The following publications regularly carried information on Los Alamitos. I have information on about half of them and will start filling in as time allows.
EARLY DAYS (PRE 1915)
Los Alamitos Bee — published some issues in 1896 and 1897. It is mentioned by both the Los Angeles Times and the Santa Ana Standard as the first newspaper in the new community. On June 26, 1897 the latter said, “The Los Alamitos Bee, A neat little paper just born, has reached our table. It is run by G. Glenn Shaw, fomerly of our city.” The drought of 1898 and 1899 which almost killed the city probably didn’t help Shaw’s enterprise, for in 1902 he is back in Santa Ana Shaw as the city’s postmaster. But Bee articles were quoted and sometimes run verbatim in the sugar trade publications of the time. [ref] Standard, June 26, 1897, cited in Sleeper, James Throw the Rascals Out, notes “Newspapers and neckties,” p. 193-196, n 372.[/ref]
Los Alamitos Press – Begun as a weekly around early 1927 by Frank Jones. By mid-August, the Press had merged with the Buena Park News, Cypress Enterprise, Stanton Progress, and Westminster News to form the West Orange County Publishing Company. The Buena Park News Henry Schmiz was manager of the overall operation. The Enterprise’s Worth Cuthbert Miller handled the editorial and Jones took over as advertising manager. [ref]Los Angeles Times, August 6, 1927, p6: “Five Weeklies Consolidate in Orange County.”[/ref]
Anaheim Gazette – Although focused on Anaheim and central Orange County, this weekly paper frequently covered issues pertaining to Los Alamitos. The paper began publication in 1871 as the Southern Californian. (Anaheim, Calif.) 1871-1874. It changed its name to the Gazette in 1874 and kept that title until 1893 when it became the Anaheim Weekly Gazette, which name it kept for 12 years. Microfilm copies of the paper are kept at the Anaheim Library’s Historical Room site, kept at the Muzeo in oldtown Anaheim.
Anaheim Herald
Chino Champion – Chino was the site of the first sugar beet factory in Southern California, built in 1891. The Champion would carry articles about Los Alamitos area that were sugar-related. As early as 1892-3.
Fullerton Journal — The Fullereton Jourtnal like most country weeklies
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Herald
Orange County Plain Dealer
Santa Ana Blade
Santa Ana Standard – The Herald was established by Napoleon “Nap” Donovan as The Santa Ana Herald in April 1878. Donovan soon turned it over to James Layman, beginning a long history of ever-changing managment and ownership. In 1880 the Herald was purchased by Santa Ana pioneer Jacob Ross. Then, in Nov. 1881, James Alonzo Waite became publisher. After his death in the late 1880s, he was succeeded by his son, Ed. The paper was sold to Rev. A.T. McDill in July 1890 and switched to a Republican bent just in time for the elections. In addition to its politics, the paper also changed its name to The Orange County Herald. In 1892, McDill sold the Herald to H.W. Bessac of Los Angeles and the curiously named Ransom Q. Wickham of Santa Ana. One year later, it sold yet again, to Linn Shaw and E. S. Wallace. It appears the paper went defunct under their watch in 1903. [cited in OC Historical blogspot, who in turns says “Most of this information came from Jim Sleeper‘s invaluable, Turn The Rascals Out!, and from J.M. Guinn‘s Historical and Biographical Record of Southern California.]
Santa Ana Register – Founded in 1889. This would eventually become the Orange County register. It is somewhat surprising to see how little the register covered events in west Orange County — especially Seal Beach. OC Histoprian Phil Brigandi thinks this may have something to do with the political rivalry between Seal Beach founder Philip A. Stanton, an old school Republican with strong ties to the Southern Pacdific political machie, and the Register’s publisher-editor (after 1906) J.P. Baumgartner, a Progressive who loathed the old-guard Republicans.
Trade Publications
The Louisiana Sugar Planter – sugar industry trade publication which regularly re-ran articles regarding SoCal sugar operations (including articles about Los Alamitos and the surrounding fields)
Sugar Weekly
1915 – 1955
Buena Park News – the parent newspaper of the current News-Enterprise, the BP News was founded in 1923. Henry Schmitz purchased the paper in 1925 [ref]LA Times, Nov. 18, 1933, pA6. “Body of Schmitz Will Be Taken to Omaha.” BUENA PARK, Nov. 17—Preparations are underway here today to send the body of Henry Schmitz, former editor of the Buena Park news, to Omaha, for burial. Death occured yesterday.
