Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/337

328 In 1939. —They're still like that.

Milton.—The Milton Eagle, first newspaper published in Milton, spread its wings and soared forth to carry the news of the town on January 14, 1887. The first editor was Charles Besserer, acting for a number of citizens of Milton, who had organized the Milton Publishing Company the previous December. The ten organizers were Nathan Pierce, A. M. Elam, Fred Morie, M. V. Wormington, E. S. Crockett, S. C. Stone, F. G. Hull, W. S. Brown, L. B. Plante, and E. C. Walker.

H. L. Bowmer, founder of many papers, put his name in the masthead as editor Friday the Thirteenth of April 1888, and the new editor who thus defied superstition remained nearly three years as editor and publisher. In 1897 the name Eagle Publishing Company appeared at the masthead and remained there for about 11 years, changing to Brown Bros, in 1908.

In July of the next year Bruce Shangle became editor and publisher, and about a year later C. E. Didion became associate editor and publisher. Mr. Shangle, just after acquiring full control of the paper again, sold it in 1916 to J. Carrick & Sons, who in turn sold the same December to N. J. Van Skike. Mr. Van Skike remained four years, then sold, October 7, 1921, to Bernard Mainwaring, who later became editor and co-publisher of the Baker Evening Herald. The next year Mr. Mainwaring sold to Twiford & Wolverton. Mr. Wolverton was later succeeded by Paul R. Kings ton, and in July, 1926, Frank J. Wheeler purchased the paper. In 1934 Mr. Wheeler was elected president of the Oregon Press Conference at its annual meeting at the University of Oregon.

The Eagle, with the exception of a short time, when it was cut to six columns, has been throughout its career a seven-column, 13-em, four-page paper. It is the oldest business establishment in its city.

Athena.—When one thinks of journalism in Athena, the mind turns at once to F. B. Boyd, who conducted or helped conduct the Press for more than 40 years. Mr. Boyd, a native of Iowa and a graduate of Grinnell, spent virtually his entire journalistic career on one paper. He did not, however, found the paper, which was launched by J. E. McQuary and D. A. Hendricks January 1, 1887, newspaper, published Fridays. as an independent

Nor did the Press always have the field to itself. There was the Inland Republican, started by D. A. Hendricks in 1890 as a partisan in politics. The paper, issued Saturdays, ran about five years. In the meantime Irving McQuary had become editor and publisher of the Press (1891). The next change brought Mr. Boyd to the paper as a part-time owner with J. W. Smith in 1893. From that time until his death, April 22, 1934, Mr. Boyd was editor of the paper, and publisher, too, for almost the whole period. Arthur D.