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Newspaper The Arizona Range News (Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1897-Current

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About The Arizona Range News (Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1897-Current

Willcox, Arizona, established in the 1880s along the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Sulphur Springs Valley, was known as the “Cattle Capital of America” (Klump and Tenney, Willcox, Arcadia Publishing, 2009). The Sulphur Valley News appeared in Willcox on April 3, 1894, published and edited by Charles W. Pugh, who noted this was “not a new paper, notwithstanding it is Vol. 1 No. 1” and “was founded…ten years ago” (April 3, 1894). Pugh was referring to another newspaper titled Sulphur Valley News started in 1884 by Phil Montague and George McFarlin and then consolidated by Montague the same year with the Arizona Livestock Journal to become the Southwestern Stockman. After that paper changed hands a few times, Pugh purchased the newspaper plant in 1891, and he continued publishing the Stockman, while also reviving the title of Sulphur Valley News in 1894 for his new weekly, four-page newspaper.

The newspaper’s slogan was “Devoted to the Development of the Sulphur Spring Valley and Her People’s Interests,” and the editorial page declared it “Republican Organ of Cochise County.” The News regularly included a “Local and Personal” column and an “Arizona News Condensed” section. Mail arrival and departure schedules and railroad timetables were printed, along with a “Weekly Weather-Crop Bulletin” and range conditions. The paper also carried syndicated content and local advertisements.

In August 1895, Pugh moved the Stockman office to Phoenix while keeping the News in Willcox; he then sold the News to Horace Dunlap in August 1896. Dunlap’s “Salutatory” said the newspaper would “serve the interests of the cattle growers” as “theirs is the dominant industry of this section,” but it would also give attention to mining and agriculture and remain a Republican paper (August 11, 1896). Listings of cattle brands with images and descriptions were first included in the September 1, 1896 issue. A week later, the slogan was changed to: “Devoted to the Advancement of the Live Stock Industry.”

Dunlap changed the newspaper’s name to Arizona Range News beginning with the January 5, 1897 issue, and the paper expanded to six pages and later to eight. Dunlap left the News in May 1900, and C. O. Anderson took over. More mining news was included, and cattle brand listings expanded. Encouraging cattle owners to advertise their brands in the newspaper, the News stated: “There are nearly 8000 Brands in the Territorial Brand Book. The Southeastern counties have probably 1500 each” (April 26, 1901).

In December 1902 Anderson sold the paper, now published by “Kemp Bros.,” S.N. Kemp and L.T. Kemp; by November 1903, S.N. Kemp alone was listed. Anderson repurchased the paper in 1917, remaining until 1926, and a succession of owners followed over the next decades. Upon the centennial of the city’s incorporation, the Arizona Range News was the longest continuously operating business in Willcox (Arizona Range News, April 29, 2015) and is still published in 2024.

Research provided by the University of Arizona Libraries.

Provided By: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Arizona Range News (Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1897-Current

Dates of Publication

  • 1897-current

Created / Published

  • Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. [Ariz.] : H.E. Dunlap, 1897-

Headings

  • -  Willcox (Ariz.)--Newspapers
  • -  Cochise County (Ariz.)--Newspapers
  • -  Arizona--Cochise County
  • -  Arizona--Willcox
  • -  United States--Arizona--Cochise--Willcox

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Vol. 3, no. 41 (Jan. 5, 1897)-

Medium

  • volumes : illustrations ; 28 cm

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn95060997

OCLC Number

  • 31613557

Preceding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

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Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Arizona Range News Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. Ariz. -Current. (Willcox, AZ), Jan. 1 1897. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn95060997/.

APA citation style:

(1897, January 1) The Arizona Range News Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. Ariz. -Current. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn95060997/.

MLA citation style:

The Arizona Range News Willcox, Cochise County, A.T. Ariz. -Current. (Willcox, AZ) 1 Jan. 1897. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn95060997/.