Akron News-Reporter
Encyclopedia
The Akron News-Reporter is a weekly newspaper
published in Akron, Colorado
by Prairie Mountain Publishing
, a subsidiary of MediaNews Group
. It primarily serves the Town of Akron
, the Town of Otis
, and Washington County
, in the State of Colorado
, United States of America. The newspaper is published every Wednesday with a current circulation of about 2000.
(September 22, 1887), its first newspaper, the Akron Pioneer Press, began publication on November 1, 1885, and was published continuously for 38 years. It is partially digitized (earliest, Dec. 7, 1888) and is available for viewing online at the Colorado Historical Newspapers Collection.
The following table summarizes the early newspapers of Akron.
's inauguration and a four-column photo of the new President and Vice President Charles Curtis
.
There was a small notice in the lower right corner:
And in the lower left corner the News-Reporter was introduced:
The News-Reporter introduction was not signed.
The Akron News-Reporter.
Newspaper Printing Press
The Akron News-Reporter supplemented its newspaper business with job printingBenjamin Franklin on job printing http://www.librarycompany.org/BFWriter/job.htm (letterheads, envelopes, bills, posters, announcements, and other miscellaneous small-piece printing work).See a YouTube letterpress documentary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY
Akron Publishing Co., thus ending the 67-year Cooley Newspaper Dynasty in Eastern Colorado.
, Ontario
. In 1990, Karen Ashley was named editor, Bonnie Miller, general manager, and Anita Kraich, ad director.
Seven years later on April 4, 1996 the News-Reporter and other weekly newspapers of American Publishing were sold to MediaNews Group
. Editor Karen Ashley wrote
MediaNews, in turn, formed a subsidiary, the Eastern Colorado Publishing Co, comprising the Akron News-Reporter and several other Eastern Colorado newspapers. According to SEC filings in 2002 the subsidiary comprised the following newspapers:
On February 2, 2006 the E. W. Scripps Company and MediaNews Group Inc. formed a partnership to operate both companies’ newspapers throughout the USA. The newspapers of MediaNews' Eastern Colorado Publishing Co. were merged with those operated by Scripps in eastern Colorado, the Boulder Daily Camera, the Colorado Daily, and the Broomfield Enterprise, to form a new subsidiary, the Prairie Mountain Publishing Company with headquarters in Boulder, Colorado
. Scripps left the partnership in 2009.
, October 15, 1875. About the turn of the 20th century the brothers moved to Nebraska
. Bert was married to Carrie Louella Miller (Lou) in 1902 in Plainview, Nebr
. This union produced three sons, Orville Dale, Clifford Coyne, and Robert Miller. Mert was married to Elizabeth Holliday and this union produced two sons, Ronald Delos and Merton Beth.
Herbert Merton Cooley was the first to get into the newspaper business, founding the Crofton (Nebraska) Journal
prior to 1909.
Bert and Lou taught school in Plainview, Nebraska
, until 1910 when they migrated westward to prove up on a homesteadThe Homestead Act of 1862 http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm northwest of Flagler, Colorado
. About two years later on January 12, 1912 Bert founded the Otis IndependentThe Otis Independent http://files.usgwarchives.org/co/washington/newspapers/oi-072976.txt at Otis, Colorado
.
In a tragic automobile accident in 1914, Mert was drowned in the Missouri River
after a car in which he was a passenger drove off a pontoon bridge near Yankton, South Dakota
. Bert gave up the Otis Independent and moved the family back to Crofton to assume control of his brother's newspaper and the parenting of his two sons, Ronald and Beth. But in 1916, because of a worsening allergy condition, Bert sold the Journal and returned to Colorado to resume operation of the Otis Independent, this time with two more "sons" in tow.
