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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy was the Cheney Free Press in a relationship? It was a pressing matter.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cheney Free Press
TypeWeekly newspaper
OwnerRoger Harnack
FounderGeorge H. Wallis
Founded1896
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters1616 W. First St.
Cheney, WA 99004
Circulation3,695 (as of 2022)[1]
OCLC number17315741
Websitecheneyfreepress.com

The Cheney Free Press is a weekly newspaper published in Cheney, Washington since in 1896.[2][3] It was not the first newspapers there; the North-West Tribune was published in Cheney from June 1880 to about 1886, and was the second in Spokane County.[4][5]

History

[edit]

The Cheney Free Press was established by three Northwest newspaper veterans,[2] H. H. Hubbard, Dr. D. J. Turner and A. L. Ames.[6] It first published in April 1896.[7] The paper's first editor was George H. Wallis. It was originally delivered by horseback riders and the press stood underneath a tree as there was no building to house it.[8]

In May 1896, Wallis entered a post office to get his mail when he was assaulted by Richard A. Hutchinson in the lobby. The two fought and Wallis ended up with a large gash across his temple and a cracked skull. Hutchinson was upset about an article in the paper and accused Wallis of corruption. Witnesses alleged Hutchinson attacked Wallis with a billy club or a slungshot, but no weapon was found.[9][6][10] At trial, the defense argued Wallis actually hurt his head after falling against a desk.[11] The jury convicted Hutchinson of simple assault.[12]

In November 1896, Wallis sold the paper to Fred Z. Alexander,[13] who in turn sold it in 1898 to Spencer L. Alexander.[14][15] Soon after the purchase, it was announced in a neighboring paper that the Free Press had deserted the Republican party and endorsed the People's Party and the fusion movement.[16] A year later, S.L. Alexander got into a fist fight with Frank A. Dunn, publisher of a rival paper called the Cheney Sentinel. Both were arrested following the brawl in the mud and received minor fines.[17] In 1901, C.F. Stephens and J.W. Stephens succeeded Alexander as publishers.[18]

In 1902, Henry Michels, of North Dakota, purchased the Free Press.[19] Two years his wife ran off after having an affair with a school principal, who lost his job as a result of the scandal.[20] In 1912, the Free Press began dedicating one of its six pages to the local high school, whose students assumed editorial control of the page's contents.[21] In that same year, the Free Press lost a libel suit worth $1,250, and was joined by other Washington newspapers in its call for the state to update its libel laws.[22] In 1913, Michaels died.[23] In 1915, Willis Swank bought the paper from Albert Michels.[24] In 1926, Swank sold the Free Press to Vernon R. Frost and M. L. Spencer, dean of the school of journalism at the University of Washington.[8]

In 1932, burglars ransacked the paper's office, stealing a Remington Typewriter and a rifle.[25] In 1934, V.R. Frost purchased the Buhl Herald in Idaho.[26] His brother Freeman S. Frost was then left in charge of the Free Press. In 1936, Harry N. Beall and Max Schafer bought the paper from the Frosts.[27][28] In 1941, Beall donated several bound volumes of archived newspapers to Eastern Washington University.[29] During World War II, Beall enlisted in the army as a captain in the supply service. At that time his wife served as publisher.[30] In 1945, Glenn R. Maxwell became publisher.[31]

In 1952, Maxwell died.[32] A year later his estate sold the Free Press to Guyel T. Frost, the third Frost brother to own the paper.[33] In 1968, G.T. Frost died. [34] His $102,000 estate was left to his wife, Ella G. Frost.[35] In 1970, Jerome H. Jerry Jantz and his wife Doris E. Wilbur acquired the paper.[36] In 1989, the Wilbur and Jantz sold the Free Press to Journal News Publishing, owner of the Grant County Journal. At that time the Free Press had a circulation of 3,200.[37][38] The company was owned by Jeff Fletcher and Bill Ifft, and owned several other small papers in the area, including the Spokane Valley News Herald and Davenport Times. The two also invested in the Newport Miner and the Grand Coulee Star, but eventually sold off their interests to the local owners.[39]

