Misplaced Pages

#758241

108-630: The News-Miner was founded as the Weekly Fairbanks News in 1903 by George M. Hill and assumed the News-Miner name in 1909, under editor William Fentress Thompson, when Zachary Hickman sold his newspaper, The Miner News , to the Fairbanks News . Thompson guided the paper through tough economic times as the gold near Fairbanks was mined out. During this period, the News-Miner absorbed Fairbanks' other newspapers and became

216-630: A subarctic climate ( Köppen Dwc ) with long, severely cold, dry winters occasionally moderated by chinook winds , and short, warm summers. In the absence of chinook moderation, winter temperatures can be dangerously cold: in the notoriously cold month of December 1917, the temperature did not rise above −25 °F (−31.7 °C) and it averaged −46 °F (−43.3 °C). When chinooks occur, winter temperatures can get above 32 °F (0.0 °C), doing so on an average of five days per winter. For thousands of years prior to Europeans arriving in Alaska,

324-551: A Delegate, and from 1959 until his death in 1968 as a U.S. senator. He was opposed to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, along with his fellow Senator Ernest Gruening , and also worked to warn people about the dangers of radiation. Many acts bear his name, including a major law known as the Bartlett Act, mandating handicap access in all federally-funded buildings. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him Secretary of

432-403: A decision that upset Gruening, who challenged this; it led to a coinflip. Bartlett won the coinflip, which ended the dispute. A rivalry with Gruening made Bartlett nickname his colleague 'Junior' for the rest of his life. A member of Bartlett's staff, David Price , later became a U.S. Representative from North Carolina. In the 1968 Senate race , Bartlett's long-time colleague Ernest Gruening

540-463: A disagreement between Settlemier, one of his reporters, and the editor of the Alaska Miner resulted in several changes to the News-Miner . Settlemier was replaced as editor by the reporter, David B. Tewkesbury, and the Alaska Miner was discontinued. Its editor, E.F. Jessen, created Jessen's Weekly , a separate newspaper, to compete with the News-Miner . The Weekly lasted until 1968, when it

648-427: A full-time job following graduation. For four years, Bartlett was the only reporter (other than the editor) who regularly wrote local stories. In late 1930, Bartlett was made the paper's assistant editor in lieu of a raise that the paper couldn't afford to pay. Bartlett remained the paper's assistant editor until 1933, when he became the secretary to Anthony Dimond , Alaska's delegate to the U.S. Congress. Bartlett became

756-426: A household in the city was $ 36,042, and the median income for a family was $ 44,375. Males had a median income of $ 30,000 versus $ 20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,221. There were 2.6% of families and 16.5% of the population living below the poverty line , including 40.0% of under eighteens and none of those over 64. In the 1970s high school-aged children took correspondence courses from

864-457: A job, and his wife. In recent years, the cartoon has taken a politically correct tone, except on occasion. After the Sept. 11 attacks , Sourdough Jack was pictured shaking his fist and saying, "It's time to terrorize the terrorists!" About that time, the original Sourdough Jack drawings that had been reproduced since 1952 were replaced by new drawings made in a similar style. This was required due to

972-677: A latitude of 64.838 degrees north, the News-Miner offices are located farther north than those of any other daily newspaper in North America. The newspaper has a daily circulation of between 9,000 and 12,500 copies (sources vary), and a Sunday circulation of about 12,000. Overall readership statistics are somewhat higher. The News-Miner operates a web site, Newsminer.com, which records roughly 250,000 unique visitors per year, according to Alexa . The News-Miner's circulation area encompasses about 179,287 square miles (464,351 km) in central and northern Alaska. The circulation area includes

1080-485: A new building. Shortly after the new press was introduced, the News-Miner produced its first full-color newspaper. The new equipment also allowed for larger print jobs, and Snedden introduced an annual Progress Edition that was intended to be distributed outside Alaska in order to attract business and industry to the state. In 1954, the News-Miner obtained a dedicated teletype to the Associated Press, avoiding

1188-503: A series of editors until 1950. In that year, the paper was purchased by Charles Willis Snedden, who proceeded on a course of modernization. Under Snedden's leadership, the News-Miner became one of the first papers in Alaska to print in color and survived a fire and the biggest flood in Fairbanks history. The News-Miner has employed several notable Alaskans, including Sen. Bob Bartlett . Its mascot, Sourdough Jack, has been featured on

SECTION 10

#1732772302759

1296-413: A series of small gold discoveries at Livengood and Shushanna that boosted the Fairbanks economy, as gold-seekers bought supplies in the town. Thompson still wished to leave Alaska, however, and in 1915, he sold a majority share of News-Miner stock on option to O.P. Gaustad, a Republican Party booster. Scandal erupted when it was revealed that Gaustad was merely a stand-in for James Wickersham , who

1404-597: A small population that is about 50 percent Han . The town enjoyed some notoriety, as the setting of John McPhee 's book Coming into the Country , first published in 1977 and becoming quite popular. Many of the buildings from the Gold Rush years are preserved as part of the Eagle Historic District , a National Historic Landmark district. The Eagle area also is one of the locales featured on