Bert continued to operate the Independent until the fall of 1928 when, in a trade, he swapped the Otis Independent for ownership in the Monte Vista Tribune, Monte Vista, Colorado
, now the Monte Vista Journal.The Monte Vista Journal http://www.montevistajournal.com/v2_main_page.php Within a few months, Bert disposed of the Tribune, went to Akron, Colo., where he bought the Akron Semi-Weekly News and the Akron Reporter combining the two papers on February 28, 1928 into the Akron News-Reporter.
Dale started helping as a printer's devil when he was just a youngster, and continued to work with his dad through high school and college, where he earned a degree in journalism at the University of Denver
.The Limon Leader, Vol. 83, No. 29; Thursday, May 19, 1994 Although he had initially wanted to become a newspaperman, he, instead, took a teaching job at Otis High SchoolCurrent Otis Jr/Sr High School home page http://www.osdco.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=10 and remained there until 1936 when he returned to Akron to work at the Akron News-Reporter.
Ronald, in his early years, helped his father, Mert, twin brother of Bert, at the Crofton Journal. When Mert met his untimely death, Ronald continued to help his uncle Bert when he came to Crofton to run his brother's newspaper. The family moved back to Colorado in 1916 where Ronald joined Dale and his father at the Otis Independent. He went on to receive a degree in journalism at the University of Colorado
, afterwards returning to Otis to work at the Independent and, later, in Akron at the News-Reporter.
Beth, born in Crofton about two years after Ronald, also grew-up in the newspaper business and was helping his dad when he was only four years old (Walter Henry 18:30, 24 October 2009 (UTC)folding newspapers). When Mert was killed, Beth continued to help at the Crofton Journal when his uncle Bert assumed the reins. Beth worked with his uncle continuously from Crofton in 1914 to Otis to Akron until Bert retired in 1956.
Coyne was literally born into the newspaper business in a small living space above the Otis Independent print shop. From Visions, Cooleys, and Graves:
Coyne received a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado
in 1936 and within two weeks he was back at it at the News-Reporter.
All in all, Coyne was the editor of the News-Reporter for 41 years (1936 to 1977).
Robert Cooley (Bob), the youngest of the three sons of R.B., helped in his father's newspaper during his younger years in Akron. He attended the University of Colorado where he graduated in 1937 with a degree in Journalism
. After World War II
he went into the newspaper business outside of Colorado (Mountain Home, Idaho
). In a few years, because of ill health, he sold the newspaper and moved to the drier climate of Arizona
where he taught journalism in Arizona State University
. Later, after a brief stint at Reedley College
in California, he went to Flagstaff, Arizona
, where he accepted the position of Chairman of the Journalism Department and Director of Public Information at Northern Arizona University
. He held this position at NAU until his retirement in 1977.
to publish the Eastern Colorado Leader which R.B. had just acquired. It was later combined with the Genoa Sentinel, Genoa, Colorado
, to form the Limon Leader which they published until their retirement on June 1, 1972.
The youngest son, Robert M. Cooley who had married an Idaho girl, Eleanor Newcomb, moved to her home state where he became editor and later owner of the Mountain Home News,Mountain Home News http://www.mountainhomenews.com Mountain Home, Idaho
. Because of a worsening health condition he sold the newspaper 12 years later and moved to Arizona.
Coyne and Beth remained at the News-Reporter eventually gaining full control of the newspaper in 1956. They continued its operation until 1977 when they sold it to the American Publishing.
The Cooley newspaper dynasty in Colorado was broken after 67 years with all but one of the third-generation Cooleys taking up non-newspaper occupations. The exception is James R. Cooley, son of Ronald D. Cooley, who, along with his wife, Maria H., currently publishes the Oxford Standard,Manufacture Directions Oxford Standard http://www.manufacturedirections.com/nebraska/oxford/804843-james-r-cooley.html Oxford, Nebraska
Weekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news publication that is published on newsprint once or twice a week.Such newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and are usually based in less-populous communities or small, defined areas within large cities; often, they may cover a...
published in Akron, Colorado
Akron, Colorado
The Town of Akron is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Washington County, in the U.S. State of Colorado. The town population was 1,702 at the U.S. Census 2010.- Geography :...
by Prairie Mountain Publishing
Prairie Mountain Publishing
The Prairie Mountain Publishing Company is an American publishing company owned by MediaNews Group. Former half owner Scripps left the partnership in 2009.It acquired Lehman Communications in 2011.-Prairie Mountain Publishing newspapers:...