Schmitz purchased the News in 1925 and two years later organized the West Orange County Publishing Company which published papers for seven communities of the district. Two years ago he disposed of his interest, taking the Stanton Progress and the Westminster Gazette to Westminster, where he had operated a publishing business. He had been seriously ill for three months,.[/ref] and in 1927 he began an aggressive campaign of expansion. In June 1927 he started some satellite publications, including the Cypress Enterprise (with W. C. Miller as publisher). [ref] LA Times, June 30, 1927, p.A10. New Newspaper. Cypress, June 29—The Cypress Enterprise, Orange County’s latest arrival in the weekly newspaper field, has made its formal bow. W.C. Miller, formerly associated in a Cypress feed company, is the editor of the infant paper. The new paper is being printed in the plant of the Buena Park News.[/ref] Five weeks later, the BP News, Cypress Enterprise, Los Alamitos Press, Stanton Progress and Westnminster News were all consolidated. Schmitz oversaw all five papers, driving from one location to the next. By 1931, Miller seemed to be the primary figure, holding board postions with the State newspaper associations, and by October 1931, Schmitz turned over his duties to Miller as well. [ref] LA Times, October 25, 1931.pc14. Publisher Leaves Buena Park “News. ” Henry Schmitz, for six years publisher of the Buena Park News and other papers, has announced his retirement from the publishing business here and and will establish a newspaper and printing plant at Los Alamitos. The Buena Park paper will be published by W.C. Miller, a partner of Schmitz of several years. [/ref]
Some
time just prior to World War II or during it, Miller suspended publication of the Enterprise and focused his efforts on the Buena Park News. In 1946 Paul Kroesen, a World War II pilot whose father had ran a newspaper in Iowa, bought the company and he apparently focused his attentions on the Buena Park community as well — also serving as the President of its Chamber of Commerce. But in April 1948, Krosen began publisahing a new version of the Enterprise — Cypress’s first newspaper — which was edited at first by his younger sister, Beth, and then by 1950 by another sibling, Dale Kroesen, fresh out of the air force as well. Dale focused on editing the Enterprise, with both Los Alamitos and Cypress listed on the paper’s flag. Soon their sister, Beth Kroesen, would be working on both papers as well. Paul Kroesen served on the Buena Park Chamber of Commerce and was actively involved in Buena Park’s official incorporation in the early 1950s. His political activity and connections led to work as a public relations firm, often contracting with the county to increase awareness of county services. When Dale became actively involved in the incorporation of the Los Alamitos area, Paul served as a resource and spoke to the community in events sponsored by the Los Alamitos Chamber. In November 1955, Paul sold the Buena Park News part of the operation to Richard W. Nowels of Mountain View. The official date of transfer was November 1, 1955 but Nowels did not arrive in the area for another month. The Kroesens kept the Enterprise operation which Dale and Beth continued to edit and publish, and after a few years Dale purchased the Enterprise, moving its office to Los Alamitos. Paul Kroesen later would work for Powell & Powell Investment Securities, a firm out of Pasadena, but with an Orange County presence.
Long Beach Independent
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Los Angeles Herald Examiner
Los Angeles Mirror
Los Angeles Times
Santa Ana Register – became the Orange County Register in _____.
The Enterprise – [Much of its history is entertwined with its parent publication, the Buena Park News]. The Enterprise originally began publishing on June 29, 1927 as the Cypress Enterprise, and was published by W.C. Miller, “formerly associated with a Cypress feed company.”[ref] LA Times, June 30, 1927, p.A10[/ref]. Five weeks later, the Enterprise, the News and three other papers — Los Alamitos Press, Stanton Progress, and Westminster News — consolidated operations under the name of the West Orange County Publishing Company. The combined papers would have a circulation of 2,800.
Under the terms of the consolidation, Buena Park News publisher Henry Schmitz would be manager of the new operation and W.C. Miller would supervise the editorial and news side. Frank Jones, editor of the Los Alamitos Press, was in charge of advertising, A.J. Nelson of the Westminster News oversaw mechanical, and C.B. Davis, editor of the Stanton Progress would assist with the mechanical and pressroom. [ref] LA Times, August 6, 1927. p.6. Five Weeklies Consolidate in Orange County[/ref] Miller would soon became the
In May 1946 Paul Kroesen purchased the paper as an investment and his brother Dale Kroesen edited the Cypress-Los Alamitos edition out of the Buena Park office for a number of years. Paul Kroesen also worked for Powell & Powell Investment Securities, a firm out of Pasadena, but with an Orange County presence. Dale Kroesen was a graduate of Iowa State and started publishing the papers which had been started by his brother. In December 1955, Paul Kroesen announced he had sold the Buena Park operation to Richard W. Nowels of Mountain View. The official date of transfer was November 1, 1955 but Nowels did not arrive nin the area for another month. purchase In Feb. 1956, Kroesen announced he had purchased a printing press from the defunct Orange County Sun, and moved his operations to much larger space at 10771 Los Alamitos Boulevard. Five weeks later, in the April 12, 1956 issue, he announced that the paper would publish one day earlier each week. The date change would “facilitate better announcements of weekend events” and allow “local groceries to advertise their weekend bargains.” In 1961, Kroesen sold the paper to Paul and Gerri Erskine, who had already purchased the Rossmoor News from Ross Cortese. The Erskine’s combined the papers into the News Enterprise, and set up shop in the old Michael Reagan house at the corner of Pine and Florista. It is now the main shop for Precious Life Charity.