1512-700: A state with a high native population and that had passed one of the first laws against discrimination , would elect pro-civil rights Senators. The bill would pass the House in April 1958, and defeat competition from powerful Virginia Representative and Chair of the House Rules Committee, Howard W. Smith , as well as Washington Representative Thomas Pelly . Bartlett used a powerful procedure, which had been omitted shortly after 1912 because Congress did not plan to add any more states after Arizona . However,

1620-701: A straight line about 5.9 miles (9.5 km) west of the border between Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada at the 141st meridian west . Eagle is on the southern bank of the Yukon River at the end of the Taylor Highway , near Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 1.0-square-mile (2.6 km ), all land. Like most of Alaska, Eagle has

1728-581: A vacation to the Caribbean, though couldn't fight off the pain and illness. Eventually, Bartlett & his family decided to get a coronary bypass surgery performed. After the surgery, Bartlett went into cardiac arrest multiple times, but he eventually started to slowly improve, before beginning to decline again. On December 11, 1968, at the age of 64, Bartlett died following the surgery at Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio . Bartlett died on

1836-403: A visitors' guide, winter survival guide, and others — also are released by the newspaper on a regular basis. In 1901, trader Ebenezer Barnette sailed up Alaska's Tanana River in hopes of establishing a trading post on the trail connecting the coastal town of Valdez with the gold-mining community of Eagle . Due to low water, however, the steamboat Barnette chartered was unable to continue up

1944-566: A vote of 64–20. Following this, the chamber broke into applause. Bartlett missed this, as he held the promise that he would call back home to Alaska if the bill passed. Bartlett was in his office, calling Alaskans, for most of the night. President Eisenhower would sign the bill on July 7, 1958, and after the November 25th 1958 elections , in which nearly 80% of eligible Alaskans voted, Bartlett would be elected U.S. Senator, defeating R.E. Robertson . Bartlett would be inaugurated on January 3, 1959,

2052-503: A year. Three years later, he became the chairman of the Unemployment Compensation Commission of Alaska, serving from 1937 to 1939. Bartlett's father died in 1935, so he returned to Fairbanks to run his family's mining business. However, Bartlett wasn't a big fan of mining and looked back to the political arena in 1938. On January 30, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him secretary of

2160-485: Is attached to such a task. Weekly Fairbanks News , Volume I, Issue I. Sept. 19, 1903, p. 1. In May 1904, Hill sold the Weekly Fairbanks News to R. J. McChesney, who invested in a Linotype machine and a larger press. These improvements and the growing population of Fairbanks — by 1905, it had 2,500 residents — allowed the Weekly Fairbanks News to expand to semi-weekly, then daily publication, in

2268-493: The 1964 Alaska earthquake , Bartlett was part of the inspection team, and he contributed to efforts to rebuild Anchorage , along with Governor Bill Egan , Representative Ralph Rivers and Senator Gruening. Bartlett & Gruening came into Alaska on Air Force One , thanks to Edward McDermott , Director of the Office of Emergency Planning. President Johnson declared Alaska a 'major disaster area'. Bartlett and Gruening reported

SECTION 20

#1732772302759

2376-584: The Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act of 1956. Some of his bills included the Radiation Safety Bill and the Bartlett Act, requiring all federally funded buildings to be accessible to disabled people. Bartlett was elected as one of Alaska's inaugural Senators along with former Territorial Governor Ernest Gruening in 1958 . On account of his service as a Delegate, Bartlett was nominated as the senior U.S. senator,

2484-543: The Alaska Territory , serving under Governors John Weir Troy and Ernest Gruening . In 1945, following the retirement of Anthony Dimond , Bartlett was elected as the delegate from Alaska to the 79th and the six succeeding Congresses, with the backing of Dimond. It was in this role that his greatest work on Alaskan statehood was completed, such as the introduction of the Alaska Statehood Act to

2592-483: The Alaska Territory , serving under Governors John Weir Troy in 1939 and Ernest Gruening from 1939 to 1944. Bartlett served as acting Governor multiple times, such as during the opening of the Alaska-Canada Highway . In 1945, following the retirement of Anthony Dimond , Bartlett was elected as the delegate from Alaska to the 79th and the six succeeding Congresses, with the backing of Dimond. It

2700-559: The Anchorage Times reciprocated the post-earthquake favor by publishing the News-Miner's masthead on its editions and posting occasional stories from Fairbanks until electrical power was restored to the town. In the early 1970s, prior to the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline , the Fairbanks economy was unsteady. The News-Miner planned to expand its printing plant, but many in the company were unsure if

2808-632: The Daily News to Fairbanks' founder, Ebenezer Barnette. Later that month, an enormous fire destroyed the Daily News press and much of Fairbanks. Rather than wait for replacement equipment, Barnette purchased the press of a newly arrived editor, William Fentress Thompson , who had intended to set up his own newspaper. As part of the purchasing deal in August 1906, Thompson was allowed to publish an evening paper—the Tanana Daily Miner —while