, a subsidiary of MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group, based in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It is privately owned and operates 56 daily newspapers in 12 states, with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.4 million and 2.7 million, respectively...
. It primarily serves the Town of Akron
Akron, Colorado
The Town of Akron is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Washington County, in the U.S. State of Colorado. The town population was 1,702 at the U.S. Census 2010.- Geography :...
, the Town of Otis
Otis, Colorado
Otis is a Statutory Town in Washington County, Colorado, United States. The population was 534 at the 2000 census.-History:Otis was established in 1883 as a stop on the Burlington rail line...
, and Washington County
Washington County, Colorado
Washington County is the 12th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 4,926 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named in honor of the United States President George Washington...
, in the State of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States of America. The newspaper is published every Wednesday with a current circulation of about 2000.
Early Akron Newspapers
About two years before the Town of Akron was incorporated as a statutory townColorado municipalities
The U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
(September 22, 1887), its first newspaper, the Akron Pioneer Press, began publication on November 1, 1885, and was published continuously for 38 years. It is partially digitized (earliest, Dec. 7, 1888) and is available for viewing online at the Colorado Historical Newspapers Collection.
The following table summarizes the early newspapers of Akron.
| Start Date | End Date | Name of Newspaper | Years in Operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/1/1885 | 11/9/1923 | Akron Pioneer Press | 38.0 |
| 1886 | 1887 | Colorado Beetle | 1 |
| 1886 | 1889 | Akron Herald | 3 |
| 1886 | 1892 | Akron Star | 6 |
| 1888 | 1889 | Akron Tribune | 1 |
| 1888 | 1889 | Washington County Democrat | 1 |
| 1893 | 1896 | Washington County Republican | 4 |
| 1893 | 1895 | Akron Advance | 2 |
| 9/30/1897 | 5/24/1912 | Washington County Leader | 14.6 |
| 10/13/1910 | 2/28/1929 | Akron News | 18.4 |
| 7/1/1916 | 2/28/1929 | Akron Reporter | 12.7 |
| 3/7/1929 | Present | Akron News-Reporter | 80 |
Akron News/Semi-Weekly News Ownership
The original newspaper began publication on October 13, 1910, as the Akron News. The News went through several changes of ownership through February 1929 as summarized in the table below.| Owner | Editor(s) | Beginning Date |
|---|---|---|
| F.C. Pinch, founder | F.C. Pinch | 10/13/1910 |
| F.W. McIntyre | F.W. McIntyre | 8/14/1911 |
| Isaac Pelton | I. Pelton, F.T. Hawks, T.A. Erb | May 1912 |
| Isaac Pelton | D.C. Thomas | Dec 1916 |
| Isaac Pelton | D.C. Thomas, John S. Evans | Dec 1917 |
| Isaac Pelton | John S. Evans | Nov 1918 |
| Charles M Cockrum | C.M. Cockrum, Worth Miller | Apr 1923 |
| Worth Miller | Worth Miller | 1928 |
| R.B. Cooley | R.B. Cooley & C.L. Miller-Cooley | 2/28/1929 |
Akron Reporter Ownership
Another, rival newspaper, The Akron Reporter, began publication on July 1, 1916. It, too, went through several changes in ownership until February, 1929, though fewer than the News. The changes are summarized in the following table.| Owner(s) | Editor(s) | Beginning Date |
|---|---|---|
| F.C. and R.M. Wester, founders | F.C. and R.M. Wester | 7/1/1916 |
| Robert A. Shook | Presley Pool | Jan 1922 |
| Presley Pool | Presley Pool | |
| Steen M. Johnson | S.M. Johnson | Summer 1927 |
| R.B. Cooley | R.B. Cooley & C.L. Miller-Cooley | 2/28/1929 |
The Akron News-Reporter
On February 28, 1929, Robert B. Cooley merged the Akron Semi-Weekly News and the Akron Reporter. The first issue of the combined papers, the Akron News-Reporter, was published on March 7, 1929. On the front page was news of Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's inauguration and a four-column photo of the new President and Vice President Charles Curtis
Charles Curtis
Charles Curtis was a United States Representative, a longtime United States Senator from Kansas later chosen as Senate Majority Leader by his Republican colleagues, and the 31st Vice President of the United States...
