Santa Maria Times celebrates 140 years of telling our region's stories

Apr. 22—The Santa Maria Times has been telling our region's stories for 140 years. Yes, today is our anniversary!

But while we've spent 140 years chronicling the history of the Santa Maria Valley there are few, if any, comprehensive stories about this newspaper.

So with help from the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, longtime columnist Shirley Contreras and archived issues dating back to the first one published on April 22, 1882, we'd like to share a little about one of the Valley's oldest businesses.

Lots of change

The first issue of the Santa Maria Times was very different from today's newspaper, which has developed in keeping with the progress and growth of the city and region. There were no photos, and pages were very gray by modern standards, meaning there was little to break up the type visually.

The paper's masthead states it was published every Saturday by H. J. Laughlin & Co. of Guadalupe, and S. Clevenger was editor and manager.

One of the stories in the first issue of the Santa Maria Times was titled "The Last Spike," and told of the San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Valley Railroad completion to Central City (Santa Maria's original name).

"At five minutes to 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon, the last spike was driven connecting this place by railroad with San Luis Obispo and Port Harford."

The paper chronicles the "super-human" effort of the workmen to complete the work that day.

"The whole town suddenly became imbued with the enthusiasm of the occasion and the road to the depot was soon lined with buggies and teams of every description," says the story, which has no byline.

The tired workmen were regaled with 20 gallons of beer, and showed their appreciation by putting away the greater portion of it.

Sports was a part of the Santa Maria Times from the very beginning — today, Sports Editor Joe Bailey provides the most comprehensive local sports coverage in Santa Barbara County.

The first issue carried the column "Ball And Bat," which featured two match games between the Stars and the Guadalupes. The first game, we're told, took place on March 22, and after a hard-fought battle, the Stars won the game, the score standing 40 to 24. Again, no byline, which is the case for all the articles in the early editions.

While the Santa Maria Times told the stories of the first railroad and bats and balls, it also chronicled the advertising news of the day. Advertising was scattered throughout the paper without the traditional ad stacks you'll find today. In 1882, you could get on a 30-day trial Dr. Dye's Electro-Voltaic Belts, Suspensories and other electric appliances for men suffering from nervous debility, lost vitality, etc., speedily restoring health and manhood. It'll also work if you have rheumatism, paralysis, liver and kidney troubles.

For the ladies, the old vegetable compound was available for "all those painful complaints and weaknesses so common to our best female population."

The newspaper's subscription prices were $3.50 per year, $2 for six months and $1 for three months, all payable in advance.

Moving forward

On March 29, 1884, Laughlin retired as part owner and the firm name was changed to Clevenger and Jenkins. A Times editorial reads, "it's now the largest paper printed in this portion of the state, and it has fought its way to this proud position by persistent labor through the liberal support of this community."

We carry this proud position forward today.

In May 1887, a news item announced another change in ownership, with management by Jenkins and McGuire (no first names).

"We expect," the announcement continued, "to give our readers a paper in every respect worthy of a great town and community."

Several months later, the paper increased to seven columns, all edited and printed in Santa Maria. An editorial, in commenting on the improvement, spoke of the editor's faith in the rapidly growing valley.

Reflecting the continued growth and prosperity of Santa Maria and the surrounding district, in the first issue of the semiweekly Times, both Jenkins and McGuire promised a daily "as soon as the town and valley could afford it."

After the 104th issue of the semiweekly, the publishers, owing to the general scarcity of money, "fell asleep in the arms of quiet times," as an editorial stated.

Economic conditions did improve, and on Nov. 15, 1890, readers were given a bigger paper published in eight columns.

The publication rocked along smoothly for the next few years with only a few changes. On Jan. 6, 1894, O.W. Maulsby stepped into the picture. G.W. Jenkins retained the business management and Maulsby became head of the editorial department.

Another change in the directing heads was noted in the March 7, 1896, issue when James F. Lyon leased the interest of McGuire.

In May 1897, it was announced that C.A. Seay of Carpinteria would arrive in Santa Maria the next week and assume full control of the Times. The announcement declared that Seay "is a thorough newspaper man and commands the respect of the community from which he hails."

