The San Diego Door facts for kids
The San Diego Door was a special kind of newspaper. It was called an underground newspaper. This paper was published in San Diego and San Diego County, Southern California. It ran from January 1968 to August 1974.
It had a few different names before. These included Good Morning Teaspoon, Teaspoon Door, Door to Liberation, and Free Door.
The San Diego Door was one of the main underground papers in the area. Others were the San Diego Street Journal and the OB Rag. These papers talked about important issues. They often wrote about the anti-war movement. They also discussed business interests in San Diego during the 1960s. These newspapers covered topics important to the New Left movement. They also supported the start of the Chicano Movement and the women's movement in San Diego.
Contents
History of The San Diego Door
How the Newspaper Started
The San Diego Door was started by Dale Herschler. He was the publisher. The first issue came out in January 1968. It was published every two weeks. The newspaper was first based in La Mesa. It had loose connections to student groups at nearby San Diego State University.
Early Names and Mergers
A local underground paper called Good Morning, Teaspoon started earlier. It first came out in October 1966. Don Monkerud, Jim Willems, and Jon Gulledge edited it. In February 1968, Jim Milligan became the new editor. He published a paper for the whole city. In the summer of 1968, Good Morning Teaspoon joined with The Door. For a few issues, it was called Teaspoon and Door or Teaspoon Door. After that, it went back to being called The San Diego Door.
Changes in Distribution
In 1969, the paper changed its name again. It became Door to Liberation. Later, it started giving out copies for free. These copies were placed in local drop boxes. About 10,000 copies were printed for each run. Because it was free, it was then called the Free Door to Liberation.
New Direction in 1970
In May 1970, after 53 issues, The Door changed. Dale Herschler, the founder, left the paper. The remaining staff decided to make the paper look and feel different. It became more relaxed and had a hippie-like style. A few months later, the San Diego Free Press was launched. Students at the University of California, San Diego started it. This new paper was more focused on politics and the New Left movement.
Other Local Underground Newspapers
Newspapers Covering Important Issues
San Diego had other underground newspapers. They also wrote about similar topics. Here are some examples:
- OB People's Rag: This paper focused on food cooperatives and housing issues.
- State College Railroad: It discussed academic freedom and the anti-war movement.
- Carpetbagger Express: This paper was about the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami.
- San Diego Wildcat: It covered topics related to workers' rights and labor issues.
- Inside the Beast: This paper had articles about third-world countries.
- Sunrise and Goodbye to All That: This newspaper focused on feminist issues.
Where to Find Old Newspapers
The San Diego Door and other similar newspapers are saved. They are part of a collection at the San Diego Historical Society’s Archives. These archives have many "underground press" newspapers. They are from the late 1960s and early 1970s. You can also find almost all issues of The Door online at revealdigital.org.
