Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/289



Newspapers play a two-fold role in the making and writing of history. Their first part is that of influence; influence often of one man, the editor, unmeasurable in many communities. A single strong, active and tireless editor may control the political life of numbers of citizens. Encouragement is given to new enterprises, suggestions are made for needed improvements and lines of investment or development. Such was the case in the early years of American occupation in Oregon Territory.

The period between frontier and civilization is always an interesting one. The Oregon Sepectator, coming in February, 1846, six months before the Alta Californian, indicates to some slight degree the relative importance of these two frontier regions. M. P. Deady accredits Oregon City with being the first metropolis on the Pacific Coast but the spectacular growth of California during the gold days detracts from the period when their achievements were more nearly alike. After 1848, California drew not only the eastern immigration but also the citizens of Oregon, promising them greater and more rapid economic returns than did the more stable northern community. Pioneer journals invariably denote a certain group feeling and desire for progress and expression. The Oregon Printing Association was effected to promote the interests of American settlers in Oregon. Newspaper editors had to be original and resourceful under