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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2019)
BUSINESS Saturday, August 24, 2019 East Oregonian A7 Frontier town gets a newspaper Editor’s Note In 2018, EO Media Group published a his- torical book by author William F. Willingham, “Grit and Ink: An Ore- gon Family’s Adventures in Newspapering, 1908- 2018” (http://books. eomediagroup.com/grit- ink/) Since its publica- tion, the family-owned media company that owns and operates the East Oregonian has doubled in size, having recently acquired news- papers in La Grande, Baker City, Bend and Redmond. The following story is excerpted from this book and is part one of a seven-part weekly series. EO Media Group PENDLETON — The publishing company that is the focus of this history had its origins in a feisty, nineteenth century fron- tier newspaper located in Pendleton, Oregon. Fol- lowing its 1875 founding and gestation under sev- eral owners and editors, providence intervened in the form of a 20-year- old Virginian who would become a legend of Ore- gon journalism. Charles Samuel Jackson took con- trol of the East Oregonian. Under Jackson’s leader- ship, the EO became a respected and influential daily newspaper. Before leaving for a larger enterprise in Port- land, Jackson became a mentor to a 1900 grad- uate of Oregon Agricul- tural College, today’s Ore- gon State University. This conjunction — between Jackson in his forties and Edwin Burton Aldrich in his twenties — began a family publishing history that would endure for more than 100 years. When Jackson left the EO in 1902 to rescue the struggling Oregon Jour- nal in Portland, he placed the Pendleton paper in the hands of several vet- eran newsmen on his staff, while keeping a controlling interest in it. Aldrich joined the paper in 1904 and quickly demonstrated his journalistic chops as a reporter. In 1908, when Jackson again reorganized EO Media Group Photo Home of the East Oregonian from 1887 to 1956. EO Media Group. Success with the EO led Aldrich and his part- ners to acquire the Astoria Evening Budget in 1919 and the Morning Astorian in 1930. Beginning in the 1970s, with the purchase of the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day, Oregon — the state’s oldest contin- uously published weekly — the EOPC bought more weekly newspapers. The weekly publications are clustered around Pend- leton and Astoria, home of the company’s flag- ship dailies. The fami- ly-run EOMG has weath- ered adverse economic times and the challenges of changing technology. Through it all, the com- pany’s lodestar has been a commitment to com- munity journalism and a fierce desire to remain independent. The East Oregonian gained life in a newly set- tled country as white pio- neers flocked to north- eastern Oregon – the traditional homeland of the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Cayuse tribes. Pend- leton was a raw frontier town of about 275 when Mathew P. Bull launched the EO on October 16, 1875. The town rose from the crossroads of the Ore- gon Trail and the Umatilla River at the base of the Blue Mountains. Though small and iso- lated in the northeastern corner of the relatively new state of Oregon, Pend- leton was perceived to have excellent prospects. It was surrounded by thou- sands of acres of luxuriant bunchgrass. During the 1860s, the region attracted cattle and sheep men. The cattle supplied min- ing booms in eastern Ore- gon and Idaho. The sur- plus was driven to eastern markets and to stock other ranges. Wool was shipped to east coast markets. A component of the larger Columbia Basin range- lands, Umatilla County — according to a state census taken in 1865 — counted 5,687 cattle and 7,446 sheep. By 1875, the num- ber of cattle had grown to 28,024, and the count of sheep stood at 80,241. EO Media Group Photo Circa 1900, inside the East Oregonian building on Main and Emigrant streets, opened in 1887, are C.S. Jackson and family. From left — Unknown, Frank Clopton, C.S. Jackson, Maria Clopton Jackson, and Mrs. Clopton (mother of Frank and Maria). the ownership of the paper, he made Aldrich the editor and a part-owner. For the next 110 years, Aldrich and his direct descendants continued Jackson’s tradition of community-focused jour- nalism. This happened in Pendleton, Astoria and nine other locations in Ore- gon and Washington — at papers acquired under the banner of the East Orego- nian Publishing Company, subsequently renamed the GLANCE BOX In 1870, Oregon had 30 newspapers. By 1880, that number more than doubled to 74. BRIEFLY EO Media Group names next editor of The Bulletin Boardman chamber hosts night out BEND — The new edi- tor of The Bulletin and Red- mond Spokesman will be Gerard O’Brien, the