The Polk County Itemizer-Observer is a weekly newspaper published in Dallas, Oregon, United States, and covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and the surrounding area. It was established in 1875.[1] The Itemizer-Observer is published on Wednesdays and its circulation is 3,550.[1] It is the newspaper of record for Polk County.[2]
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Country Media, Inc. |
| Publisher | Scott J. Olson |
| Editor | David Hayes |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Dallas, Oregon |
| Circulation | 3,550 |
| Website | polkio |
History
editThe newspaper's roots go back to 1868, when J. H. Upton founded the Polk County Signal, which later became the Weekly Itemizer. It was initially an organ of the Democratic Party of Oregon.[3] In 1927, the Dallas Itemizer (1872) merged with the Polk County Observer (1888) to form the Polk County Itemizer-Observer.[4] Earle Richardson published the newspaper since 1924 until selling it to Eagle Newspapers in 1964.[5]
On November 11, 1970, a gas leak ignited in the newspaper's office caused an explosion. Mechanical equipment including two offset presses valued at $175,00 were destroyed in the blast. The paper's total losses, covered by insurance, were estimated to be up to $500,000.[6] No one was injured.[7]
In 1992, the Itemizer-Observer (circulation 5,200) absorbed the Sun-Enterprise (circulation 2,400) of Independence and Monmouth, both owned by Eagle Newspapers. The Sun-Enterprise was formed in 1975 after the merger of the Polk Sun and Enterprise Herald.[4] In March 2020, Eagle sold the newspaper to Scott Olson.[8][9] The newspaper was sold again in October 2023 to Country Media, Inc.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b "Polk County Itemizer-Observer". Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Newspapers and Genealogical Resources". University of Oregon Libraries. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Turnbull, George S. (1939). . . Binfords & Mort.
- ^ a b Visoky, Tom (1992-12-23). "Two Polk weeklies merge today". Statesman Journal. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
- ^ "Polk County Publisher Sells Paper". The Capital Journal. 1964-04-16. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
- ^ Davies, Daniel W. (November 13, 1970). "Show Must Go on, Does for Burned Out Dallas Firms". Statesman Journal. p. 5.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mentzer, Emily (2020-03-31). "Eagle sells IO to Scott Olson". Polk County Itemizer-Observer. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ Barreda, Virginia. "Salem-based Eagle Newspapers Inc. sells Polk County Itemizer-Observer". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Salem based Country Media buys Itemizer-Observer". Polk County Itemizer-Observer. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
External links
edit- Polk County Itemizer-Observer (official website)
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