Josephine County Historical Society's “Passport To History” - Daily Courier – Grants Pass, Oregon
Today is another, and a very important stop in the Josephine County Historical Society's "Passport To History" program. The Daily Courier is an exceptional, locally owned newspaper, and the source of most information on the areas' history.
The first edition was published on April 3, 1885. A mere 26 years after Oregon received statehood, but the area was a long way from being tamed.
Started by J.A. Stine, at first it was called the Grant's Pass Courier, a weekly. Back then Grants Pass had an apostrophe in its' name.
In 1886, the name was changed to the Rogue River Courier, as the new owner W.J. Wimer felt it gave it the status of a larger encompassing circulation.
September 18, 1910, A.E. "Boss" Voorhies, sole owner since 1899 established the daily Rogue River Courier, while also continuing to publish the weekly Rogue River Courier.
January of 1919 found the city of Woodville, Oregon changing its' name to Rogue River (it's just six miles southeast of Grants Pass), to avoid confusion, the newspaper then changed its' name to the Grants Pass Daily Courier, which it has remained. Voorhies continued to also publish the weekly Rogue River Courier until December 1928.
The Voorhies family still owns the Grants Pass Daily Courier, and follows the standards established by "Boss" Voorhies when he began the Daily Courier, and that was to stay on the "cutting edge" of newspaper publishing and technology!
Can you believe they print 64 miles of newspaper everyday!
Our guide was Beth Plater, and she did an excellent job!
The large orange press prints the newspaper, and the blue one is used for inserts, flyers, special sections, etc.
Classifieds, display and online advertising are located on the main floor.
Upstairs is where it's all put together, scrutinized, edited and finalized.
Not the type of newsroom you see on television is it?
No yelling, screaming, smoking or scurrying around -- These folks are much too calm. A sign of a well organized operation.
No, it's not because nothing ever happens in Grants Pass;
Why, just last week we had a three minute traffic jam!
Yes, we actually have a subdivision named Mayberry; with streets named after all the cast, such as Andy Griffith Drive, Opie Lane, etc.
But seriously, the Grants Pass Daily Courier is as up to the minute on national, world and state news as you can get.
Oftentimes, I'll be watching the local evening news on a late breaking story, and I have already learned about it from the Daily Courier.
The Grants Pass Daily Courier has a daily circulation of 18,000 papers. They have 78 newspaper carriers and 93 routes.
Here the carriers are in for their pickups.
Remember the paper shortage in the 1970's?
It won't happen here!
Each of these rolls is 8 miles long, and they print 8 rolls per day!
These pallets are stacked with special editions and inserts; and at times such as Christmas season, they'll be stacked to the ceiling! (Can't wait for that Thanksgiving Day paper!)
This is the "morgue."
Beth was very generous with her time, and showed us papers from 1905 to present.
The public is allowed to come in on appointment, and peruse the old papers.
Imagine how special a birthday would be for someone to write up a bit on what else happened on the day they were born.
The Grants Pass Daily Courier is not experiencing the circulation problems that plague papers across the country!
They are well run, and their people are professional and highly experienced!
Plus that, it's a paper to rival any of the big boys!
We subscribed for two years before moving to Grants Pass, try it; and we'll be here to welcome you home!
Please visit the Josephine County Historical Society's website 
for more information on the Passport To History program.
Below are the links to my earlier Josephine County Historical Society's Passport To History blogs.
Introduction Caveman Schmidt House
Blind George's Newsstand Grants Pass Historic Homes Tour
Historic District Tour Grants Pass Pharmacy Rogue Theatre
Hugo Community Church Haines Apple Tree Ament Dam
Grants Pass Cemeteries Pottsville Sportsman Park
Griffin Park Lake Selmac Granite Hill Cemetery
Pleasant Valley Cemetery Josephine County Bridges
Grants Pass Fire Department Reinhart Volunteer Park Wolf Creek Inn
Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Golden Townsite
Grave Creek Covered Bridge Robertson Bridge
Wilderville Store and Post Office Wilderville Cemetery
Granite Tombstone Quarry Merlin Park - Veterans Walk of Honor
Gotcher Cemetery Provolt Store Missouri Flat Cemetery
Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Rough & Ready Botanical Wayside
Rough & Ready Lumber Co. Pacifica, A Garden In The Siskiyous
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