How the Press was done

Darleene Barrientos

Newspapers, TV newscasts and the Internet are staples of today’s

daily life, but 100 years ago, when south Glendale was known as

Tropico, and grassy hills and trees stood where La Crescenta is now,

an occasional, free news sheet was all that connected the community.

F.L. Boughton appeared in Glendale to distribute that free news

sheet, after newspapers like the “Encinal” and the “Suburban Visitor”

failed. But Boughton’s decision aroused the community’s desire for a

local newspaper and set the stage for what is now known as the

Glendale News-Press.

The formation of the Glendale News-Press was announced in the

Glendale Evening News on Feb. 15, 1928, with the merger of the

Evening News, which began publishing in May 1905, and the Glendale

Daily Press, which was established in May 1910 as a weekly paper.

“Glendale was virgin territory,” local historian Vic Pallos said.

“Between 1910 and 1930, Glendale grew from approximately 2,500

residents to 60,000 residents. The Chamber of Commerce called it the

‘fastest growing community in the United States.’”

A combination of the growing business community, exploding

population and the installation of a streetcar line from Glendale to

downtown Los Angeles likely led F.M. McClure and J.F. Boughton to

establish the Glendale News. Within six months, Boughton sold his

share of the paper to McClure. McClure sold the paper to B.B. Riggs &

Sherer just two months later.

“Whoever started the first newspaper recognized the fact that,

because the business section of Glendale was beginning to grow so

rapidly, there was a particular advantage in having a newspaper,”

Pallos said. “In the first editions of the newspaper, you see a lot

of advertisements for property. Real estate was huge -- why not have

a newspaper? People didn’t have phones. People weren’t as connected

as they are today. The printed word was the way people got their news

and advertisements.”

J.C. Sherer, an early Glendale settler, bought out his partner in

July 1908 and was sole publisher of the Glendale News until March

1913. That year, Sherer sold the plant to A.T. Cowan, an Illinois

newspaperman who moved the plant from Glendale Avenue to what was

known as the Wilson Block on Broadway, just east of Louse and

opposite where the Glendale Post Office is now. Cowan debuted the

paper as a daily on Aug. 23, 1913.

Frank S. Chase launched the weekly Glendale Press in May 1910,

five years after the Glendale News was established, and was sole

owner for more than nine years. Chase sold the paper on Dec. 1, 1919,

to printer J.H. Folz, who was publisher until June 1, 1920. J.W.

Usilton bought part interest in the paper, and the pair ran the Press

as a weekly until March 1, 1921. That day, the weekly Press was

christened the Glendale Daily Press.

After a few weeks, Folz sold his interest in the paper to Thomas

D. Watson, and Usilton remained involved as a part owner. In

September 1921, Los Angeles publisher F.W. Kellogg bought control of

the Glendale Daily Press and retained Watson as a general manager.

Rumors swirled that the two dailies would merge after Kellogg

purchased the Press. Glendale was growing fast and was nicknamed “the

fastest growing city” in the United States, but talkers felt the city

was too small for two local dailies, especially with two large Los

Angeles newspapers reaching beyond its borders.

Samuel G. McClure, a retired Ohio newspaper publisher, and his

son-in-law Jacob D. Funk, an Illinois bank executive, bought the

Glendale Evening News from Cowan in 1926. Two years later, on Feb.

15, McClure and Funk also bought the Glendale Daily Press.

Col. Ira C. Copley, of Aurora, Ill., bought the Press from

Kellogg, along with several other Kellogg newspapers, and became the

largest stockholder of the consolidated Glendale News-Press.

A notice in Glendale Evening News published Feb. 15, 1928, read:

“Through the purchase of the Glendale Press and its sale to the

Glendale News, Col. Copley becomes a large stockholder in the

Glendale News-Press. The management of the News-Press will remain in

the hands of Samuel G. McClure and Jacob D. Funk.

“When all Kellogg newspapers pass under control of Col. Copley,

they will be known as the Southern California Associated Newspapers.

Samuel G. McClure will be president and general manager. Jacob D.

Funk will become president and general manager of the News-Press....

”

Four years later, McClure and Funk sold their interests in the

newspaper group.

W.S. Kellogg became publisher of the News-Press on April 1, 1932,

and stayed there until Oct. 1, 1940, when he resigned as president

and general manger.

Southern California Associated Newspapers president Alden C. Waite

became editor of the News-Press, while Alhambra Post-Advocate

Publisher H.C. Burkheimer took the job of publisher, serving until

Nov. 21, 1947.

Carroll W. Parcher, a former weekly newspaper publisher who joined

the staff on Feb. 21, 1939, succeeded Burkheimer and was the first

News-Press staffer to have the combined title of “editor and

publisher.”

Copley foresaw a need for expanding the News-Press plant and began

work on a new site on March 6, 1948, on a site that extended from

Isabel to Jackson streets, between Broadway and Wilson Avenue, just

across the street from City Hall. The 35,000-square-foot building was

completed in the fall of 1948.