In 2007, Ifft bought out Fletcher and formed his own company called Free Press Publishing, which would publish the Free Press, News Herald and Times. Ifft also obtained the company's 70% stake in the Ritzville Journal. Fletcher maintained ownership of the Journal. At that time Harlan Shellabarger was named Free Press publisher.[40][41] In 2019, Ifft sold his company to Roger Harnack,[42] who a year later acquired two weeklies: the Odessa Record and The Whitman County Gazette.[43]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy" (PDF). League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund. November 14, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Bagwell, Steve; Stapilus, Randy (2013). New Editions: The Northwest's newspapers as they were, are, and will be. Carlton, Oregon: Ridenbaugh Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-945648-10-9. OCLC 861618089.
  3. ↑ "The State Press (seattle)". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 23, 1896. p. 4. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  4. ↑ Oliphant, J. Orin (July 1948). "Newspapers of Washington Territory". The Pacific Northwest Quarterly. 39 (3): 235.
  5. ↑ Oliphant, J. Orin (January 1927). "Additions to Professor Meany's: Newspapers of Washington Territory". The Washington Historical Quarterly. Vol. 18, no. 1. pp. 33–54. JSTOR 40475079.
  6. 1 2 Hubbard, H. H.; Turner, D. J.; Ames, A. L. (May 28, 1896). "Regarding The Cheney Affray | Mr. Sutton Has No Connection With the Free Press". The Spokesman-Review. p. 3.
  7. ↑ "The State Press". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. April 23, 1896. p. 4.
  8. 1 2 "Spencer Buys Cheney Paper; Pioneer Publication Sold to Dean of Journalism at State University". Spokane Chronicle. March 12, 1926. p. 34.
  9. ↑ "A Serious Fight At Cheny | George Wallis Badly Beaten by Dick Hutchenson". The Spokesman-Review. May 27, 1896. p. 1.
  10. ↑ "Assault With A Deadly Weapon | Complaint Filed By Wallis Against Senator Hutchinson". The Spokesman-Review. May 30, 1896. p. 3.
  11. ↑ "Fate Of A Senator | Hutchinson Assault Case Concluded and Given to the Jury". The Spokesman-Review. June 18, 1896. p. 7.
  12. ↑ "Notes of the Courts". The Spokesman-Review. June 19, 1896. p. 7.
  13. ↑ "The State Press". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. November 2, 1896. p. 4.
  14. ↑ "Notice". Waitsburg Times. July 29, 1898. p. 2.
  15. ↑ Edwards, Jonathan (1900). An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington. Eastern Washington Genealogical Society. p. 568.
  16. ↑ "The Cheney Free Press". The Ellensburg Dawn. August 5, 1898. p. 2.
  17. ↑ "Fight To A Finish | Rival Editors Wallowed In Cheney Mud". The Spokesman-Review. December 25, 1899. p. 1.
  18. ↑ "Change in Management". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 17, 1901. p. 10.
  19. ↑ "Notice". The Cooperstown Courier. Cooperstown, North Dakota. August 28, 1902. p. 1.
  20. ↑ "Herbert Finley Has Lost His Position, Mrs. Michels Has Gone East". The Spokane Press. September 14, 1904. p. 2.
  21. ↑ Oliphant, J. Orin (1912). "Featuring High School News". The Washington Newspaper. p. 231 – via Google Books.
  22. ↑ "The Cheney Free Press Libel Suit". The Washington Newspaper. 1912. p. 172. Retrieved March 12, 2021 – via Google Books.
  23. ↑ "Cheney Editor Is Dead". Davenport Times-Tribune. February 7, 1913. p. 2.
  24. ↑ "Cheney". The Spokesman-Review. January 5, 1915. p. 6.
  25. ↑ "Cheney Free Press Office Is Looted". The Spokane Press. September 22, 1932. p. 1.
  26. ↑ "Publisher Sells Herald At Buhl". The Times-News. July 19, 1934. p. 3.
  27. ↑ "Cheney, Wash., April 17". Medford Mail Tribune. Associated Press. April 17, 1936. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Paper At Cheney To Change Hands". Spokane Chronicle. April 20, 1936. p. 6.
  29. ↑ "Presents Old paper Files". The Spokesman-Review. November 11, 1941. p. 10.
  30. ↑ "Publisher Given Captain Rating". Spokane Chronicle. August 8, 1942. p. 8.
  31. ↑ "From Here and There". Davenport Times-Tribune. August 2, 1945. p. 4.
  32. ↑ "Obituary | Glenn R. Maxwell". Spokane Chronicle. December 24, 1952. p. 27.
  33. ↑ "G.T. Frost Buys Paper At Cheny". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. March 15, 1953. p. 15.
  34. ↑ "Cheney Free Press Publisher Dies". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Associated Press. July 19, 1968. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Editor's Estate Set at $102,000". Spokane Chronicle. November 23, 1968. p. 10.
  36. ↑ "Obituaries | JANTZ, Doris Ellen (Wilbur)". The Spokesman-Review. August 19, 2012. pp. B6.
  37. ↑ "Editor & Publisher 1989-01-28: Vol 122 Iss 4". Editor and Publisher. Duncan McIntosh. January 28, 1989. p. 23. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  38. ↑ "1989 Non-Daily Newspaper Sales". Editor and Publisher. Duncan McIntosh. January 6, 1990. p. 75. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  39. ↑ Jones, Grayden (October 7, 1996). "Journal News Publishing | Partners proving there's nothing small about small town newspapers". The Spokesman-Review. p. 11.
  40. ↑ McCallum, John (July 5, 2007). "Shellabarger new publisher of Free Press". Cheney Free Press. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  41. ↑ Gustafson, Jeanne (July 26, 2007). "Cheney News Publisher Buys Out Partner". Journal of Business. Northwest Business Press Inc. p. A7. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  42. ↑ "New ownership deal for Free Press Publishing". Cheney Free Press. September 26, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  43. ↑ Thomas, Virginia (March 12, 2020). "Free Press Publishing acquires two newspapers: Cheney company adds weekly publications in Whitman County, Odessa". Spokane Journal of Business. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
[edit]
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