.
There was a small notice in the lower right corner:
'On the Passing Of The Reporter'
After almost twenty months of ownership of the Akron Reporter the undersigned is transferring the title and ownership of its physical equipment to Mr. R.B. Cooley, formerly of the Otis Independent. Mr. Cooley, having purchased the Akron News, is merging the two newspapers into a single entity under one name. This is a commendable move and should have the whole-hearted support of all the citizens of the community, advertisers and subscribers. - S.M. Johnson
And in the lower left corner the News-Reporter was introduced:
This issue marks a consolidation of two Akron newspapers, the Akron Semi-Weekly News and the Akron Reporter. The new publication has been christened the Akron News-Reporter, a name that carries the thought of the two former publications, which was the primary idea in its choice. The Akron News-Reporter will be a weekly, as it is the general opinion of the businessmen of the town that a twice-weekly is not to their best interest and that a weekly publication will be much more satisfactory to all concerned. The subscription lists will be combined, those having paid-up subscriptions to both papers will receive the benefit by having their credit applied on the revised list. Those whose time has [not] expired on one paper or the other will be credited with the unexpired time, and those who were receiving but one will now receive the consolidated paper, so there will be no grounds for complaint of any subscriber to either paper. It is our intention to give the people of Akron and community the very best weekly newspaper that we are capable of producing and the very best newspaper that the town and community can afford. Your interests are our interests and with that idea in mind we will endeavor to publish a real newspaper. You be the judge.
The News-Reporter introduction was not signed.
Cooley Sons Carry On
The News-Reporter was owned and published by R.B. Cooley and his wife C.L. Miller-Cooley until 1955 when they relinquished control to their son C. Coyne Cooley and nephew Merton Beth Cooley, both of whom had had been active in its operation since its inception. They operated the newspaper under an oral partnership until they reduced it to a written partnership on September 20, 1977, dbaDoing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
The Akron News-Reporter.
Equipment through the 50s and 60s
The News-Reporter had the following newspaper and job printing equipment through the two decades of the 1950s and 1960s.Type Casting
- Linotype machineLinotype machineThe Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
Brief description of the Linotype http://www.woodsidepress.com/LINOTYPE.HTML
- Intertype MachineIntertype CorporationThe Intertype Corporation produced the Intertype, a typecasting machine closely resembling the Linotype, and using the same matrices as the Linotype...
Linotype and Intertype compared http://www.linotype.org/OnLineDocs/Miscellaneous/differences.html
Newspaper Printing PressPrinting pressA printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
- Miehle hand-fed flatbed cylinder pressA picture of Miehles being assembled http://history.ucpl.lib.mo.us/detail.asp?FileID=f040p1990
- Newspaper folding machineA Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology; Folding Machine http://cool.conservation-us.org/don/dt/dt1392.html
Letterpresses
The Akron News-Reporter supplemented its newspaper business with job printingBenjamin Franklin on job printing http://www.librarycompany.org/BFWriter/job.htm (letterheads, envelopes, bills, posters, announcements, and other miscellaneous small-piece printing work).See a YouTube letterpress documentary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY
- Chandler & PriceChandler & PriceChandler and Price was founded in 1881 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Harrison T. Chandler and William H. Price. They manufactured machinery for printers including a series of hand-fed platen jobbing presses, as well as an automatic feeder for these presses , paper cutters, book presses, and assorted...
