Oakland Tribune facts for kids
The July 27, 2005 front page
of The Oakland Tribune |
|
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Digital First Media |
| Founder(s) | George Staniford and Benet A. Dewes |
| Publisher | Sharon Ryan |
| Founded | February 21, 1874 |
| Language | English |
| Ceased publication | 2016 |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Sister newspapers | The Mercury News, East Bay Times |
| ISSN | 1068-5936 |
| OCLC number | 760300116 |
The Oakland Tribune was a well-known newspaper that was printed every day in Oakland, California. It started way back in 1874 and became a very important newspaper in the area. For many years, it was a main source of news for people living in the East Bay part of California. As fewer people started reading print newspapers, the Tribune eventually joined with other local papers in 2016. It became part of a new newspaper called the East Bay Times. Even though the daily paper stopped, its name still appears in weekly community sections.
Contents
How the Oakland Tribune Started
The Tribune began on February 21, 1874. It was started by two people, George Staniford and Benet A. Dewes. The first paper was called the Oakland Daily Tribune. It was a small paper, only four pages long, and was given out for free. It had news stories and many advertisements.
George Staniford was the editor, and Benet A. Dewes was the printer. They were known for making a newspaper that looked good and had interesting articles. At the time, other newspapers in Oakland included the Oakland News and Oakland Transcript. The first editorial in the Tribune said they believed there was a need for a paper like theirs in Oakland. They planned for it to be a daily paper, supported by ads.
Later that same year, Staniford sold his share to Dewes. Then, Dewes sold half of his share to A.B. Gibson. The Tribune moved to a new location in January 1875. Gibson then sold his share to A. E. Nightingill. By 1876, Dewes and Nightingill found someone new to buy the Tribune.
The William Dargie Years: Growing the Newspaper
The Tribune became a much bigger and more important newspaper under William E. Dargie. He bought the paper on July 24, 1876. A company called The Tribune Publishing Company was created, with William Edward Dargie as the manager.
Under Dargie, the Tribune was a strong supporter of the Republican Party. Dargie brought many new ideas to the newspaper.
- In 1876, it started using news from wire services, which sent news quickly across the country.
- In 1877, a department for printing books and other jobs was added.
- In 1878, when telephones first came to Oakland, the Tribune was one of the first places to get one.
- In 1883, a Saturday edition was introduced.
- In 1887, special editions were printed for big events.
- In 1888, an extra edition was printed for the presidential election.
On August 28, 1891, the newspaper officially became known as the Oakland Tribune. Before that, it had names like Oakland Daily Tribune. Dargie even had news offices in big cities like New York and Chicago. He also bought a special printing press to make the paper better.
The Tribune was one of the first members of the Associated Press when it started in 1900. This meant they got news from all over the world. One of Dargie's important hires was Jack Gunin, who became the first full-time photojournalist (someone who takes pictures for news) in the Western United States. In 1906, the Tribune also added a Sunday edition.
The Big Earthquake of 1906
When a huge earthquake and fire hit San Francisco on April 18, 1906, many newspapers there were destroyed. The Tribune in Oakland printed many "extras" (special editions) to share the news. William Dargie even let other San Francisco newspapers use the Tribune's presses to print a combined edition. After the disaster, the mayor of San Francisco, Eugene E. Schmitz, said the Oakland Tribune was the official San Francisco newspaper.
More people started reading the Tribune as many San Franciscans moved to Oakland and Alameda County after the earthquake. William E. Dargie, who had been the publisher for 35 years, passed away on February 10, 1911.
The Knowland Family Takes Over
After serving in the United States House of Representatives, Joseph R. Knowland bought the Oakland Tribune in 1915. He bought it from Dargie's widow, Hermina Peralta Dargie. In his first edition as publisher on November 14, 1915, he wrote that the paper's actions would show its true value.
Knowland moved the Tribune to a new building in 1918. Under his leadership, the Tribune became one of three major Republican newspapers in California. The Tribune supported Republican candidates, and Joseph Knowland often influenced who was elected. He helped many politicians, including his own son, William F. Knowland, and Earl Warren.
