Vashon Island Newspapers

By Bruce HaulmanVashon has a rich history of newspapers beginning with Oliver Van Olinda’s first monthly newspaper Island Home in 1892.  The first weekly newspaper, The Vashon Island Press was published from June 4, 1895 until May 1897 when the owner-editor Oliver Van Olinda moved to Stanwood and then later to Coupeville taking the paper with him.Between 1897 and 1907 the record of newspapers on the islands is unclear, but we do have copies of the Vashon Island News, which began in May 1907 published by John and Phillip Harmeling and edited by S.J. Harmeling.  Thomas and A. J. Reed were editors in 1908, and John H. Reid was editor in 1910. The News continued publishing at Vashon until 1914 when Ira Case, owner of the Marjesira Inn at Magnolia, purchased it because he felt the south-end of the island was not receiving the coverage it deserved, and moved the publication to the Hatch Building in Burton where this photo of printing presses was probably taken.Vashon Island News Plant, Burton @ 1915 – Vashon-Maury island Heritage AssociationWith the loss of the News to Burton, Robert M. Jones began publishing the Vashon Island Record at Vashon in 1916. In December 1919 Jones purchased the News from Case and combined the two papers into the Vashon Island News-Record with P. Monroe Smock as editor. P. Monroe, his wife Agnes, purchased the News-Record in May, 1920, and he edited the newspapers until intermittently for the next eight years, brining in a series of editors including Lou, Wenham, Herbert and Winifred Baker, until P. Monroe left his wife, children, and the island, and Agnes Smock took over as sole owner in 1928. Agnes hired Phillip Garber for the first five months, and then took over as owner/editor and published the Vashon Island News-Record for the next fourteen years.P.Monroe and Agnes Smock – courtesy Mike SudduthIn June 1942, Agnes leased the News-Record to Phillip and Florence Garber, the same Phillip Garber who she had hired to edit the paper in 1928, and the Garbers edited the paper for the next ten years. They purchased the paper in 1945 and sold it in 1953 when Phillip became ill.During 1953-54 there were three editors, Don Carlock, Graham Shrader, and Jack Songrefrei. A rival newspaper The Vashon Islander began publishing in 1949 and continued until W.H. “Hap” Salyer combined the two newspapers into the Islander News-Record in 1954, and continued as editor until 1958.The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Banner – Designed by Jac TaborOn March 7, 1957, two young budding newsmen, Carl Nelson and John VanDevanter, founded a new newspaper, the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber.  The Beachcomber and the News-Record competed for a year until Nelson and VanDeventer purchased the News-Record, which published its last issue on May 28, 1958 ending nearly 40 years of publication.Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Office, 2010 – Terry DonnellyThe Beachcomber has been the primary newspaper on the islands since 1958.  Editors have included Nelson Phillips, Jay Becker, Allison Arthur, Leslie Brown, Natalie Martin, and the current editor Annali Fogt. A second newspaper, The Clam Cove Report began publishing in 1994. Then, from 2002 to 2005, The Ticket began publishing with Hamish Tood as editor. The Ticket transformed into The Loop in 2004 with Hamish Todd, Mary Litchfield Tuel, Ed Swan, Marie Browne, and Steve Allen serving as editors.The newspaper business has changed dramatically over the nearly 120 years since the first newspaper started on Vashon-Maury Islands.  The changes are well represented by the two photographs that begin and end this article.  The photograph of the Vashon Island News, taken in about 1915, shows the printers surrounded by their presses in the Hatch Building at Burton.  The current photograph shows the editorial staff of the Beachcomber in 2010 surrounded by their computers.