History
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
A7
O UT OF THE P AST
Blue Mountain Eagle
Jan. 19, 1967
50 years ago
Blue Mt. Eagle Begins Its
99th Year Of Publication
Most readers probably
didn’t notice it, but the Blue
Mountain Eagle took another
step toward a milestone with
the fi rst publication of the new
year. Under the fl ag on top of
the front page was the notation,
“Volume 99 Number 1.” This
signifi es the beginning of the
99th year of Oregon’s oldest
weekly newspaper.
Founded in 1868, the Eagle
is the continuation of the Grant
County News, The Prairie City
Journal and the John Day Val-
ley Ranger.
Its birth is traced back to
the colorful gold mining days
in Canyon City. The fi rst pa-
per was published in Canyon
City in October 1868, under the
name “City Journal,” by R. H.
J. Comer.
Comer brought his print-
ing equipment to Canyon City
from The Dalles by pack train.
The equipment consisted of a
job press and enough ad and
body type to put together a
small newspaper.
The City Journal, a
three-column folio, 7 3/4 by 10
1/4 inches over all, was pub-
lished “semi-occasionally by
the Typographical Society for
the proprietors.” The fourth is-
sue of the paper appeared eight
months following the fi rst pub-
lication.
The policy of the paper con-
cerning local news was, “Local
news being of such a nature that
everybody, or any other man,
knows every other person’s
business, except their own, we
shall publish only such as suits
our purpose.”
Joaquin Miller, former Eu-
gene newspaper man and later
Grant County Judge, known to
world-wide fame as the “poet
of the Sierras,” was a frequent
contributor to the Canyon City
paper in the sixties and seven-
ties.
In the early seventies, the
name of the paper was changed
to the Canyon City Express and
later to the Grant County Ex-
press.
H. R. Gale became edi-
tor in 1876, about the time
the name was changed to the
Grant County Times. In 1879
a new owner, S. H. Shepherd,
changed the name to the Grant
County News, an independent
paper issued on Saturdays.
The Grant County News had
the fi rst telephone in the coun-
ty with the installation of the
“strange instrument” in 1898.
In 1908, Clinton P. Haight,
a University of Oregon law
school graduate, became half
owner of the News with P. F.
Chandler. In the same year the
new fi rm purchased the Blue
Mountain Eagle, which had
been moved from Long Creek
to Canyon in 1900. The papers
were consolidated under the
name of the Blue Mountain
Eagle.
The Long Creek Eagle was
founded by C. E. Dustin and
Peter Connolly in November
1886. The population of Long
Creek was approximately 150
persons.
In 1898, the name of the
Long Creek paper was changed
to the Blue Mountain Eagle.
Two years later, it moved to
Canyon City. When the Eagle
moved to Canyon City, Charles
A. Coe started the Eastern Ore-
gon Ranger, a Friday indepen-
From Jan. 19, 1967: CANYON CITY 1902 - Washington
Street in Canyon City in 1902 was the scene of much
activity. Board walks saved the residents from sloshing
in knee-deep mud during rainy weather. The office and
shop of the Blue Mountain Eagle is shown on the corner
of the left side of the street. On the extreme right is the
historic St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. The Eagle office
and the business section of Canyon City was destroyed
by fire in 1937.
dent Republican weekly. Later
the name was changed to the
Long Creek Ranger.
This was the beginning of
the John Day Valley Ranger. In
1908, Coe sold the paper to J.
H. Allen, present justice of the
peace and former county judge,
and W. E. Weird who retained
ownership until it was sold to
Arthur R. Jones in 1930. Jones
was a minister but had been
publishing a paper at Mitchell.
Jones moved the paper and
printing plant to John Day in
1930. He operated the paper
until the 1937 Canyon City fi re
when it was purchased by Chan-
dler and Haight.
Three major fi res swept
serve you!
Give us a call today
541-676-9158 - Heppner
541-384-2801 - Condon
We welcome the opportunity to visit with
you about our services!
Overall Health Starts
with a Healthy Smile.
Emergencies, most Insurance Plans and Oregon Health Plan Patients are all welcome.
Some level of treatment financing is available to everyone.
Let our family of Pharmacists
LES SCHWAB TIRE • JOHN DAY POLARIS
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • 1188 PUB AND GRILL
Advantage Dental Group PC
750 West Main John Day, OR 97845 • 888-468-0022 ext. 61863
www.AdvantageDentalClinics.com
er consolidated in August 1948.
Both papers had been under the
same ownership and manage-
ment since 1942. The name of
the Grant County Blue Moun-
tain Eagle was selected as the
offi cial title of the paper.
Other papers made brief ap-
pearances in Grant County. One
was the John Day Sentinel and
another was the Avalanche Jour-
nal.
Since the last consolidation
in 1948, the Eagle continued to
broaden its scope in the tradi-
tion set by the earlier editors and
publishers. In the past few years,
news was categorized into sec-
tions such as society and sports.
The Eagle has taken on a more
modern look in the past year to
enhance readability of news,
features and advertising.
Last week the Eagle printed
2,405 copies, the highest in his-
tory. The Blue Mountain Eagle
is enjoying its highest circula-
tion, which is larger than when
the population of Grant county
was greater. At least 93 percent
of all homes in the county re-
ceive the Eagle each week.
THE GRANT COUNTY SNOWBALLERS WANT TO
THANK THESE SPONSORS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE
AND SUPPORT OF THE SENECA WINTER CLASSIC
RACES HELD IN SENECA ON JANUARY 7TH AND 8TH.
ADVANTAGE DENTAL CLINICS
Schedule Your Dental Appointment
with Advantage Dental Today.
through Canyon City with the
fi rst occurring in 1870. The
second fi re, which started in the
Elkhorn Hotel Nov. 11, 1898,
destroyed the entire community
except the newspaper offi ce.
But luck ran out for the paper
in the third fi re. Starting in Ho-
tel Canyon April 20, 1937, fi re
completely destroyed the busi-
ness district of Canyon City, in-
cluding the Blue Mountain Ea-
gle. The Canyon City paper put
out a special edition, through the
courtesy of the John Day Valley
Ranger, while the fi re was still
raging out of control.
Lost in the fi re were the
complete fi les of the old Canyon
City papers. Only scattered is-
sues of the early papers remain.
After publishing for 42 years,
the Prairie City Journal was ab-
sorbed by the Blue Mountain
Eagle in 1942. The paper was
fi rst named the Prairie City Min-
er and was changed to the Grant
County Journal in 1912. Later
the name was changed again to
the Prairie City Journal.
The Blue Mountain Eagle
and the John Day Valley Rang-
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE IZEE 4H CLUB FOR
THEIR CONCESSIONS AND THE BLUE MTN.
HOSPITAL AMBULANCE.
TIM R. HOLLY, PRESIDENT
Heppner & & Condon
Heppner
Condon