Skagit Valley Herald

Skagit Valley Herald
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
OwnerAdams MultiMedia
FounderWilliam C. Ewing
PublisherSkagit Valley Publishing Co.
FoundedMarch 4, 1884; 142 years ago (1884-03-04)
Headquarters1215 Anderson Road
Mount Vernon, WA 98274
CountryUnited States
Circulation8,774 (as of 2020)
Sister newspapers
OCLC number17347816
Websitegoskagit.com

The Skagit Valley Herald is a daily newspaper serving Skagit County, Washington. It has a circulation of 8,774.

Skagit Valley Publishing also publishes the weekly Anacortes American, Fidalgo This Week, The Argus, Stanwood Camano News, and Courier-Times.

History

The Skagit News was first published on March 4, 1884, as a weekly newspaper. It was founded William C. Ewing, the son of Thomas Ewing Jr. and grandson of Thomas Ewing. In 1885, George E. Hartson bought the paper. He went on to be elected mayor of Mount Vernon and serve as its postmaster while editing the News with his son Ralph E. Hartson. In January 1897, the News merged with the Skagit Valley News to form the News-Herald. The Hartson family sold the paper in 1907.

In 1916, Captain George Shorkley, Richard Bushell Jr. and Eugene Larin sold the paper to M. J. Beaumont of San Francisco. In 1922, it was renamed to the Mount Vernon Herald and transitioned to daily circulation.

In 1924, the paper's publisher M. J. Beaumont was assaulted in his office by monument maker D. Frets, who was upset about paper's criticisms on the work done on the cornerstone of the new courthouse. Beaumont in an editorial called it a "billboard cornerstone" and demanded it be removed because "a monument maker had been given the right to place his advertisement on the cornerstone."

Beaumont sold the paper in 1926 to Harry B. Averill. Averill published the paper for decades until selling it to brothers M. D. Glover and W. H. Glover Jr. in 1954. The paper's name was changed two years later to Skagit Valley Herald. The Glovers and others established the Herald-American Publishing Co. in 1961 to manage the Herald and Anacortes America, which was acquired by Skagit Valley Publishing Co. in 1964. This venture was affiliated with Scripps League Newspapers, which at the time had a controlling interest in Pioneer News Group. In 2017, Pioneer sold its papers to Adams Publishing Group.

Starting March 1, 2023, the paper transitioned from carrier to mail delivery. In 2026, unionized newsroom workers at the paper staged a one day strike to demand better wages and add limits to the use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. A new contract was ratified a few months later with stipulations for increased pay and AI usage.

References

  1. ↑ "Regional Maps and Circulation" (PDF). Adams Publishing Group. August 1, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "About Skagit Publishing Company". Goskagit.com. Skagit Publishing. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. ↑ Meany, Edmond S. (October 1922). "Newspapers of Washington Territory (Continued)". The Washington Historical Quarterly. 13 (4): 254. JSTOR 40474796.
  4. ↑ "Whatcom". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. March 6, 1884. p. 4.
  5. ↑ ""The Skagit News."". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. April 17, 1884. p. 2.
  6. ↑ "George E. Hartson Summoned By Death". The Bellingham Herald. January 3, 1934. p. 5.
  7. ↑ "Mayor Becomes Postmaster. | Editor Hartson Has Mount Vernon in His Pocket". The Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, Washington. July 13, 1900. p. 3.
  8. ↑ "Notice". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. January 11, 1897. p. 4.
  9. ↑ "Ten Laborers In Anacortes Strike". The Bellingham Herald. August 13, 1907. p. 3.
  10. ↑ "Newspaper Sold". The Daily Herald. Everett, Washington. September 19, 1916. p. 10.
  11. 1 2 "Herald Changes Name". Port Angeles Evening News. Associated Press. January 5, 1956. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Skagit Publisher Is Assaulted By Monument Maker". The Bellingham Herald. April 11, 1924. p. 17.
  13. ↑ "Mount Vernon Herald is Sold To Averill". Peninsula Daily News. Associated Press. November 2, 1926. p. 1.
  14. ↑ "Mount Vernon Newspaper Reported Sold". Tri-City Herald. Associated Press. November 2, 1954. p. 10.
  15. ↑ "Purchase Of Papers Finished". Tri-City Herald. December 31, 1961. p. 23.
  16. ↑ "Newspaper Is Sold To Scripps". Ellensburg Daily Record. Associated Press. July 29, 1964. p. 18. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  17. ↑ Hammer, Barb. "Pioneer News Group selling media division to Adams Publishing Group". Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  18. ↑ Distelhorst, Michael (January 28, 2023). "Changes coming for the Skagit Valley Herald". Skagit Valley Herald. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  19. ↑ Loi, Luisa (July 25, 2026). "Skagit reporters begin strike". La Conner's Only Newspaper. Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ Fletcher, Sam (September 10, 2026). "Skagit News Workers settle for deal". Salish Current. Retrieved November 6, 2026.

Further reading

  • "History". APG West. Adams Publishing Group. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  • Miller, Bruce G. (Summer 1998). "The Great Race of 1941: A Coast Salish Public Relations Coup". The Pacific Northwest Quarterly. 89 (3): 127–135. JSTOR 40492401.
  • Allan, David; O'Brien, Sinead (1999). "Capital News". American Journalism Review. 21 (9): 57. Retrieved September 27, 2016.