In 1921, Knowland started a radio station called KLX and also created the newspaper's own library. The famous Tribune Tower, a landmark in Oakland, was finished in 1923. The Tribune moved its main offices into the tower in 1924.
The newspaper's logo changed over time to show Oakland's connection to the world. It featured the Tower, ships, trains, and later, airplanes. On September 1, 1950, the Tribune became the only daily newspaper in Oakland after its competitor, the Oakland Post Enquirer, stopped publishing.
In 1960, Joseph R. Knowland's son, William F. Knowland, became the editor. He later became president and publisher after his father passed away in 1966. William Knowland added the phrase "A Responsible Metropolitan Newspaper" to the paper's logo.
Under William Knowland, the Tribune had a conservative viewpoint and was known for supporting businesses. However, as Oakland became more diverse in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tribune struggled to connect with the changing community. Its readership also declined as many subscribers moved to new suburbs.
William F. Knowland passed away in 1974, just two days after the Tribune celebrated its 100th anniversary. His son, Joseph William Knowland, then became the editor and publisher.
New Owners: CCC and Gannett
In 1977, the Knowland Family sold the Oakland Tribune to Combined Communications Corporation (CCC). In 1979, CCC joined with a larger media company called Gannett Company. This meant the Tribune was now owned by Gannett. That same year, Gannett used the Tribune to try out a new morning paper called East Bay Today. This was an early version of what would later become Gannett's national newspaper, USA Today.
In 1979, Robert C. Maynard became the editor of the Tribune. He was the first African-American editor in the paper's history. In 1983, Maynard, who was now also the publisher, combined the Tribune and East Bay Today into one morning newspaper under the Tribune name.
The Maynard Era: A New Chapter
In 1983, Robert Maynard and his wife, Nancy Hicks Maynard, bought the Tribune from Gannett. This was a very important moment because it was the first time a major daily newspaper was owned by an African-American. This was especially meaningful because Oakland had a growing African-American community. Maynard helped improve the paper's reputation, and it even won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for its excellent journalism.
However, the Tribune still faced money problems. In 1991, it was in danger of closing. A group called the Freedom Forum helped save it by paying off its debts and giving Maynard money to keep it running. But the financial difficulties continued, and Robert Maynard was diagnosed with serious cancer. This led the Maynards to decide to sell the Tribune.
The Tribune Tower was badly damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. The newspaper moved out of the Tower and into a new building. The Tower was empty for a while but was later bought and fixed up. The Tribune moved back into the Tower in 1999.
ANG and the Final Years
On October 15, 1992, the Alameda Newspaper Group (now called the Bay Area News Group) bought the Tribune from the Maynards. This group already published several other newspapers in the area. The last issue of the Tribune under the Maynards was printed on November 30, 1992. The next day, the first issue under the new owners was printed at a different location. This meant the Tribune was no longer seen as the main newspaper in the East Bay.
The newspaper group also started using the internet. Their official website was InsideBayArea.com, which shared content from the Oakland Tribune and other newspapers.
In 2007, the Tribune moved permanently from the historic Tribune Tower to new offices. The Tribune Tower remains a local landmark and now holds other businesses.
In 2011, the Bay Area News Group planned to combine the Tribune with other East Bay newspapers. However, they decided to keep The Oakland Tribune name for a while longer.
The very last daily edition of the Tribune was published on April 4, 2016. It was then combined with other newspapers like the Contra Costa Times and Hayward Daily Review under the new East Bay Times name.
Pulitzer Prizes for the Oakland Tribune
The Oakland Tribune won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize two times.
- In 1950, it won for a photograph that showed a small private plane almost hitting a large B-29 Superfortress airplane.
- It won again for photographs taken after the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989.
Images for kids
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"Near Collision at Air Show", the Pulitzer Prize-winning work by Tribune photographer Bill Crouch
