The Daily Alta California facts for kids
| Type | Weekly newspaper until 1849, then daily |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Samuel Brannan until 1849, then Robert B. Semple |
| Founded | January 9, 1847 |
| Ceased publication | June 2, 1891 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
The Alta California or Daily Alta California was a very important newspaper in San Francisco during the 1800s. It helped share news and stories with people living in California as the state grew and changed. This newspaper was one of the first daily papers in the West!
The First Newspaper: California Star
The Daily Alta California actually started from an even older newspaper called the California Star. This first paper began on January 9, 1847. It was created by a man named Samuel Brannan.
Samuel Brannan had experience with newspapers before. He helped publish several papers in New York. When he moved to California in 1846, he brought a small printing press with him. He came with a group of settlers on a ship called The Brooklyn.
For a while, the California Star was the only newspaper in San Francisco. Dr. E. B. Jones was its editor. Another newspaper, The Californian, later moved to San Francisco from Monterey in mid-1847.
San Francisco was about to change a lot because of the California Gold Rush. The California Star was printed once a week. But on June 14, 1848, it had to stop printing. Why? Because everyone who worked there left to search for gold! Its rival newspaper had also stopped for the same reason a few weeks earlier.
New Name, New Start
Later in 1848, Samuel Brannan sold his part of the California Star. Edward Cleveland Kemble bought it. He also bought The Californian. Kemble then combined the two newspapers. He started publishing them again on November 18, 1848, under a new name: Star and Californian.
On December 23, 1848, the California Star and Californian announced its last issue. A new newspaper was planned to take its place. This new paper would be called ALTA CALIFORNIA. Its first issue came out on Thursday, January 4, 1849.
By 1849, Robert B. Semple took control of the paper. He officially changed its name to the Alta California. On January 22, the paper started printing every day. This made it the very first daily newspaper in California!
On July 4, 1849, Robert Semple began using a new steam-powered printing press for the Daily Alta California. This was the first steam press in the western United States. Later, in 1863, Albert S. Evans became the editor and worked there for several years. The newspaper continued to be published until June 2, 1891.
Different Ways to Read the Alta California
The Daily Alta California was also printed in other ways. There was a Weekly Alta California that came out every Saturday. There was also a Steamer Alta California. This special edition was printed when steamships left port, usually on the 1st and 15th of each month. This helped people get news even if they were traveling by sea.
