Daily Democrat
{{Short description|Newspaper in Woodland, California, United States}}
{{for-multi|the New Hampshire newspaper|Foster's Daily Democrat|the Hamilton upgrade of the Butler Country Democrat founded in 1886|Hamilton Daily Democrat}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = Daily Democrat
| logo =
| image =
| caption =
| type = Daily newspaper
| format = Broadsheet
| owners = Digital First Media
| founder = W. L. Jernegan
M. E. Everts
| publisher = Mazi Kavoosi
| editor = Carlos Guerrero
| assoceditor =
| foundation = 1857
| political =
| language = English
| ceased publication =
| headquarters = Woodland, California
| circulation =
| sister newspapers =
| ISSN = 0747-1890
| oclc =
| website = {{URL|dailydemocrat.com}}
}}
The Daily Democrat is the daily newspaper in Woodland, California. The paper is owned by Digital First Media.{{Cite news |last=Mattiace |first=Peter |date=January 2, 1999 |title=MediaNews, Donrey Papers Make Deal |url=https://apnews.com/article/cd88d8cb1b12ac63a0dabab687909ec0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530214052/https://apnews.com/article/cd88d8cb1b12ac63a0dabab687909ec0 |archive-date=May 30, 2022 |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=Associated Press}} It is the oldest paper published in Yolo County, California.{{Cite news |date=October 20, 1889 |title=Woodland's Papers. {{!}} The Strong Rivals for Ads and Subscriptions in Yolo County. |work=The San Francisco Examiner |pages=35}}
History
In 1857, the weekly newspaper Yolo County Democrat was founded in Cacheville by William L. Jernegan and M. E. Everts.{{Cite news |date=June 30, 1857 |title=A New Paper. |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=3}} Samuel Ruland served as the paper's first editor. After about three months Everts withdrew and the paper ceased after a year.{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Frank T. |date=November 21, 1930 |title=History of Yolo County {{!}} Chapter XV. Yolo County Newspapers |work=Davis Enterprise |pages=4}} M. P. Ferguson acquired the property and revived the paper in 1859 as The Cacheville Spectator. That same year ownership transferred to T. J. Howard.
Howard relocated the paper to Knights Landing and published under the title The Knights News in August 1859 with S. L. Snyder as co-publisher and co-proprietor. The paper shuttered after eight days. Two months later S. W. Ravely revived the paper and resumed printing that November under the old name. The paper moved to Woodland on June 11, 1864 and the name was changed to the Woodland News.
In August 1865, the paper came under the ownership of H. C. Grover and Charles E. St. Louis. At that time the paper switched party affiliations from Democrat to Republican. W. A. Henry became editor in November 1867 and the name was changed back to the Yolo County Democrat. Two years later and Henry was succeeded by L. P Hall, who ran the paper until a libel suit from the Yolo Mail caused him to retire. William Saunders become the paper's sole owner by February 1870 and ran it for a decade. The name was changed again on June 1, 1877 to the Woodland Daily Democrat. The paper was briefly owned by Ruffner & Lee, who sold out to Wick B. Parsons in 1887.
In 1891, Edward E. Leake, editor of the Dixon Tribune, purchased the paper.{{Cite news |date=November 22, 1891 |title=Notice |work=The Oakland Times |pages=4}} The Leake family owned and operated the Daily Democrat for 92 years until 1984, when it was sold to the Donrey Media Group.{{Cite news |date=May 2, 1984 |title=Publisher tells staffers {{!}} Woodland paper reportedly sold |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-woodland-paper-report/102855214/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=73}} Donrey ceded control of the paper to the California Newspapers Partnership in 1999. The company is owned by MediaNews Group, Inc.
References
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