Hand Fed Platen PressA C&P Schematic http://www.garloo.com/chandler_and_price_diagram.htmFond thoughts of a C&P http://www.apa-letterpress.com/T%20&%20P%20ARTICLES/Press%20&%20Presswork/Chandler%20&%20Price.html
- Kluge Automatic-Feed Platen Job Press
- Lee Hand-fed Flatbed Cylinder PressThe Lee was built by The Challenge Machinery Company, still in business http://www.challengemachinery.com/history1.htm
The End of an Era
Coyne and Beth had operated the News-Reporter for 24 years when on July 2, 1979 they sold the newspaper to Danny L. Reneau and C. Bryce Wilkins dbaDoing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
Akron Publishing Co., thus ending the 67-year Cooley Newspaper Dynasty in Eastern Colorado.
Transfers of Ownership after the Cooley Era
Reneau and Wilkins sold the News-Reporter in May 1989 to American Publishing CompanyAmerican Publishing Company subs. of Hollinger http://www.answers.com/topic/hollinger-inc, a subsidiary of Hollinger Corporation of TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. In 1990, Karen Ashley was named editor, Bonnie Miller, general manager, and Anita Kraich, ad director.
Seven years later on April 4, 1996 the News-Reporter and other weekly newspapers of American Publishing were sold to MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group
MediaNews Group, based in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It is privately owned and operates 56 daily newspapers in 12 states, with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.4 million and 2.7 million, respectively...
. Editor Karen Ashley wrote
It's a part of the human condition that we resist change. We become comfortable with the established routine, the familiar rut. Now, however, we at the Akron News-Reporter are announcing a new change in ownership....We received official notification [our newspaper] and other Colorado newspapers owned by American Publishing have been sold to NewsMedia (sic) of Denver...
MediaNews, in turn, formed a subsidiary, the Eastern Colorado Publishing Co, comprising the Akron News-Reporter and several other Eastern Colorado newspapers. According to SEC filings in 2002 the subsidiary comprised the following newspapers:
| Newspaper | Colo. Location |
|---|---|
| Fort Morgan Times | Fort Morgan |
| Journal-Advocate | Sterling |
| Lamar Daily News | Lamar |
| Akron News Reporter | Akron |
| Brush News-Tribune | Brush |
| Julesburg Advocate | Julesburg |
| Burlington Record | Burlington |
| Estes Park Trail Gazette | Estes Park |
On February 2, 2006 the E. W. Scripps Company and MediaNews Group Inc. formed a partnership to operate both companies’ newspapers throughout the USA. The newspapers of MediaNews' Eastern Colorado Publishing Co. were merged with those operated by Scripps in eastern Colorado, the Boulder Daily Camera, the Colorado Daily, and the Broomfield Enterprise, to form a new subsidiary, the Prairie Mountain Publishing Company with headquarters in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. Scripps left the partnership in 2009.
Twin Brothers Become Newspapermen
Robert Berton Cooley (Bert) and his twin brother Herbert Merton (Mert) were born in McGregor, IowaMcGregor, Iowa
McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 871 at the 2000 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just south of the city...
, October 15, 1875. About the turn of the 20th century the brothers moved to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Bert was married to Carrie Louella Miller (Lou) in 1902 in Plainview, Nebr
Plainview, Nebraska
Plainview is a city in Pierce County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,353 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
. This union produced three sons, Orville Dale, Clifford Coyne, and Robert Miller. Mert was married to Elizabeth Holliday and this union produced two sons, Ronald Delos and Merton Beth.
Herbert Merton Cooley was the first to get into the newspaper business, founding the Crofton (Nebraska) Journal
Crofton, Nebraska
Crofton is a city in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 754 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crofton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
prior to 1909.
