East Oregonian
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The ''East Oregonian'' is a weekly
newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
published in Pendleton,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
, United States and covering Umatilla and Morrow counties. ''EO'' is owned by EO Media Group and is the
newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large newspaper circulation, circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and i ...
for Umatilla County.


History

M.P. Bull first published the ''East Oregonian'' on Oct. 16, 1875. It was a weekly Democratic newspaper serving Pendleton,
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. At that time the population was around 250. Bull used a Washington hand press to print the first issue. He previously lived in Portland and decided to name his paper in reference to ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...
''. This caused some people to link the two, although they're unrelated. Bull, a member of the Oregon Bar, was in poor health and sold the paper to lawyer J. H. Turner, who bought it out of concern of the paper falling into Republican hands. Turner and six other men formed the East Oregonian Publishing Co. and purchased the publication on Oct. 9, 1877. Turner brought on B. B. Bishop and the two sold the paper in 1880, they sold to Lewis Berkeley Cox. In 1881, C. S. "Sam" Jackson purchased a quarter interest in the ''Eastern Oregonian'' from Cox, and sold it back later that year for $250 more than he paid. On Jan. 13, 1882, Jackson bought the paper for $3,500. He was 21 at the time, and with little money, persuaded J. A. Guyer to loan him the funds for the sale. Guyer was a silent partner who Jackson soon bought out. Author George Stanley Turnbull described Jackson as "a character which has been one of the most influential in the history of Oregon journalism." Jackson was a fighting editor in the literal sense. He got into fist fights in the streets to defend his opinions. After one brawl with a reader, Jackson wrote: "A man who is afraid of bodily injury or personal attacks is not a newspaperman or capable of becoming one." Jackson increased print days from once to twice a week starting Feb. 3, 1882. The ''East Oregonian'' expanded from semi-weekly to daily, except Sunday, on March 1, 1888. Part of the announcement titled "He We Are" read "Unlike our new neighbor, the ''Daily East Oregonian'' is not started for campaign purposes. It is started as a NEWSPAPER and has come to stay, if possible." At this time ''EO'' was "a powerful voice in the region" and Jackson went on to own and be publisher of the ''
Oregon Journal ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portla ...
'' in Portland. He sold his remaining interests in ''EO'' in 1913. Edwin B. Aldrich started work the paper in 1904, and then became a stockholder in 1908 when he and Lee D. Drake bought Fred Lockley's 25% of the paper. Aldrich edited the paper until his death in 1951. His son-in-law J.W. "Bud" Forrester went on to run the paper. Around that time the ''East Oregonian'' opened a bureau office in Hermiston. In 1956, the paper purchased a Goss Suburban press. It was the first daily paper west of St. Louis to use an offset web press. In 2000, ''EO'' added a Sunday edition. In June 2024, EO Media Group announced the ''East Oregonian'' will go from two to one print edition day each week. Moving forward, ''EO'' will serve as a regional newspaper for all of northeastern Oregon and publish news from five newspaper that went online-only: '' The La Grande Observer'', ''Blue Mountain Eagle'', '' Hermiston Herald'', '' Wallowa County Chieftain'' and ''
Baker City Herald The ''Baker City Herald'' is a tri-weekly paper published in Baker City, Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delinea ...
''. The company was purchased by Carpenter Media Group in October 2024.


References


External links


The ''East Oregonian''
(official website)


Further reading

Gordon Macnab: ''A Century of News and People in the East Oregonian 1875-1975'', East Oregonian Publishing Co., Pendleton, Oregon, 1975. {{DEFAULTSORT:East Oregonian, The 1875 establishments in Oregon Newspapers published in Oregon Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Pendleton, Oregon Newspapers established in 1875