water' in 1976". Columbia Gorge News. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  8. ^ a b "2 papers in Valley merging". Statesman Journal. 1976-09-15. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  9. ^ "Two Polk papers planning to merge". The Capital Journal. March 12, 1975. p. 1.
  10. ^ a b c d Edstrom, Judy (August 15, 2012). "Eagle's 76 Years – our history – first installment". Eagle Newspapers Inc. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ^ Amick, Steve (September 21, 1982). "Weekly in Tualain ceases publication". The Oregonian. p. 39.
  12. ^ "West Linn Tidings". Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  13. ^ "Joe Blaha obituary". Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  14. ^ "Oregon chain buys Free Press weekly in Idaho County". The Idaho Statesman. July 31, 1981. p. 24.
  15. ^ Bagwell, Steve; Stapilus, Randy (2013). New Editions: The Northwest's newspapers as they were, are, and will be. Carlton, Oregon: Ridenbaugh Press. pp. 281–282. ISBN 978-0-945648-10-9. OCLC 861618089.
  16. ^ "Local group buys weekly paper". Statesman Journal. December 9, 1984. p. 52.
  17. ^ "About Us". Goldendale Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  18. ^ a b McDowell, Jade (2016-11-04). "Former Herald owner/publisher Jerry Reed has died". Hermiston Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  19. ^ "Eagle chain buys Graphic". The Oregonian. 1985-01-04. p. 56. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  20. ^ "Oregon papers to merge". The World. December 5, 1987. p. 19.
  21. ^ "Media". The Oregonian. March 7, 1988. p. 36.
  22. ^ "Couple buys chain of community newspapers for undisclosed price". The Oregonian. 1996-10-10. p. 19. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  23. ^ a b c "Daily Sun News to close after 32 years". Sunnyside Sun. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  24. ^ "Portland's Daily Shipping News sold to Eagle Newspapers Inc". The Oregonian. September 29, 1995. p. 31.
  25. ^ a b "Chronicle celebrates 110 years". Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle. 2020-05-20. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  26. ^ "Pulitzer in Paper Deals". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 2, 1996. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  27. ^ a b "About The Columbian Publishing Co". The Columbian. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  28. ^ "Pamplin Media Group acquires 6 weekly papers from Eagle Newspapers". The Oregonian. January 8, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  29. ^ "Pamplin Media Group Acquires Additional News Outlets". Editor & Publisher. January 8, 2013. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  30. ^ Giegerich, Andy (June 27, 2013). "Pamplin group buys Prineville's Central Oregonian paper". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  31. ^ Perez, Kennia (2024-04-18). "Sunnyside Sun staff bring ownership home". Sunnyside Sun. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  32. ^ Rauzi, David Rauzi (2019-12-04). "Free Press returns to local ownership under publisher, Klement". Idaho County Free Press. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  33. ^ Nichols, Rodger (January 2021). "Don't Stop the Presses". Northern Wasco County PUD. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  34. ^ "Chronicle under new ownership". Columbia Gorge News. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  35. ^ "Commentary: Introducing the once-and-future Columbia Gorge News". Columbia Gorge News. 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  36. ^ "Columbia Gorge News wins state recognition". Columbia Gorge News. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  37. ^ Mentzer, Emily (2020-03-31). "Eagle sells IO to Scott Olson". Polk County Itemizer-Observer. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  38. ^ Barreda, Virginia. "Salem-based Eagle Newspapers Inc. sells Polk County Itemizer-Observer". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  39. ^ a b Visoky, Tom (1992-12-23). "Two Polk weeklies merge today". Statesman Journal. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  40. ^ "Second installment of Eagle's history". Eagle Newspapers Inc. September 13, 2012. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
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