On Oct. 15, 1937, the first edition ofThe Victor Press was published by John E. Barry and his wife Betsy Barry.[1] Barry went on to write several novels that he sold to publishers in London and taught a journalism class atVictor Valley College.[2] He retired from the business in September 1958 after selling his half-interest to Murray S. Flander.[3]
Two years later, Flander sold his stake in June 1960 to Mrs. Jerene Appleby Harnish, owner ofThe Daily Report and president of the KASK radio station inOntario, California. Frank Barnett, former partner of Flander, sold two-thirds of his 30% stake to Harnish, giving her 70% ownership.[4]
In 1978,Freedom Communications bought theDaily Press,[5] and sold it, along with theDesert Dispatch ofBarstow, for $8 million toNew Media Investment Group in 2014.[6] TheDispatch was absorbed into theDaily Press in 2017.[7] The company transferred ownership toGateHouse Media, which it merged withGannett in 2019.[8] In March 2024, theDaily Press deceased the number of weekly print editions to two and switched from carrier to postal delivery.[9]