2916-560: The Daily News , and the paper switched to actively supporting Corson's candidacy. During this time, William Thompson — best known as W.F. Thompson — began gathering investors to purchase the Fairbanks Daily News . After Corson's candidacy failed and Thompson amassed $ 15,000 from investors, he purchased the Daily News in March 1909. On March 18, 1909, the Daily News published its last issue. Four days later, it reopened under

3024-402: The Fairbanks Daily News to a group of local businessmen. On June 15, 1908, Barnette ended the lease agreement by selling the newspaper to J. Harmon Caskey and Henry Roden. That same year, the campaign to elect Alaska's first delegate to Congress was under way, and one of the candidates, Jack Corson, purchased one-third of the newspaper. Corson's campaign manager promptly was named the editor of

3132-562: The Fairbanks Daily News was published in the morning. The deal lasted only through September, as Thompson and Barnette conflicted on a personal level. The Tanana Miner was reduced to a weekly newspaper, then Thompson was deposed as editor of the Fairbanks News in June 1907 and took the Tanana Miner to the settlement of Chena , outside Fairbanks. Barnette, meanwhile, became embroiled in a series of legal troubles. He faced opposition from

3240-741: The Fairbanks Gold Rush began to wane. From the time Thompson took control until shortly after the Second World War , the News-Miner lacked a dedicated connection to the Associated Press. In the early years of the Thompson administration, he had a dedicated correspondent in Seattle whose job was to read the early editions of the Seattle newspapers, then hurry to the telegraph office and summarize what he had read to Thompson on

3348-748: The Fairbanks North Star Borough , the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area , the northern portion of the Denali Borough , and portions of the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area . Major settlements in the circulation area include the city of Fairbanks and the towns of North Pole , Delta Junction , Healy , Fort Yukon , and Tok . There are no other daily newspapers in the News-Miner's circulation area, but Fairbanks and southern portions of

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-658: The House , where he was key in shepherding its passage. Bartlett labored constantly for statehood, being a member of the Alaska Statehood Committee. Upon Alaska's admission to the Union in 1959, he became the senior inaugural U.S. senator from Alaska and served until his death in 1968. Bartlett was born in Seattle, Washington , as Edward Lewis Bartlett, to Edward C. and Ida Florence ( née Doverspike) Bartlett. Bartlett's elder sister, Doris, insisted on calling

3564-624: The National Geographic Channel series Life Below Zero . Eagle first appeared on the 1900 U.S. Census as Eagle City, although it was not incorporated until the following year. It was shortened to Eagle in the following census. As of the census of 2000, there were 129 people, 58 households, and 37 families residing in the city. The population density was 127.9/sq mi (49.4/km ). There were 137 housing units at an average density of 135.8 units per square mile (52.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of

3672-938: The National Statuary Hall Collection at the United States Capitol . The unveiling ceremony was opened by Alaska's senior U.S. Senator & Bartlett's successor, Ted Stevens . U.S. Senator from Washington Warren Magnuson , Rev. Edward L.R. Elson , U.S. Senator Mike Gravel , U.S. Representative Nick Begich , and Lieutenant Governor Red Boucher all spoke at the unveiling. Magnuson, in tribute, referred to Bartlett as Alaska's "Founding Father", while Rev. Elson praised Bartlett's "high vision, lofty idealism, prodigious energy and sacrificial devotion.", as well as lauding his "enduring statesmanship", and his many legislative & executive achievements. A substantial number of buildings, place names and more have been named after Bartlett in Alaska over

3780-461: The News-Miner assumed its subscription list and business contracts, and it became the sole daily newspaper in Fairbanks. In May 1920, the Spanish flu reached Fairbanks and infected most of the newspaper staff. "We had to keep writing of flu and the typesetters kept setting flu stories until they began to imagine they had the flu and went—one, two, three—just like that," said Thompson in a story on

3888-408: The News-Miner replaced its Associated Press teletypes with a satellite connection. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Snedden created a plan to let the paper's employees buy the company and keep ownership local. This plan was under way at the time of Snedden's death in 1989, but by 1992, many of the paper's employees were nearing retirement age. This factor, and the need for costly upgrades to expand

3996-420: The News-Miner , his strong Republican leanings opposed those of Nordale, a confirmed Democrat. Nordale resigned in April 1930 and was replaced by Bernard Stone. Stone and Lathrop turned the News-Miner profitable before Stone was replaced by Charles R. Settlemier in 1936. In 1935, the News-Miner purchased two cylinder presses to replace the old flatbed press still in use. Owing to shipping difficulties, however,

4104-520: The News-Miner's printing equipment. In 1953, rotary printing was introduced to Fairbanks after Snedden purchased a used rotary press from The Sacramento Union . To house the press, Snedden built a two-story building adjacent to the Lathrop Building. The Lathrop Building still contained most of the News-Miner's offices and typesetting equipment, but it was not large enough to contain the new press without extensive renovations, thus requiring

4212-633: The Northwest Passage to the rest of the world. The ensuing gold rushes in Nome and Fairbanks eventually lured people away from Eagle. In 1903, Judge James Wickersham moved the Third Division court from Eagle to Fairbanks. By 1910, Eagle's population had declined to its present-day level, below 200 people. Fort Egbert was abandoned in 1911. Present-day Eagle is home to (mostly) people of European descent; nearby Eagle Village has

