The Salinas Californian, sometimes referred to asThe Californian, is a digital and print newspaper published inSalinas, California, covering mainly the Salinas Valley. Founded in 1871 asThe Salinas City Index, it went through several name changes and assumed its current name during World War II.[1] The paper is part of theUSA Today Network, owned byGannett, which acquired its parent companySpeidel Newspapers Inc., in 1977.[2]
In 1869, J. Selwyn Brittain founded theSalinas Valley Standard, the first paper in Salinas and first inMonterey County outside the city ofMonterey. It was quickly sold to prominent druggist E.M. Reading, followed in 1871 by Harry V. Morehouse, who was a teacher inBlanco. Around that time Melville Byerly moved his plant to town and started a successor to theStandard called theSalinas City Weekly Index.[3][4] He died in 1876,[5] and the paper was then passed on to his brother-in-law, county school superintendent Samuel M. Shearer.[3][4]
In October 1876,William J. Hill relaunched the paper as theSalinas Daily Index.[6] Hill published it for 33 years. In 1909, a company formed called The Salinas Index Publishing Company, headed by former mayor D.A. Madeira, and acquired theIndex from Hill.[7][8][3] In 1919, Madeira sold theIndex to Fred Weybret.[9] In 1928, Weybret purchased theSalinas Morning Journal from Paul P. Parker and merged it with theIndex to form theSalinas Index-Journal.[10]
In 1932, Weybret sold the paper to E.L. Sherman, ofModesto.[11] In 1936, Merritt C. Speidel and Graham M. Dean bought theSalinas Index-Journal from E.L. Sherman and theSalinas Daily Post from Frank Cornell.[12] In 1942, the two papers were merged to formThe Salinas Californian due to the economic conditions amidWorld War II.[13] In 1977,Speidel Newspapers was sold and merged intoGannett.[2]
In 2015, theCalifornian decreased it's print schedule to three days a week: Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.[14] At that time the paper had a circulation around 7,000.[15]
As of December 2022, the newspaper had no reporters on staff, with all remaining content sourced from other Gannett newspapers, notably theRecord Searchlight inRedding, 300 miles north.El Sol de Salinas was also shut down due to a lack of content.[16] One reporter was hired on staff in August 2024.[17]
^ab"Speidel, Gannett Merger OK".The Fresno Bee. Associated Press. May 11, 1977. p. 19.
^abc"Salinas Journalism".Oakland Tribune. July 19, 1942. p. 17.
^ab"Salinas Californian Goes Back 75 Years to Founding Of The Salinas City Index by Melville Byerly in 1871".The Californian. Salinas, California. November 28, 1946. p. 16.
^"Pacific Slope News".The Solano-Napa News Chronicle. Vallejo, California. February 3, 1876. p. 1.
^"Salinas City Daily Index".Merced Sun-Star. October 28, 1876. p. 4.
^"Salinas Index Changes Hands".Gonzales Tribune. June 12, 1909. p. 3.
^"More Newspaper Changes In Salinas".The Pajaronian. Watsonville, California. June 17, 1909. p. 6.
^"Salinas Index Changes Hands".Hollister Advance. August 23, 1919. p. 4.
^"Salinas Journal Changes Hands".Petaluma Daily Morning Courier. United Press. June 30, 1928. p. 4.
^"Salinas Index-Journal sold to E.L. Sherman, Former Publisher of Modesto Paper".Pacific Grove Tribune. July 1, 1932. p. 1.
^"Salinas Papers Are Bought And Consolidated".Porterville Recorder. United Press. March 20, 1936. p. 5.
^"Papers Combine".Santa Maria Times. United Press. June 30, 1942. p. 4.
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