Bert and Lou taught school in Plainview, Nebraska
Plainview, Nebraska
Plainview is a city in Pierce County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,353 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
, until 1910 when they migrated westward to prove up on a homesteadThe Homestead Act of 1862 http://www.nps.gov/home/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm northwest of Flagler, Colorado
Flagler, Colorado
Flagler is a Statutory Town in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 612 at the 2000 census.The town was established in 1888 as a small settlement near the then-new Rock Island Railroad, named Malowe after Rock Island Railroad attorney M. A. Lowe...
. About two years later on January 12, 1912 Bert founded the Otis IndependentThe Otis Independent http://files.usgwarchives.org/co/washington/newspapers/oi-072976.txt at Otis, Colorado
Otis, Colorado
Otis is a Statutory Town in Washington County, Colorado, United States. The population was 534 at the 2000 census.-History:Otis was established in 1883 as a stop on the Burlington rail line...
.
In a tragic automobile accident in 1914, Mert was drowned in the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
after a car in which he was a passenger drove off a pontoon bridge near Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton, South Dakota
Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
. Bert gave up the Otis Independent and moved the family back to Crofton to assume control of his brother's newspaper and the parenting of his two sons, Ronald and Beth. But in 1916, because of a worsening allergy condition, Bert sold the Journal and returned to Colorado to resume operation of the Otis Independent, this time with two more "sons" in tow.
Bert continued to operate the Independent until the fall of 1928 when, in a trade, he swapped the Otis Independent for ownership in the Monte Vista Tribune, Monte Vista, Colorado
Monte Vista, Colorado
The City of Monte Vista is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,529 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, now the Monte Vista Journal.The Monte Vista Journal http://www.montevistajournal.com/v2_main_page.php Within a few months, Bert disposed of the Tribune, went to Akron, Colo., where he bought the Akron Semi-Weekly News and the Akron Reporter combining the two papers on February 28, 1928 into the Akron News-Reporter.
A Cooley Newspaper Dynasty Forms
For twenty five years beginning in 1912 the sons had worked off and on at their father's newspaper, each deciding to become a newspaperman at one time or another.Dale started helping as a printer's devil when he was just a youngster, and continued to work with his dad through high school and college, where he earned a degree in journalism at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
.The Limon Leader, Vol. 83, No. 29; Thursday, May 19, 1994 Although he had initially wanted to become a newspaperman, he, instead, took a teaching job at Otis High SchoolCurrent Otis Jr/Sr High School home page http://www.osdco.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=10 and remained there until 1936 when he returned to Akron to work at the Akron News-Reporter.
Ronald, in his early years, helped his father, Mert, twin brother of Bert, at the Crofton Journal. When Mert met his untimely death, Ronald continued to help his uncle Bert when he came to Crofton to run his brother's newspaper. The family moved back to Colorado in 1916 where Ronald joined Dale and his father at the Otis Independent. He went on to receive a degree in journalism at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
, afterwards returning to Otis to work at the Independent and, later, in Akron at the News-Reporter.
Beth, born in Crofton about two years after Ronald, also grew-up in the newspaper business and was helping his dad when he was only four years old (Walter Henry 18:30, 24 October 2009 (UTC)folding newspapers). When Mert was killed, Beth continued to help at the Crofton Journal when his uncle Bert assumed the reins. Beth worked with his uncle continuously from Crofton in 1914 to Otis to Akron until Bert retired in 1956.
Coyne was literally born into the newspaper business in a small living space above the Otis Independent print shop. From Visions, Cooleys, and Graves:
Starting his newspaper career by sweeping out the Independent office while he was in grade school, Coyne moved up to printer's devil when he was in seventh grade [about 1919], and to learning the operation of "the great old machine, the Linotype", when he was a high school freshman [about 1920]. By the time he graduated high school he could do everything necessary to produce a weekly newspaper: Write the stories, set the type, sell the ads, make up the page forms and put them on the press, run the press and kill out after the last run." His greatest thrill was the day his father let him start covering high school sports. He decided, without question, to be a newspaperman.