general manager and editor of the Herald and News in Klam- ath Falls. T h e EO Media G r o u p , owner of East the Oregonian and Herm- O’Brien iston Her- ald, recently bought the two Central Oregon papers for $3.65 million in a bank- ruptcy auction and this week announced O’Brien’s hiring. The sale closes by the end of the month, and O’Brien starts work in Bend on Sept. 16. EO Media’s chief oper- ating officer, Heidi Wright, will serve as publisher of The Bulletin. She worked with O’Brien in Butte, Mon- tana, and Klamath Falls. O’Brien has overseen printing and newsroom operations in Klamath Falls since January 2013. Under his leadership, the news- paper became involved in causes such as raising high school graduation rates. BOARDMAN — Free food, fun and fellowship is planned during the Board- man Community Night Out. Sponsored in part by the Boardman Chamber of Commerce, the event encourages people to come out and meet local first responders. Personnel from the Boardman Police Department, Boardman Fire Protection District and paramedics will be on hand. The free event is Tues- day, Aug. 27 from 5-8 p.m. at Boardman City Park, located between Boardman Avenue and Park Place. For more informa- tion, call the chamber at 541-481-3014. Businesses can qualify for funds to stay competitive PENDLETON — Busi- nesses in eight Eastern Ore- gon counties could qual- ify for money to remain competitive. The Eastern Oregon Workforce Board and Training & Employment Consortium has $50,000 available in its Incum- bent Worker Training Pro- gram to assist employers in training workers to keep businesses and workers competitive. Private sector employers in Baker, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wal- lowa counties may be eli- gible for the assistance if they face changing skill requirements due to new technology, new prod- uct lines or other industry changes. The funds are avail- able to assist compa- nies to retrain employ- ees, including in new or advanced skills that enable an employee to multitask or be more productive. For the employee, sim- ply to remain employable may require the attain- ment of new or advanced skills, certifications or credentials. The consortium gives priority for funding to applicants who demon- strate the funding could assist the business in avoid- ing a layoff, downsizing or closure, or would provide retention opportunities by upgrading employee skills as a result of the training. To learn on how your business can apply and qualify for Incumbent Worker Training funds, contact the following: Morrow and Uma- tilla counties: Tara Bishop 541-276-9050. Grant, Harney and Mal- heur counties: Lisa Norton 541-889-7864. Baker, Union And Wal- lowa counties: Lynn Trice ar 541-963-7111. book when you dine there, because the Rainbow does not do credit or debit cards. Likewise, The Park Inn, Spokane’s oldest bar, won the honor for Washing- ton, and The Depot Grill in Twin Falls is the Idaho representative. To view the full list visit msn.com and search for “Best Hole-in-the-Wall Spots for Fried Chicken in Every State.” — East Oregonian staff VISIT US ON THE WEB AT Rainbow Cafe makes list for top fried chicken PENDLETON — The Rainbow Cafe in Pendle- ton made Microsoft News’ list of the “Best Hole-in- the-Wall Spots for Fried Chicken in Every State.” “We examined customer reviews and expert recom- mendations,” the report stated, “to find fried chicken joints in every state that offer fantastic chicken in an unpretentious atmosphere.” The “Bow” at 209 S. Main St. is Pendleton’s lon- gest continually operating business. According to the entry, “Though breakfast is popular, the fried chicken is the real draw here, with thick, crunchy crust that shatters when you bite into it.” Indeed. But be sure to bring cash or your check- EastOregonian.com 8/23-8/25 8/26 Cineplex Show Times Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie $5 Classic Movie Showing Wednesday Showing Wednesday Apollo 13 at 12p Apollo 13 at 12p Angel Has Fallen (R) 1:50p* 4:30p 7:10p 9:50p Angel Has Fallen (R) 4:30p 7:10p 9:50p The Angry Birds Movie 2 (PG) 12:10p* 2:30p* 4:40p 7:00p 9:20p The Angry Birds Movie 2 (PG) 4:40p 7:00p 9:20p Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (PG13) 11:50a* 2:20p* 4:50p 7:20p 10:00p Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (PG13) 4:50p 7:20p 10:00p Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (PG13) 12:40p* 3:40p* 6:40p 9:40p The Lion King (PG) 1:30p* 4:10p 6:50p 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (PG13) 9:30p Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (PG13) 3:40p* 6:40p 9:40p The Lion King (PG) 4:10p 6:50p 47 Meters Down: Uncaged (PG13) 9:30p * Matinee Pricing * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