To curtail expenses, Seay reduced the paper to a seven-column folio in June 1898. The Times' former makeup was resumed Sept. 30 that same year.

After several more leadership changes, the Times moved back to the T.A. Jones building just south of the post office in November.

Julius Ebel assumed full control in 1902 and, in taking over the management, said he would make Santa Maria, where he had invested all of his money, his home for all time. He, like his predecessors, predicted a brilliant future for the valley.

To permit rural subscribers to get their papers earlier, the publication day was changed to Friday. Later, the publication day changed back to Saturday.

Roll the presses! Bigger changes were ahead for the Santa Maria Times, however.

In 1903, Ebel announced he had given Bray & Patterson a contract for the construction of a new printing office to be located on Bush Street. Ebel stated he would order a new cylinder press to be run by a gasoline engine. The press, he declared, would be adequate for a daily newspaper, which he predicted for Santa Maria. The company moved to its new building Aug. 28, 1903, and the new cylinder press was installed, ready to turn out its first issue of the Times on Sept. 11 of that year.

In 1909, as a forerunner to the enormous amount of national advertising, automobile ads began to appear in the Times. Pictures of these machines showed little resemblance to the modern, high-powered, closed cars of today. In the news columns, pictures of people prominent in the day's news also began to appear.

The early 1900s

On April 15, 1918, the Santa Maria Daily Times emerged as an offshoot to the weekly, which was continued. The long heralded day when the valley would, through its growth and prosperity, justify a daily newspaper, had arrived. The paper was an afternoon paper, and would remain so into the 1950s.

Orla M. Cannon, after making a careful survey of the rapidly growing community, purchased the Times on March 1, 1920. He made many improvements by purchasing new equipment.

Over the next several years, the paper's progression becomes a little murky.

The Santa Maria Valley Vidette was formed through a merger of the Santa Maria Weekly Times, est. 1882, The Santa Maria Vidette, est. 1907, and the Guadalupe Gazette, est. 1925.

The war years

In 1940, the Santa Maria Daily Times' masthead stated its publishers were Robert K. and S.C. Hancock, and it was published at the Times Building in Santa Maria. It states it was established April 22, 1882, and was published every weekday evening except holidays. In the early 1940s, the paper tended to focus on war news on its front page, with local news inside. Blackout warnings were covered extensively, mixed in with news about the Kiwanis, and drunken driving charges.

The first blackout in Santa Maria was not a success, according to an A1 headline on Dec. 11, 1941, because most people throughout the city did not hear the signal, and the blackout didn't become completely effective until an hour afterwards. The failure brought swift rebuke from the Army.

Advertising was still the predominant visual element in the paper. On the same day, Andrews Grocery was advertising Red and White Brown Bread for 15 cents, a pint of Wesson Oil for 25 cents and Hacienda salmon for 40 cents. You could buy a used 1940 Plymouth Coupe with "low mileage" for $695 at Bowers & Stokes, and at Penney's, men's outing pajamas were going for $1.65.

In the late 1950s, the Santa Maria Times was publishing an average of 10 pages in two sections, six days a week with no Sunday issue. The publisher was Robert S. Magee and James B. Garrett was the associate editor.

Crime was an issue even in the 1950s.

An 80-point headline on Monday, June 9, 1958, announced that a knife-wielding "Levi's-clad" bandit had robbed a Santa Maria service station after thrusting a knife at the side of a service station attendant at 1403 N. Broadway. He got away with $38. Additionally, the country club had been looted and two homes entered.

There were still few local bylines. In the Friday, May 2, 1958 edition, Times staff writer Ed Morris wrote the only bylined story on the front page about a funding crisis in the elementary schools resulting from an influx of children at Cooke Air Force Base.

The front page had 11 stories, with a mix of type in the headlines, including bold, regular and italic. This compares to today's average of five front-page stories.

On June 7, 1958, Morris again wrote the lead story about a school district issue. "School board members this morning stood by their guns on approval of a memorandum outlining qualifications for advancement on the newly adopted professional salary scale for teachers," the lede stated.

In that same issue, a short story notes that Santa Maria's net income in 1957 was $29.7 million, with a per capita spending income of $2,067 and an income of $6,471 per household.