4320-607: The Northwest Staging Route to ferry Lend-Lease aircraft to the Soviet Union . The boom left the News-Miner short-staffed, but it continued operations throughout the war. Just before the Japanese surrender that ended the war, News-Miner editor David Tewkesbury died. He was replaced by Art Bremer, a reporter. The post-war boom caused a sudden shortage of newsprint , as paper mills were not able to meet

4428-529: The Republican primary for Alaska's other Senate seat that year to former Anchorage Mayor Elmer Rasmuson . Stevens had also previously been the 1962 Republican nominee . Bartlett possessed the reputation of a quiet man of achievement. The Library of Congress estimates that he had more bills passed into law than any other member in congressional history. Before statehood, he was writing legislation (sponsored by other congressional representatives), such as

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-535: The Tanana Daily Tribune . Competition among the three newspapers was intense, and they often clashed about issues such as city council meetings, a permanent bridge over the Chena River, and the mineral prospects of the town of Iditarod , where gold had just been discovered. The intense rivalries were driven by the declining economic situation in Fairbanks, as the initial gold findings that inspired

4644-651: The Times went out of business in October 1916. Following the discontinuation of the Times , the Alaska Weekly Citizen shifted to a daily publication schedule. This lasted until 1920, when a fire destroyed the Citizen's printing plant. The News-Miner printed the two papers in conjunction for a time — both mastheads appeared on the same paper — but after the Citizen was unable to obtain loans to rebuild,

4752-523: The Tribune's owners received its printing plant, which was moved to Tacoma, Washington . In 1911, Thompson feared the declining state of the Fairbanks economy and decided to leave Alaska. He sold his shares in the company, but returned after several months' absence and demanded the shares back. Los Bernard, who briefly served as the paper's publisher, returned the shares to Thompson, who resumed his role as publisher and editor. Thompson's return coincided with

4860-643: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln , with a local resident supervising their work. Eagle is now part of the Alaska Gateway School District . Eagle School, a K–12 campus, serves city students. The Eagle Historic District is a well-preserved example of the historic development in Northern Alaska. Fort Egbert was built in 1889 to serve a central governmental role for the area. Over 100 buildings from this era survive including

4968-403: The 1956 constitutional convention, which elected Shadow U.S. Senators William A. Egan and Ernest Gruening , as well as Shadow U.S. Representative Ralph Rivers , all sworn in on October 6, 1956. The convention also created a state constitution for Alaska. The shadow Congressmen's main goal was to request or demand Alaskan statehood from the U.S. Congress. The Convention drew national attention to

5076-531: The 49th state of the United States. On the day the U.S. Congress voted to have Alaska admitted as a state, Snedden arranged for a U.S. Air Force jet to fly copies of the News-Miner , the Anchorage Times , and other Alaska newspapers to Washington, D.C. On the morning after the vote, each congressman had an Alaska newspaper proclaiming statehood. Snedden also embarked on a series of upgrades to

5184-408: The Associated Press office in Seattle. When the connection was restored, the News-Miner sent the first reports of the earthquake to the outside world. The quake also destroyed the offices of the Anchorage Times , the leading newspaper in that city. The News-Miner offered its press facilities to the Times , and the two papers shared a masthead as Anchorage recovered from the tremor. Shortly before

5292-709: The Denali Borough are secondary circulation areas for the Anchorage Daily News , a daily newspaper based 360 miles (579 km) south, in Anchorage . The paper's coverage centers on local news with moderate reporting on state issues that affect Fairbanks and the surrounding area. Local sports, particularly the Alaska Goldpanners (charter members of the ( Alaska Baseball League ), Fairbanks Ice Dogs ( North American Hockey League ), and

5400-525: The Eagle area was home to many indigenous peoples , including the Han . The first known American-built structure in Eagle was a log trading post called "Belle Isle", erected around 1874. Subsequently, in the late 1800s, Eagle became a supply and trading center for miners working the upper Yukon River and its tributaries. By the year 1898, Eagle's population had exceeded 1,700 persons; many newcomers journeyed to

5508-476: The Interior Department from Alaska and vice versa on matters more political than executive." In 1958, the bill for Alaska Statehood was reintroduced, backed by Eisenhower, Johnson, and Rayburn. The main opponents of the bill were Republicans and Southern Democrats. Republicans feared that Alaska, a Democratic-leaning state, would elect Democrats to Congress. Southern Democrats feared that Alaska,

SECTION 50

#1732772302759

5616-519: The Library of Congress found that the procedure had never been formally abolished. The procedure would have allowed every single Representative to speak on the floor for an hour. Facing the possibility of more than 400 hours of debate, Smith and the other Representatives who were in opposition all backed down. Bartlett was key in shepherding the bill through the Senate, where it passed on June 30, 1958, by

5724-497: The U.S. to do the same. In 1955 and 1956, when the Alaska Constitutional Convention took place at the University of Alaska Fairbanks , the News-Miner set up special telephone lines from the convention chambers to the newspaper's office. Daily reports were printed, recording the delegates' progress. The News-Miner strongly supported the political campaign for statehood until 1959, when Alaska became