Seal Beach Post and Wave — “Founded in 1915 as the Seal Beach Post, this weekly, which originally seemed like the company paper for the Bayside Land Company, was published for many years by Vernon Armstrong. “[ref] Talbert, Orange County Historical Volume II, p.__ [/ref] who previously had ties to papers in the Pasadena area.
Oct 6, 1932-E.B. Dupree, former publisher of the Coastline Dispatch in San Juan Capistrano, purchases half-interest in the SB Post and Wave. Vernon Armstrong is editor of the paper. DuPree moves operations to a location on Main Street and bring over a linotype machine and other equipment from his former paper. By the late 1940s W.H. Robertson, a former Los Angeles detective who was forced to resign after being unable to explain the presence of $197,000 in his account, owns the Post and Wave. Robertson had many deep connections with Seal Beach gamblers and, with Jimmy Arnerich,. would become part-owner of the Airport Club. In Nov. 1954, Robertson’s anti-gambling opponents started an anti-gambling papers called the Coast Pilot. The first 4-page issue appeared in mid-November without advertising.
Seal Beach Journal — In 1930 publisher __ Butlestone, publisher of the Seal Beach Journal, addressed the Seal Beach City Council and asked for a fair share of the city’s publishing business. (SB Council Minutes, Book 2). This Journal probably had no connection with the later Seal Beach Journal.
1955 – PRESENT –THE MODERN ERA
Rossmoor Homeowner News — (1958-63) begun as the Rossmoor Homeowner News by Ross Cortese’s Company. First issue was in 1956 and was handed to potential buyers.
The News-Enterprise – (1958-63) begun as the Rossmoor Homeowner News by Ross Cortese’s Company. First issue was in 1956 and was handed to potential buyers. Was later purchased by Paul and Gerri Erskine, who then later purchased the Enterprise and merged them to form the News-Enterprise in 1963.
Community Advocate – this was a chain of 17 newspapers, most of them weekly, which covered local communities in southeast Los Angeles County. Hawaiian Gardens and Los Alamitos were covered by a single edition, as was Artesia-Cerritos and La Palma-Cypress. The papers were published by the W.J. McGiffin Newspaper Company. The chain was purchased in 1981 by the Hearst Corporation to give them better coverage in the area, and hopefully to let them compete for advertisinf dollars with the LA Times. The strategy didn’t work. Other local papers in this chain were the Downey
Seal Beach Wave – Begun in 1915, it was also referenced as early as 1919 by Anaheim Gazette.
The Seal Beach Journal – Per their website (www.sunnews.org) —
The Seal Beach Sun (formally known as the Journal) has been The Local Paper since April 1967. That was when Grace Campbell, along with her partner Jules Schwartz, launches vol. 1 no. 1 of The Journal.
It was actually revived from an earlier version, which Campbell and Schwartz’s company, C&S Enterprises, discontinues in 1963 after a short life. The Journal grew out of Campbell and Schwartz’s publication, The Shopper, which Schwartz described as a penny-saver type of advertising supplement. Campbell got the idea after her neighbors there warmly received her newsletter, The Rossmoor News, published in 1959. The Journal’s goal was to be “an intimate and personal record of your days and achievements,” it’s first editorial read in 1968. The monthly periodical soon grew into a weekly as local residents who felt they were being overlooked by the larger daily newspapers in the area appreciated it.
The Journal covered the areas of Seal Beach, Huntington Harbour, Sunset Beach, Surfside and College Park East. One of the lead stories in the first issue of The Journal was about plans for a new Sunset Beach Aquatic Park-a debate that still continues off and on these days.
Before the Journal, Seal Beach’s first newspaper was called the Seal Beach Post. Then there was the Seal Beach Wave. These papers were both bought out and merged to the Seal Beach Post and Wave.
The Post and Wave became defunct sometime before The Journal began publishing, during the downfall of its owner, Bill Robertson, owner of the controversial Airport Club gambling casino.
Grace Campbell bought out Jules Schwartz for the rights to the Journal in 1974. In 1975, Campbell sold The Journal to six energetic young people who were eager to give the paper a different focus. The new owners and Editor’s of The Journal were Lou and Barbara Fryer and Dean and Carolyn Wylie, and Ben and Cathie Bradlee.
