The Columbian

Tom Carolan first published the Vancouver Columbian on October 10, 1890.{{Cite news |date=October 10, 1990 |title=Columbian launched as Democratic newspaper |work=The Columbian |pages=35}} He started the paper with S. D. Dennis as a means to promote the Democratic Party and act as counterweight to the local Republican newspaper The Vancouver Independent.{{Cite news |date=October 3, 1955 |title=The Columbian Can Look Back and See 65 Years of Colorful History |work=The Columbian |pages=33}} Dennis left the paper in 1896 and was replaced by Joseph A. C. Brant. Republican Samuel J. Miller took the reins in 1900. Less than a year later the paper was turned over to M. M. Banister. Five years later he sold out to E. E. Beard, publisher of The Olympian. Under Beard, the paper went from weekly to daily print publication on October 19, 1908.{{Cite news |date=October 19, 1908 |title=The Daily Columbian |work=The Columbian |pages=2}} After twelve years Beard sold the paper to George Hyland, who sold out after six months to William H. Hornibrook in April 1919. Hornibrook sold the paper to Herbert Campbell, with the ownership change going into effect on May 1, 1921.{{Cite news |date=May 1, 1921 |title=Evening Columbian Sold |work=The Tacoma Daily Ledger |pages=10}}

In 1928, the newspaper moved from the Odd Fellows' building at 4th and Washington streets{{Cite news |date=April 15, 1928 |title=Vancouver Columbian Moves |work=The Sunday Oregonian |pages=22}} into a newly constructed office building at the northwest corner of 10th and Broadway made specifically for the paper. The construction costs was $40,000.{{Cite news |date=April 14, 1928 |title=Columbian Moving Into New Home {{!}} Large Quarters In Modern Plant To Be Occupied |work=The Columbian |pages=1}} One person remarked the property looked like a bank.{{Cite news |date=May 14, 1928 |title=Columbian Building Looks Like Bank |work=The Columbian |pages=3}}

In August 1947, rival newspaper Vancouver Daily Sun shuttered after publishing for four decades{{Cite news |date=August 30, 1947 |title=Spokane Chronicle |pages=15 |agency=Associated Press}} and its subscriber list and advertising accounts were taken over by the Vancouver Columbian. In 1954, construction on a new printing plant for the paper costing $375,000 began at West 8th and Grant street. The project was scheduled to be completed in July 1955.{{Cite news |date=November 3, 1954 |title=Paper to Build $375,000 Plant |work=The Oregon Daily Journal |pages=7}} The Columbian published its first Sunday edition on Aug. 6, 1972,{{Cite news |last=Rystrom |first=Kenneth |date=December 10, 1972 |title=How the Sunday Columbian came out |work=The Columbian |pages=25}} and added a Saturday edition on July 10, 1999.{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Scott |date=July 10, 1999 |title=Welcome to Columbian's Saturday edition |work=The Columbian |pages=1}}

The paper briefly relocated to new offices just south of Esther Short Park on Jan. 13, 2008,"The Columbian Timeline," The Columbian, January 11, 2008, page C8. but, citing declining revenue, relocated to their original building at 701 W. 8th St. by December of the same year in an attempt to avert bankruptcy.{{cite news |title=Columbian could file bankruptcy |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/10/06/daily27.html |newspaper=Portland Business Journal |date=October 8, 2008 |access-date=June 25, 2012}} On May 1, 2009, The Columbian filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.{{cite news |title=The Columbian Seeks Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009161514_apwacolumbianbankruptcy.html |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=May 2, 2009 |access-date=June 25, 2012}} On Feb. 5, 2010, the company emerged from bankruptcy.{{cite web|last=Anderson |first=Julia |url=http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/feb/05/columbian-out-bankruptcy/ |title=The Columbian is out of bankruptcy |newspaper=The Columbian |date=February 5, 2010 |access-date=June 25, 2012}} On June 10, 2010, the city of Vancouver purchased the former Columbian building and surrounding land downtown for $18.5 million from the Bank of America to become its new city hall.{{cite web|last=Damewood |first=Andrea |url=http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jun/03/vancouver-reaches-185-million-deal-city-hall-sale/ |title=Vancouver reaches $18.5 million deal on City Hall sale |newspaper=The Columbian |date=June 3, 2010 |access-date=June 25, 2012}}

Ben Campbell, the paper's fourth generation owner, was named publisher in 2020.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Craig |date=2024-12-25 |title=The Columbian names Ben Campbell as new publisher |url=https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/may/20/the-columbian-names-ben-campbell-as-new-publisher/ |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=The Columbian |language=en-US}}

• [https://www.columbian.com/ Official website]

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Category:Mass media in Vancouver, Washington

Category:Newspapers published in Washington (state)

Category:Newspapers established in 1890

Category:1890 establishments in Washington (state)