5832-554: The anticipated governmental shift, Lathrop instructed the News-Miner to ramp up its pro-Republican editorials. In order to assist that process, he appointed William Strand, a war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune , as the News-Miner's new editor. Though Truman won the 1948 election, the News-Miner stayed politically active in endorsing Republican candidates and issues. This ended only with Lathrop's death on July 26, 1950. One week before Lathrop's death, he negotiated

5940-535: The area with word of the Klondike Gold Rush . In 1901, Eagle became the first incorporated city of the Alaska Interior . It was named for the many eagles that nested on nearby Eagle Bluff. A United States Army camp, Fort Egbert , was built at Eagle in 1900. A telegraph line between Eagle and Valdez was completed in 1903. In 1905, Roald Amundsen arrived in Eagle and telegraphed the news of

6048-441: The candidate. After the candidate lost, however, he failed to follow through on his promises of payment. Nordale was reinstated as editor on February 1, 1927, vindicated by the candidate's indictment on four counts of violating the federal Corrupt Practices Act. In 1927, Nordale hired a recent University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate named Bob Bartlett . Bartlett had worked for the paper during school vacations, but he made journalism

6156-454: The city was 93.02% White , 6.20% Native American , and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 58 households, 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who

6264-469: The cover of every daily paper since 1952. The News-Miner has received numerous awards and recognitions during its history, particularly from the Alaska Press Club, which recognizes achievements by Alaska newspapers on an annual basis. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is a morning newspaper published daily in the city of Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska . Because Fairbanks is located at

6372-731: The current Governor, Hickel, will appoint a Republican in my place." That made Hickel appoint the Republican nominee for the 1962 U.S. Senate race , Alaskan statehood activist & former senior executive official Ted Stevens to the seat. Stevens would serve for the following 40 years, serving as President pro tempore . Bartlett's funeral was held on December 14. He was buried in Northern Lights Memorial Park, Fairbanks, Alaska . Bartlett staffer and state senator Joe Josephson reported that "In some funerals, you feel like people are there out of duty, or to show

6480-610: The damage back to Johnson, where he sent federal aid. Bartlett first introduced the Alaska Statehood Act in 1947, although the bill was defeated. Bartlett re-introduced the Alaska Statehood Act in 1950, with the backing of President Harry Truman , although, after passing the House of Representatives by a 40-vote margin, it was killed in committee in the Senate . Bartlett remained unfazed, and he called on Alaskans to join his fight for statehood. Alaskans responded with

6588-467: The day that Alaska became a state. Bartlett's part in the Alaska Statehood Act was large, with Sam Rayburn summing up his change in opinion with: "Two words. Bob Bartlett." Bartlett was a heavy smoker throughout his life, and his health started to fail in the months leading up to his death, with Bartlett receiving treatment for heart ailments. His health failures, despite Bartlett's good spirits, became obvious in campaign ads for Gravel. Bartlett had gone on

SECTION 60

#1732772302759

6696-471: The delegate to Congress in 1945, and in 1958, when Alaska hosted its first election for state office, Bartlett was elected one of its first two U.S. senators. In October 1928, the News-Miner cut costs by moving to a new office. This allowed the purchase of a new Linotype machine, and further upgrades were promised when on November 8, 1929, the News-Miner was purchased by Austin E. Lathrop , an Alaska industrialist. Though Lathrop promised to inject money into

6804-494: The demand of a growing number of newspapers nationwide. This shortage caused the News-Miner to run short until Lathrop used his industrial connections to divert a shipment from a newspaper that was going out of business. The post-war years also saw the News-Miner take a more active role in territorial politics. Prior to the 1948 election , Lathrop believed Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey would handily defeat Democratic incumbent Harry Truman . To take advantage of

6912-467: The earthquake, the News-Miner placed an order for a modern offset printing press. To house the new press, which could not fit in the Lathrop Building, Snedden ordered the construction of a new printing facility and office—named the Aurora Building—north of the Chena River. The Alaska Railroad sold Snedden the land for the building, which was built at a cost of $ 1 million in 1965. Snedden ordered

7020-479: The economy could support the added capacity. Over the objections of the News-Miner newsroom, Snedden decided to expand the Aurora Building by adding a second floor at a cost of $ 2 million. In 1974, as construction of the pipeline got under way, demand for office space in Fairbanks was so great that Alyeska Pipeline Company rented several News-Miner offices in the newly expanded building. About this time,

7128-433: The fight for Alaskan Statehood. With the pressure from the convention and Bartlett, of whom members of Congress were very fond, congressmen and other federal politicians rapidly switched their opinions, most notably Sam Rayburn , the powerful Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson , and President Dwight D. Eisenhower , all of whom had been courted by Bartlett, after previous opposition. Bartlett

7236-403: The first newspaper in the new settlement: Volume I, Issue I of the Weekly Fairbanks News . Little is known about Hill's operation, but he likely used either a Washington Hand Press or an "Army" press — both were small machines designed for transport on a single packhorse or pack mule . Single copies of the first editions of the paper were $ 0.25 each, or $ 10 for a year's subscription. The paper

