Milton-Freewater's Newspaper History
1887 • The Milton Eagle was started by Charles Besserer. It was published each
Friday but the files of the first year’s publication were lost.
1888 • The Milton Eagle was then owned by W.L. Bowmer starting Jan. 6.
1890 • The Freewater Herald was opened by McComas, Freeman and J.B. Mahana
August 7. The Milton Eagle and the Freewater Herald
really battled. Milton would call Freewater ‘Jerkwater’ and accused the residents of ‘lack of civilization’ since they had just come in from the East, and the Herald would refer to Milton as ‘that place up in the Gulch’.
1900 • The founders of the Herald left town and the newspaper was taken over by
11 businessmen. They changed the name to Freeewater Times and sold it
to George Sanderson. The sale included an old Washington hand press for
$125.
1907 • George Sanderson sold the paper to his father, D. C. Sanderson. The
oldest son and another son, Bevitt ran the paper.
1921 • Bevitt died and the paper remained in the family operated by Mr. and Mrs.
R. E. Bean. Mrs. Bean is a daughter of D. C. Sanderson.
1937 • The Freewater Times was sold to a man named McPherson.
? • Carle Webb bought the Freewater Times from McPhersor.
1943 • Dale Amerman bought the Freewater Times from Webb.
1951 • The Milton Eagle and the Freewater Times merged under the ownership
of Herman and Dorothy Judd, and named it the Eagle Times.
1956 • Charles and Dorothy Heard, moved from Joseph Oregon, started the
Valley Herald which was located in a former car showroom, across from
Freewater Elementary School on NW 8th.
? • The Valley Herald was then moved to where the Elks Lodge is now on
North Main.
? • The Heard's purchased the Eagle Times and the Valley Herald became the
only newspaper in the community.
? • Harry and Vilene Ringhand became partners with the Heard's
1962 • The Heard's sold their part of the Valley Herald to Wally and Carolyn
Cowen
1972 • The Ringhands and Cowens sold the newspaper to Dan and Dianne
Zimmerman on December 1st.
1973 • The Zimmerman's moved the Valley Herald to 205 N. Main Street across
from Terry’s OK Tire Store.
1981 • A group of business owners which included Bobby Price, Al Beard, Paul
Seaquist, Dennis Widmer, Walt Powell and Uva Berry started another paper
and called it the Eagle Tribune.
1982 • The Zimmerman's sold the Valley Herald to the Eagle Tribune and the
Group of owners sold to the East Oregonian Publishing Company
which changed the newspaper’s name back to the Valley Herald.
1994 • The East Oregonian put the newspaper up for sale but eventually closed
the doors.
• Terry Hager of Milton-Freewater, with help from local businessmen,
restarted the Valley Herald under the name of the Valley Times because
the East Oregonian wouldn't release the Valley Herald name.
1996 • Melanie Hall started working for the Valley Times in October as an
bookkeeper
1999 • Michael and Tracy Rafter from Boston bought the Valley Times from Terry
Hager in March
• The Rafter's added Walla Walla news and started sending it to all the
Walla Walla and College Place residents for free, but the Milton-Freewater
people still had to pay for their paper.
2002 • The Rafter's went bankrupt in September
• Dennis Widmer restarted the Valley Times and added the original "Valley
Herald" in October. The Valley Times covered Walla Walla and the Valley
Herald covered Milton-Freewater
• The Walla Walla Union Bulletin started the "Blue Mt. Pioneer" in Milton-
Freewater in as well. The two papers battled from day one.
2003 • The Valley Times was longer published in April
• Sharee LaRue-Wright started with the Valley Herald as the Sales Manager
in April
2004 • Melanie Hall and Sharee LaRue-Wright purchased the Valley Herald from
Dennis Widmer in April. It was then located on 112 NE 5th Ave
• The Valley Herald then moved to South Main across from Mac-Hi in June
• The Valley Herald Purchased the Blue Mt. Pioneer from the Walla Walla
Union Bulletin in June
• The Valley Herald then moved to East Broadway at Sam's Corner Market in September2007 • The Valley Herald bought the building at 408 North Main from Jim and
Melva Burns and moved into it's current office, which was the former long
time standing Russ's Barber Shop, in November.
2008 • The Valley Herald bought the Show Off Shoppe in June
• The Valley Herald is still under construction as of today
The Current Office
The current office has been SLOWLY remodeled starting in November of 2007.
• All of the work has been done by the owners, their families and friends
• All of the supplies have been bought at
LOCAL Milton-Freewater businesses listed below.
Kralman's Steel Structures
Siding and trim
Ace Hardware
Paint, supplies, decor, ect
PGG
odds and ends
Cat's meow
decor and construction material
Milton-Freewater Yard Sales
odds and ends,decor & furniture
Blue Mt. Doors and Windows
trim
Carpet Warehouse
flooring
Jon's Garden Center
plants and bedding
Bordertown Feed & Supply
garbage cans
Dollar Store
decor & supplies
A community that supports each other, grows together.