The Glendale News-Press staff and office moved to the new site the

week of Oct. 17, 1948. The paper sponsored two “at home” nights to

better acquaint the public with its new offices, attracting throngs

of people who toured the building.

By that time, the Glendale News-Press employed about 125 people

and had an annual payroll of $475,000. A circulation report for the

fiscal year ending March 31, 1952, showed an average paid circulation

of 20,358.

Parcher’s stint at the News-Press as editor and publisher was the

longest in the paper’s history, from 1947 to 1972.

Parcher retired as publisher on Dec. 31, 1973, signaling an end of

an era at the Glendale News-Press. After his retirement, the

newspaper’s ownership changed hands several times and took on several

business names during the ‘70s and the ‘80s.

The group that owned the Glendale News-Press took on names like

Glendale Newspapers Inc., the Verdugo Group and, later, California

Community News.

In January 1973 Terrence T. Donnelly took over for Parcher, and

George A. Gunston became the executive editor. Less than two years

later, Copley Newspapers sold the Glendale News-Press and its sister

paper, the Burbank Daily Review, to the Morris Newspaper Corp. of

Savannah, Ga. Donnelly remained publisher until 1976.

Different columnists came and went, along with a parade of

publishers, executive editors and managing editors.

In 1976, the group of newspapers, by now named Glendale Newspapers

Inc., was sold again, this time to California Offset Printers of

Glendale, effective July 1. California Offset Printers was owned by

John Hedlund, Robert McCulloch and Virgil Pinkley, who was also named

editor and publisher.

On Aug. 19, 1983, William LaMee was named publisher of the

Glendale News-Press, but he lasted only about two years before taking

a job in Indiana. He was replaced by Anthony A. Allegretti, who was

in the role for about the same amount of time, resigning in November

1987 to take a job with Alameda newspapers.

Joseph Farah of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner was named

executive editor of the News-Press on June 25, 1987, and James

Gressinger was named publisher in October 1988.

Michael Montgomery was named executive editor a few months later,

on Feb. 16, 1989.

But nothing signaled that times were changing more than when Judee

Kendall was named as publisher on June 19, 1989, the News-Press’

first woman publisher.

“Judee had been with paper for a long time,” said Alice

Petrossian, who moved to Glendale in the ‘70s. “It was exciting for

many of the young women in the field of journalism to see her

promotion, to see her receiving the title of publisher. It was

indication that, in this community, the role of women as

professionals was being recognized and celebrated.”

The paper named Jeff Prugh, a Hoover High graduate who worked at

the Los Angeles Times and ABC News, executive editor on Feb. 14,

1990.

Even with Kendall at the helm, the newspaper changed owners so

many times that local community leaders feared the demise of the

Glendale News-Press.

“That’s always been the problem,” said Larry Zarian, who has lived

in Glendale since the ‘50s and served several terms on the City

Council. “After Carroll Parcher retired, the paper was sold and sold

again. There was discussion about some local people getting together

to buy the paper. There was always that fear that the News-Press

would fold.”

On May 24, 1993, the Times-Mirror company bought the newspaper as

part of a group of papers dubbed California Community News. It was

announced Oct. 28, 1993, that the Los Angeles Times’ Glendale section

would be replaced with the Glendale News-Press and the Foothill

Leader in Glendale, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Glassell

Park, Montrose, La Crescenta, La Canada Flintridge and Atwater

Village.

In Sept. 30, 1993, Dan Bolton was named executive editor of the

News-Press, serving in this position for six years.

The News-Press’ Isabel Street building, which the paper had

occupied since 1948, sustained extensive damage during the Northridge

earthquake in 1994. Kendall announced on Aug. 8 of that year that it

would move into the Sterling Bank Building at 425 W. Broadway. The

building on Isabel Street, once heralded as a marvel of modern

technology, was demolished on Oct. 6, 1998.

William Lobdell was named as editor of California Community News

on March 23, 1995. Kendall was named vice president and general

manager of California Community News on May 24, 1996, but continued

as publisher of the News-Press.

On March 24, 1998, California Community News was renamed Times

Community News.

Timothy Hughes and John Francis were named executive editor and

managing editor, respectively, on May 10, 1999. The same year, the

News-Press announced on Oct. 20 it would move to its new building at

the F.W. Woolworth Co. Building, where it is now located, at 111 W.

Wilson Ave.

Hughes left the News-Press for the Ventura County edition of the

Los Angeles Times on Feb. 9, 2000, and Francis was named executive

editor in his stead, while Jeff Keating was promoted from news editor

to executive news editor.

Kendall and Francis fell victim to a round of layoffs and early

retirements that swept through the Times Mirror Co., it was announced

June 16, 2001. Keating was subsequently named executive editor.

The News-Press dropped “Glendale” from its masthead on Feb. 4,

2002, and officially added La Canada Flintridge to its coverage area.

The Foothill Leader ceased publication the Saturday prior.

Two years later, it was announced Will Fleet would come on as

News-Press publisher. Another round of layoffs in June 2004 included

Keating.

In November 2004, the News-Press returned “Glendale” to its

masthead and reestablished the Foothill Leader.