Coyne received a degree in journalism from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado System
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
in 1936 and within two weeks he was back at it at the News-Reporter.
All in all, Coyne was the editor of the News-Reporter for 41 years (1936 to 1977).
Robert Cooley (Bob), the youngest of the three sons of R.B., helped in his father's newspaper during his younger years in Akron. He attended the University of Colorado where he graduated in 1937 with a degree in Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he went into the newspaper business outside of Colorado (Mountain Home, Idaho
Mountain Home, Idaho
Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho. The population was 14,206 at the 2010 census. Mountain Home is the principal city of the Mountain Home, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Elmore County....
). In a few years, because of ill health, he sold the newspaper and moved to the drier climate of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
where he taught journalism in Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Later, after a brief stint at Reedley College
Reedley College
Reedley College often referred to as Reedley, RC, or known to locals as The College is a public community college located in Reedley, California, USA southeast of the Fresno Metropolitan Area and only a 3 hour drive south to Los Angeles or 3 hour drive north to San Francisco...
in California, he went to Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
, where he accepted the position of Chairman of the Journalism Department and Director of Public Information at Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
. He held this position at NAU until his retirement in 1977.
Newspapers Spawned
In 1937, with five sons working at the same small newspaper in Akron, R.B. Cooley decided to make some adjustments. The two older sons, Dale and Ronald, were sent to Limon, ColoradoLimon, Colorado
Limon is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Lincoln County, Colorado, United States immediately east of Elbert County. The population was 2,071 at the 2000 census. Limon has been called the "Hub City" of Eastern Colorado because Interstate 70, U.S. Highways 24, 40, and 287, and...
to publish the Eastern Colorado Leader which R.B. had just acquired. It was later combined with the Genoa Sentinel, Genoa, Colorado
Genoa, Colorado
Genoa is a Statutory Town located in Lincoln County, Colorado, United States. The population was 211 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Genoa is located at ....
, to form the Limon Leader which they published until their retirement on June 1, 1972.
The youngest son, Robert M. Cooley who had married an Idaho girl, Eleanor Newcomb, moved to her home state where he became editor and later owner of the Mountain Home News,Mountain Home News http://www.mountainhomenews.com Mountain Home, Idaho
Mountain Home, Idaho
Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho. The population was 14,206 at the 2010 census. Mountain Home is the principal city of the Mountain Home, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Elmore County....
. Because of a worsening health condition he sold the newspaper 12 years later and moved to Arizona.
Coyne and Beth remained at the News-Reporter eventually gaining full control of the newspaper in 1956. They continued its operation until 1977 when they sold it to the American Publishing.
The Cooley newspaper dynasty in Colorado was broken after 67 years with all but one of the third-generation Cooleys taking up non-newspaper occupations. The exception is James R. Cooley, son of Ronald D. Cooley, who, along with his wife, Maria H., currently publishes the Oxford Standard,Manufacture Directions Oxford Standard http://www.manufacturedirections.com/nebraska/oxford/804843-james-r-cooley.html Oxford, Nebraska
Oxford, Nebraska
Oxford is a village in Furnas and Harlan Counties in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The population was 876 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oxford is located at...
External links
- Akron News-Reporter website
- Limon Leader website
- Oxford Standard information
- "Introduction To Letterpress Printing In The 21st Century" by David S. Rose, Five Roses Press, New York, NY; "Article Automatic Feed Platen Job Press (examples: Original Heidelberg, Kluge, Chandler & Price Craftsman)"
- Letter Press Documentary
- Kluge in operation
- Akron Chamber of Commerce website
- Reedley (California) College
- Scripps, MediaNews Group establish new partnership in Eastern Colorado Friday, press release February 2, 2006
- Scripps, MediaNews form new partnership Friday, press release February 3, 2006