7344-480: The flag, however, with Bartlett, it really felt like a friend was lost." On August 14, 1930, Bartlett married his long-time companion & childhood friend, Vide Gaustad, the daughter of local newspaperman & miner O.P. Gaustad, who was politically active. Their marriage was witnessed by Territorial Senator (and later territorial delegate to the U.S. House) Anthony Dimond , who helped Bartlett further his political career. Bartlett's daughter, Doris Ann Bartlett,

7452-400: The foundation for the new building to be raised 22 inches (0.56 m) above the 100-year flood line. This fact saved the News-Miner two years later, when a massive flood swept through Fairbanks. The water was three inches deep throughout the paper's offices and even deeper in the press and boiler rooms, which were slightly below that raised level. The flood halted production for a time, and

7560-454: The good economic situation by reviving the Alaska Miner as a weekly supplement to the News-Miner . The Miner covered happenings in the gold-mining camps outside Fairbanks and was focused on areas outside the city. In 1939, Fairbanks radio station KFAR was founded, and it shared the Lathrop building with the News-Miner , which occupied the bottom floors of the building. In January 1941,

7668-471: The growing fuzziness of the reproduced image and the transition to digital newspaper production. In its history, the News-Miner has been awarded dozens of accolades by the Alaska Press Club and other organizations. In 1986, News-Miner reporter Stan Jones was awarded a George Polk Award for writing a story that led to impeachment proceedings against Alaska governor Bill Sheffield . In 2009,

7776-444: The lower floors were spared from the flames, but suffered water damage. Due to winter temperatures, the water soon froze. Despite the conditions, the paper was produced on time the next day. In 1964, the largest earthquake ever recorded in the United States struck Anchorage and southern Alaska, cutting communications to the outside world. The quake was felt in Fairbanks, and it took 40 minutes for communications to be re-established with

7884-532: The name Fairbanks Daily News-Miner , an amalgam of the names of the Daily News and Thompson's previous operation, the Tanana Miner . He chose the name over his first idea, the Daily Alaska Miner . When Thompson assumed majority ownership of the renamed Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in early 1909, it was one of three daily newspapers in Fairbanks. The other two were the Fairbanks Times and

7992-437: The need for contracts for telephone and telegraph service to a correspondent in Seattle who would relay AP material to the News-Miner . On November 23, 1957, tragedy struck when the Lathrop Building caught on fire. Firemen rushed to the scene to put out the blaze and did so quickly, but not before the television and radio studios on the top floors of the building were destroyed. The News-Miner offices and printing facilities on

8100-567: The other end of the telegraph cable. This system later was replaced by a dedicated contract with the Alaska Communications System , but that contract limited the News-Miner to no more than 9,000 words per day of messages. On January 10, 1910, the Tanana Tribune was absorbed by the News-Miner . The owners of the Tribune received shares in the News-Miner (which were later bought back by Thompson), and one of

8208-451: The outbreak. Two years later, Thompson and the News-Miner strongly protested the city's order to evict the prostitutes living in a regulated district within Fairbanks. On September 24, 1922, Thompson reported that the News-Miner's press had been sabotaged, oil had been mixed with the paper's printing ink, and a fire had been set in its office, presumably as a result of the paper's stance against eviction. The decline of Fairbanks' economy

8316-555: The owner of the Fairbanks Times , A.L. Anderson, who had fought Barnette about several gold claims near Fairbanks and purchased the Times to compete against Barnette. In 1907, Barnette was accused of embezzling money from the Fairbanks bank he operated, and he was sued by the man who had funded the venture that led to the founding of Fairbanks. During the lawsuit, it was revealed that Barnette had been convicted of larceny in Oregon. As his legal bills added up, Barnette decided to lease

8424-519: The paper onto the Internet , led to a decision to sell the News-Miner to Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder , co-founders of the MediaNews Group newspaper chain. In order to preserve the paper's independence—something desired by Snedden—the News-Miner was purchased by the family trusts of the two men, with ownership split 50/50 between the two trusts. Chuck Gray, the last publisher of

8532-431: The paper under Snedden's ownership (he served from 1989–1992), was retained as publisher emeritus in an advisory capacity. Paul Massey was named the first publisher of the post-Snedden era. He was replaced by Marilyn Romano in 2003. Romano took a job with Alaska Airlines in 2011 as regional vice president. Kathryn Strle became the interim publisher/general manager. In 2014, veteran newspaper executive Marti Buscaglia

8640-664: The paper won several commendations from the Alaska Press Club for photography, sportswriting, features writing, and other accomplishments. Bob Bartlett Edward Lewis " Bob " Bartlett (April 20, 1904 – December 11, 1968), was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party . He served as a U.S. Senator. A key fighter for Alaska statehood, Bartlett served as the Secretary of Alaska Territory from 1939 to 1945, in Congress from 1945 to 1959 as

8748-599: The presses and the new crew needed to operate them did not arrive until 1936. By that time, the News-Miner was preparing to move into the new Lathrop Building, built by and named after the newspaper's owner. As the Great Depression hit the United States, Fairbanks bucked the poor economic trend. Thanks to the Alaska Railroad, large gold dredges could be brought in, and these returned the area's gold mines to profitability. In 1938, Lathrop took advantage of