A new flag

By 1963, the Times had a new flag proclaiming Santa Maria the "Missile Capital of the Free World," there was an emphasis in coverage on what was now Vandenberg Air Force Base, and space exploration was front and center. There was no indication on the masthead who the publisher was.

It was publishing an average of 28 pages and cost 10 cents an issue on the rack.

The paper was still publishing six days a week, with no Sunday edition.

On March 4, 1963, one story notes that a "trouble-plagued" space balloon survey of Mars confirmed the presence of water vapor and carbon dioxide on the planet. Vietnam Communists had slain two missionaries and the lead photo on the page showed the Santa Maria Valley Sportsmen Association getting ready to hold its annual "Ham and Turkey shoot."

There were no bylines on this front page but as many as 10 stories and briefs packages.

It was a time when Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara would consider it "an invasion" if Russia shipped more troops to Cuba to crush a revolt against Fidel Castro.

On April 2, manned flight was in the air as Russia launched a 1.5 ton spaceship toward the moon and predicted that manned flight there "is now highly probable."

At home, a worker died "as dirt wall collapses" while he was digging a hole on South Broadway, and the City Council considered a three-story building in the Whiskey Row redevelopment area "devoted solely to parking."

There was the women's page, and a full-sized bed set was selling for $369.

Hopkins, on South Broadway, Avila Plumbing Co. on West Main Street, and Santa Maria Savings on West Cypress Street were advertisers.

In October 1975, the Times moved from its office on West Chapel Street to its current 3200 Skyway Drive address, at the same time Walt Rosebrock was named publisher by owner Hagadone Newspapers.

Changing technology

Over the last 140 years, the newspaper has also evolved through printing, typesetting and technology changes.

The Linotype was the industry typesetting standard for newspapers, magazines and posters from the late 19th century to the 1970s, when it was largely replaced by computerized machines that required a typist. The Linotype revolutionized typesetting, especially newspaper publishing, making it possible for a relatively small number of operators to set type for many pages on a daily basis. Before its invention in 1884, daily newspapers were limited to eight pages.

In 1954, the Times reported it was the proud owner of the newest, fastest photographic technology that allowed a photo to be taken, film developed, and a print made in a darkroom that was then put on a Scan-A-Graver engraving machine. The finished cut was delivered to the press room, start to finish, in 18 minutes.

Today, the Santa Maria Times uses a computer system that incorporates many functions that were separate for years. Gone are typewriters, the darkroom, negatives and paste-up departments. Reporters type their stories into the computer where they are edited, photographers put their photos in the system where they're attached to the stories, and pages are built on the computer system.

The system also allows immediate publication of stories to the internet and our website, santamariatimes.com.

In keeping with changes in ownership throughout its history, the Santa Maria Times was owned by the Don Rey Media Group headquartered in Fort Smith Arkansas for years before the property was sold to Denver-based Media News, which owned it for about one year before selling it to Scripps League Newspapers Inc. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer Publishing Co. in 1996.

On Jan. 31, 2005, staff writer Erin Carlyle reported that Pulitzer Inc. would be acquired by Iowa-based Lee Enterprises Inc. for $1.46 billion, and on March 13, 2020, the Times was purchased from Lee Enterprises by locally owned Santa Maria California News Media, Inc.

In 2022, now under the stewardship of Vice President/Group Publisher Terri Leifeste, that five-column country weekly has evolved into today's newsroom, which publishes the Santa Maria Times five days a week. Other papers published by the newspaper group include the Lompoc Record, the Santa Ynez Valley News, the Hanford Sentinel, Antelope Valley Press and Porterville Recorder.

With one of the last presses in our region, we also print regional papers including the Santa Ynez Valley Star, Orcutt Pioneer, The Fresno Bee, Merced Sun-Star and the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

And, in addition to our print readership, our websites get 1.5 million page views a month.

We've come a long way in 140 years, seen many changes in ownership, technology and style, but there's one thing that hasn't changed. "We expect," as we said in 1887, "to give our readers a paper in every respect worthy of a great town and community."

Marga K. Cooley has been the managing editor of the Santa Maria Times since 2013.