There sure are a lotta newspapers out there, even today. Most are named basic things like Times, Post, Press, etc. Some, though, kind of make you wonder how the heck they came up with that.
In this post, I’m listing the most crazily named newspaper in every state. Since there are a lotta states, I’m breaking this into 4 posts.
I did need a few rules though:
The paper has to have its own Wikipedia page. This is to eliminate any penny savers or questionable publications.
No specialty papers (foreign-language, alternative, business, religious …)
The paper has to be current, and not “defunct” … unless I was really desperate (I’ll let you know).
Alabama – Advertiser-Gleam (Guntersville)
Advertiser, I get. Gleam, not so much. Supposedly, the paper was named for the for the “gleam sunlight made on the town's Guntersville Lake.”
Guntersville? It’s in the northeast part of the state and has a population of around 8,500. The lake? It’s man-made, Alabama’s largest, and goes for 75 miles along the Tennessee River.
The paper? It’s a weekly, dates back to 1941, and has a circulation of 10,250. Sounds like it has a pretty unique, rather personal & casual style, which extends even to the obituaries.
Alaska – The Nome Nugget
Points for the alliteration. What I really like, though, is the “nugget.” It’s just a fun thing to say. Nugget. Go ahead, try it. Nugget, nugget, nugget.
The “nugget,” of course, comes from the area’s history of gold mining. During the gold rush, Nome had a population of 10,000, making it the largest city in the state. Today, it only has 3,700. It’s in the northwest part of the state.
The Nugget dates back to 1899, and is the oldest paper in Alaska. A weekly, it costs 50 cents. It’s the paper of record for pretty much all of the northwestern part of the state.
Arizona – The Kingman Daily Miner
The occasional miner is okay. But every day? I mean, honestly …
Kingman is indeed in mining country, with nearby mines producing copper, molybdenum & turquoise. It’s in the northwest part of the state, right along old Route 66. It currently has a population of 35,000.
The paper is indeed a daily as well. It’s got a circulation of 3,900, featuring such wonderful, small-town stories as:
- A local takes 3rd place in a statewide firefighter pullup challenge
- A nearby college open a cosmetology program
- The mayor visits an elementary school
Arkansas – Times of Northeast Benton County
Well, that’s pretty specific.
Turns out that corner is home to the booming metropolis of Pea Ridge, population 6.500. Benton County? It just so happens to be the very most northwestern-most county in Arkansas. The area’s main claim to fame is a pretty big Civil War battle.
The newspaper (I ain’t typing that again!) is a weekly with a circulation of 1,400. It dates back to 1913, but is not the oldest paper to have been published in the city. That honor goes to the wonderfully name Pea Ridge Pod.
The Times covers Pea Ridge (of course) but also the communities of Bridgewater, Gateway, Avoca, Garfield, Mountain, Lost Bridge, Little Flock, and Jacket.
California – Carmel Pine Cone (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
Let me tell ya, Carmel is one swanky place. I been there!
The town of 3,200 is right along a beautiful part of the Pacific coast, between Monterrey and Big Sur. It started out as an artist’s colony and is today famous for celebrities and pricey shops. Notable residents include Jack London, Upton Sinclair, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Doris Day, Brad Pitt, and Clint Eastwood (who was actually mayor).
The paper dates back to 1915. It comes out weekly, and is free.
Colorado – Golden Transcript
Is this like the golden ticket, from Willy Wonka?
Well, the city is called Golden, so I guess anything they came up with would sound a little odd. Golden Inquirer, anyone? Golden Sun? How about Golden Gazette?
Interestingly, Golden was actually named after some guy. You probably know it from Coors beer. It’s just north of Denver, and has a little more than 30,000 people.
The Transcript, a weekly, dates back to 1866, and is the 2nd-oldest paper in the state. It has never missed an edition.
Honorable mention: Daily Camera (Boulder)
Connecticut – The Day (New London) / The Hour (Norwalk)
No word on The Minute, The Week, or The Month, I’m afraid.
The Day is indeed a daily. It dates back to 1881, and currently has a circulation of 15,500. They’ve won quite a few awards.
New London has a population not quite twice The Day’s circulation, at a little over 30,000. It’s on Long Island Sound, in the eastern part of the state, and is home to the Coast Guard Academy.
The Hour is not an hourly, but another daily. It dates back to 1871, and was originally called the Evening Hour, before switching to the Norwalk Hour and then to its current title. It too has a circulation of around 15,000.
Norwalk is also on the Sound, but to the far western part of the state. It’s 3 times as big as New London, with a population of 91,000. Probably because of its proximity to NYC, it’s home to a number of corporations, including Xerox, Priceline.com, and Pepperidge Farm.
Delaware – Delaware Straight-Out Truth Teller (Wilmington)
I hate to do this to you, but this our first defunct paper. It is no more! It has ceased to be! It’s expired and gone to meet its maker! It’s a stiff! Bereft of life! It rests in peace!
It is a great name though. And seeing as Delaware’s a small state, and has only 5 other papers that would qualify, this’ll have to do.
This one’s pretty interesting. The paper actually existed for only a single year, 1872. Seems it was started solely for that year’s presidential election, and was basically a mouthpiece for the Straight-Out Democratic Party’s candidate Charles O’Connor. Its motto was "O'Conor & Adams; Honesty, Patriotism and Statesmanship.”
Florida – Boca Beacon (Boca Grande)
Alliteration for the win!
The only question is what Boca they might be referring to. I mean, there’s Boca Raton and Boca Chica, right? I’ve actually never heard of Boca Grande.
It is for real though. Sounds like it’s little more than a community on Gasparilla Island, however, on the Gulf coast and near Ft Myers. It has a population of 1,700, and does not allow cars (golf carts) only. It sounds quite toney, with resudents including the Bushes, the DuPonts, and Audrey Hepburn.
The paper dates back to only 1980, has a circulation of 4,000, and comes out every week.
Georgia – The Dahlonega Nugget
Again with the nuggets.
Now, you may not know that Dahlonega is in fact another gold rush town (if you’e ever even actually heard of it, that is). This town of 7,500 in the most northern part of Georgia (i.e., up in the mountains) was the site of the 2nd gold rush in the US, way back in 1829. “Dahlonega” is actually Cherokee for “gold.”
The Nugget is a weekly, with a circulation of 6,400, and dates back to 1890. Sounds like they’ve had quite a few characters running the paper over the years.
Hawaii – Ko Hoku o Ka Pakipika (Honolulu)
Another defunct one, I’m afraid. There are only 7 papers currently published in the islands, though, all with boring names like the News, or the Herald, or the Advertiser, so this’ll have to do.
Ko Hoku o Ka Pakipika (thank you, cut and paste) was active for only 3 years, between 1861 and 1863. It was the first native paper, and was in the Hawaiian language. The name means “Star of the Pacific” in Hawaiian.
Probably don’t need to say much about Honolulu. It’s served today by The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, which has a circulation of 75,000 or so.
Idaho – Owhyee Avalanche (Homedale)
An avalanche of news? An avalanche of savings? An avalanche of bird cage liners?
This one’s a weekly, has a circulation of 1,900, and dates back to 1865. It was, in fact, the 1st real paper in the state. It’s stopped and started, and moved around Owhyee County, ever since its inception. Previous incarnations include the Leader, the Chronicle, the Tidal Wave, and the Nugget (again!).
Homedale (and Owhyee County) are in the southwest corner of the state. The town’s got a population of 3,900 and includes such notable citizens as Ted Trueblood and Niles Fulwyler.
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