8856-484: The primary election chose Mike Gravel as Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate over Ernest Gruening. The voters spoke." Bartlett went on to say, "I have put personal considerations aside in this decision. The time comes when a man must speak out. I speak out now! I support the Democratic majority. I support Mike Gravel." Gruening was devastated, and was mystified why Bartlett had endorsed Gravel over him. Following

8964-747: The process becoming the Fairbanks Daily News on July 1, 1905. On September 3, the News had its first competition when the Fairbanks Sunday Times began publishing on the sole day that the News did not. Other papers soon arrived in the area. In 1906, the Valdez News reported, "With the newspaper plans already in Fairbanks and with those which are being shipped there this year, the Tanana metropolis will be well supplied. There are no less than five of them all told ..." In May 1906, McChesney sold

9072-476: The river. Discouraged, Barnette deposited his cache of goods on a riverbank of the Chena River and sailed downstream with the intent of making another attempt to sail up the river during the following year. In 1902, miner Felix Pedro struck gold at a spot about 15 miles (24 km) north of the spot where Barnette had left his supplies. Seeing an opportunity, Barnette decided to establish a trading post at

9180-433: The sale of the News-Miner to Charles Willis "Bill" Snedden. Snedden was an efficiency expert and former printer who had been employed by Henry Kaiser during WWII. After the war, he began troubleshooting newspapers. Through 1949 and 1950, Snedden did an efficiency study of the News-Miner and recommended about $ 100,000 in upgrades. Lathrop was unwilling to spend that much on the newspaper, and Snedden suggested that if Lathrop

9288-553: The same day that Governor Walter Hickel was announced as President-elect Richard Nixon 's nominee for U.S. Secretary of the Interior. However, the passing of a new law in the Alaska State Legislature let Hickel appoint a Senator from either political party. Bartlett was aware of that, and before the surgery, he left a notice to his physician reading, "Don't let your scalpel slip, because the law has changed, and

9396-429: The sole publication in Fairbanks. During the 1920s, the News-Miner experimented with aerial delivery to remote mining camps, becoming one of the first newspapers in the world to make regular deliveries by aircraft. After Thompson's death in 1926, former Fairbanks mayor Alfeld Hjalmar Nordale became the paper's editor. In 1929, the News-Miner was purchased by Alaska industrialist Austin E. Lathrop, who operated it under

9504-754: The south bank of the Yukon River , near the Canada–US border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area in Alaska, United States . It includes the Eagle Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Landmark . The population was 86 at the 2010 census . Every February, Eagle hosts a checkpoint for the long-distance Yukon Quest sled dog race. Eagle is located at 64°47′10″N 141°12′0″W  /  64.78611°N 141.20000°W  / 64.78611; -141.20000 (64.786022, -141.199917), in

9612-690: The spot. Other miners and suppliers arrived, attracted by the gold, and Barnette named the settlement "Fairbanks", after Indiana senator and later Vice President of the United States Charles W. Fairbanks . Through the fall and winter of 1902, word of the gold strike and the new settlement spread throughout Alaska and the Yukon . Printer George M. Hill , who had been working in Dawson City , packed up his small press and traveled to Fairbanks in early 1903. On September 19, 1903, he printed

9720-422: The state of Alaska on July 19. By the next year, copies of the News-Miner were delivered regularly by aircraft to remote mining camps and roadhouses. In the process, the News-Miner became the first newspaper to regularly deliver via aircraft. Three years after Harding's death, William Thompson died on January 4, 1926. He was replaced by assistant editor Alfeld Hjalmar Nordale, who had been mayor of Fairbanks. At

9828-428: The time, the newspaper was in dire straits. Circulation had declined with the falling Fairbanks population, and reached a low of about 500 in 1925, less than half what it was in 1909. The paper still relied on an old flatbed press, which dated from the turn of the century. The newspaper offices were aging, and there was little money to upgrade. Nordale was further stressed by a conflict between him and Thompson's widow, who

9936-530: The town. ... He could make fun of that stuff and that would give people a chance to laugh at their problems." Sourdough Jack's name came from Ryan's nickname (Jack) and the traditional nickname given to an old miner (sourdough). Jack Ryan worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer later in his life. John Ryan changed his name in the '70s to John O'Ryan. In the first days of the cartoon's existence, Jack often commented on alcohol, his lack of

10044-408: The various sports teams of the University of Alaska Fairbanks are covered regularly by the newspaper. The News-Miner produces several specialty publications in addition to the regular paper. Two publications, Latitude 65 , a weekly arts supplement released on Thursday; and Sundays , a feature reporting section published on Sundays, also are produced by newspaper staff. Several annual publications —

10152-522: The years. The most notable of these include Bartlett Regional Hospital (originally St. Ann's Hospital, and known for a time as Bartlett Memorial Hospital), the hospital serving Juneau, Alaska , as well as Bartlett High School in Anchorage and Bartlett Hall at the University of Alaska Fairbanks . Eagle, Alaska Eagle ( Tthee T’äwdlenn in Hän Athabascan ) is a village on