Ben Bradlee is the son of Ben Bradlee who made his name with the Washington Post. He was the Editor who gave the break to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to pursue the Watergate Burglary. It was that event which shadowed the demise of Richard Nixon’s political career in the 1970’s. Barbara Fryer eventually became a teacher in the Journalism Department at CSULB. Two former Journal Editors, the Author of this article, Dennis Kaiser, current Sun editor, and Tom Graves were students of Fryer. The review of Southern California Journalism, a newsletter published from CSULB, mentioned Fryer’s and her partner’s take over of The Journal.
“While trying to overcome this neglect by the ‘Big’ newspaper from Long Beach, the citizens didn’t do any better with the ‘Little’ newspaper in Seal Beach,” the article said. “Little more than a propaganda sheet for the local Republican party, the Seal Beach Journal until recently was owned and edited by a local woman who had no understanding of journalism and little regard for fairness in reporting community events, issues, and politics. It was disparagingly called ‘The Urinal.’”
Fryer reflected on her time at The Journal in a phone interview this week. “When I didn’t hate it I loved it,” she said. “I remember doing everything. We delivered 22,000 papers after we published and that took another day and a half.” Fryer said the job was tough, but there were a few accomplishments. “We probably saved a few palm trees,” she said. “And we took a lot of stands that cost us some major advertisers.” Today Fryer is an Editor at The Tustin Weekly.
Fryer and company sold The Journal in 1977 to Jim and Sylvia Schaeffer, who carried on the spirit of professionalism that began at The Journal. During the Schaeffer’s tenure with the paper a seasoned reporter named Bill Quinn joined with them and spearheaded the publishing of the Harbour Sun. Quinn eventually edited various editions of The Seal Beach Journal, wrote numerous news and feature articles and editorials. He was best known for his humor column, “Life Spins.” Quinn stayed on with The Journal after the Schaeffer’s sold the paper to Hollywood Publisher Chuck Riley, on Aug. 15, 1980. Bill Quinn died in 1987. He had been publishing the Long Beach News at the time, according to Mike Rocci, a former production manager at the Journal. Many residents of Seal Beach remember Quinn fondly. His Wife, Adele Faulkner-Quinn, an internationally known interior designer, donated her talents to the interior design of Interval House.
Riley and his wife Bunny sold the publication, which had then grown to include the Rossmoor- Los Alamitos Journal, to Vance Caesar, former general manager of the Long Beach Press- Telegram. One of the first things Caesar did was return The Journal to its original tabloid format. Under Caesar, The Journal had grown to 30,000 distributions and an average of 40 pages per week. The Journal is now called The Sun and is distributed to the areas of Seal Beach, including Surfside and Leisure World, in addition to parts of Belmont Shore in long Beach; Rossmoor and Los Alamitos, including El Dorado Park Estates in Long Beach, Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach.
Seal Beach Post and Wave — “Founded in 1915, this weekly was published for many years by Vernon Armstrong. “[ref] Talbert, Orange County Historical Volume II, p.__ [/ref] Oct 6, 1932-E.B. Dupree, former publisher of the Coastline Dispatch in San Juan Capistrano, purchases half-interest in the SB Post and Wave. Vernon Armstrong is editor of the paper. DuPree moves operations to a location on Main Street and bring over a linotype machine and other equipment from his former paper. By 1950 W.H. Robertson owns the Post and Wave. Robertson, a former LA Police detective lieutenant, also is part-owner of the Airport Club. In Nov. 1954, Robertson’s anti-gambling opponents started an anti-gambling papers called the Coast Pilot. The first 4-page issue appeared in mid-November without advertising.
Seal Beach Sun
Local Sports —
Patch.Com – Patch was part of the AOL Corporation’s effort to rebrand itself as a content provider with a network of independent yet affiliated hyperlocal news sites around the nation. The local version was started in 2010 with former register writer Paige Austin as the local editor.
Dairy
Seal Beach
Seal Beach Post – W.H. Robertson owned the paper as of 1946 when he was welcomed as a new publisher (since the war) by the Orange County Publishers Association. [ref] LA Times, August 9, 1946. pA2. New Publishers to be Greeted.[/ref/
Seal Beach Journal
Seal Beach Sun
Just a correction to your information regarding the Anaheim Gazette. The microfilm for the Gazette is part of the holdings of the Anaheim Public Library [NOT the Anaheim Historical Society] and is housed in the Anaheim Heritage Center, which is located within the MUZEO complex. The Gazette started publication in October 1870 and continued through November 1964; it was published as the Southern Californian from Dec. 1871-Oct. 1874. The frequency of publication varied from daily, to semi-weekly to weekly.