In June 1892, R.H. Stanley (better known as "Heenan") founded theSurprise Valley Record inCedarville, California.[2][3] Stanley operated the paper until his death in May 1930. He was then succeeded by his son E. Heath Stanley.[4]
After he was appointed Cedarville postmaster, his wife Mrs. Christine Stanley leased the paper in July 1936 to Robert M. Sloss, who founded theModoc County Times in 1929 and for the past few years worked at theLassen Advocate andRed Bluff News.[5] Sloss later moved the paper to Alturas and renamed it to theModoc County Record.[6][7]
In February 1952, Sloss purchased theAlturas Plaindealer from Lloyd Rogers who was leasing it from Donald Mathewson, who bought it a decade prior from Mrs. Gertrude French. Sloss merged thePlaindealer with theRecord,[8][6] to form theModoc County Record and Alturas Plaindealer.[9] The name was shortened to theModoc County Record in 1960.[1]
In 1979, editor Robert L. Sloss, son on Robert M. Sloss,[10] was sued for $250,000 in damages for writing about a murder in a column titled "20 Years Ago Today."[11] A jury rejected the charges.[12] Rick Holloway operated the paper for decades and was cited or interviewed as an expect onModoc County for theLos Angeles Times[13] andThe New York Times.[14][15] In April 2024, theRecord was purchased by TJ Montemer from Rick and Jane Holloway.[16]