10260-506: The young Bartlett 'Bob', which became a name that stuck for life. After attending the University of Washington from 1922 to 1924, Bartlett graduated from the University of Alaska in 1925. Shortly after his graduation, Bartlett began his career in politics. A reporter for the Fairbanks Daily News from 1924 until 1933, he accepted the position of secretary to Delegate Anthony Dimond of Alaska , serving in that role for

10368-424: Was 10 pages and had multiple advertisements, including one proclaiming that an election would be held on November 10 of that year for the purpose of incorporating the town. On the front page was a statement of policy: The News is intended to cover an unoccupied field in the rich interior of this truly wonderful country, and its career is entented (sic) upon with a realizing sense of the grave responsibility which

10476-481: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 44.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males. The median income for

10584-430: Was Alaska's delegate to Congress. Partially because of the scandal, Gaustad was unable to sell the shares he held an option for, and Thompson returned to Alaska in spring 1916 to reassume his role as publisher. Later that year, Republican interests took over the Fairbanks Times , which had leaned toward the Democratic Party . The new owners of the Times were unable to come up with financing for new equipment, however, and

10692-466: Was a literature teacher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks . She also served as the UAF's librarian for the 1956 Alaska Constitutional Convention. She was born February 7, 1934, and she died in 2015. Bartlett had another daughter, Susie Bernice Bartlett, on December 9, 1940. On March 27, 1971, the state of Alaska commissioned Felix de Weldon to create a bronze statue of Bartlett which resides in

10800-466: Was assisted by numerous Alaskans, such as Territorial Governor Mike Stepovich , who was present at the House vote, former Territorial Governor Ernest Gruening , and senior U.S. Department of the Interior official Ted Stevens , who was (illegally) using the Interior's offices to lobby for statehood. After talking to Stevens in 1958, Bartlett remarked in a letter to a friend "At a guess, I should say that many taxpayers' dollars are used for telephone calls to

10908-476: Was closed by the Internal Revenue Service. The same year that Jessen founded his weekly newspaper, the United States became involved in the Second World War . Travel to and from Alaska was restricted, and after Japan invaded the Alaska islands of Attu and Kiska , the News-Miner was censored by the U.S. Army. Fairbanks benefited from a military construction boom as the United States built

11016-593: Was defeated in the Democratic primary by Mike Gravel , former speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives. In the general election, Gruening and his supporters launched a write-in campaign against Gravel and the Republican nominee, former Anchorage mayor Elmer Rasumson , who had defeated 1962 nominee Ted Stevens in their primary. Gruening fully expected Bartlett's endorsement in the race, as they had worked together for nearly three decades. But in an official statement, Bartlett stated "On August 27th, Alaskans in

11124-582: Was in this capacity that his greatest work on Alaskan statehood was completed, such as the introduction of the Alaska Statehood Act to the House . Continuing his civic service, he was president of the Alaska Tuberculosis Association and served as a member of the Alaska War Council, from 1942 to 1944. Bartlett labored constantly for statehood, being a member of the Alaska Statehood Committee. Bartlett, as delegate,

11232-488: Was named publisher. In January 2016, the News-Miner was sold to the nonprofit Helen E. Snedden Foundation. Since 1952, the News-Miner has featured a small cartoon figure named "Sourdough Jack" at the bottom of its front page. The drawing of Sourdough Jack is always paired with a comment on a news story, pun, or joke, apparently having been spoken by the figure. The idea for Sourdough Jack came from News-Miner editor John J. Ryan, who said, "People had many complaints about

11340-476: Was partially offset by the construction of the Alaska Railroad , and the arrival of President Warren G. Harding to dedicate the railroad in 1923. Harding visited the News-Miner offices and set a small bit of type for a special edition commemorating the visit. Less than one month later, however, Harding died on his return from Alaska. Harding's visit coincided with the first commercial airplane flight in

11448-399: Was the majority shareholder. The conflict arose when two competing candidates for political office attempted to buy the paper's editorial support with pledges of money. When Mrs. Thompson accepted one of the offers, Nordale asked that his name be removed from the newspaper. During the months leading up to the election, the News-Miner produced dozens of editorials and reproduced the speeches of

11556-488: Was the one who introduced the Alaska Statehood Act into Congress, being key in shepherding its passage. Upon Alaska's admission to the Union in 1959, Bartlett became the senior inaugural U.S. senator from Alaska, along with junior Senator Ernest Gruening , with their senior-junior status determined by a coin flip. Bartlett served in this role until his death in office in 1968. He was succeeded by State Representative Ted Stevens , appointed by Governor Hickel , who had lost

11664-549: Was unwilling to upgrade, Snedden would be interested in purchasing the paper. The two men worked out a verbal agreement before Lathrop was killed in a coal train accident. One of Snedden's first actions was to readdress the paper's stance on Alaska statehood. Lathrop and the News-Miner had been strongly opposed to statehood, but after Snedden took control, he analyzed the issue and came out strongly in favor of Alaska statehood. The News-Miner continually published editorials in favor of statehood, and encouraged other newspapers across

#758241