First 100 Years of the Times-News

Oct. 28, 1904 - The Twin Falls News publishes its first paper. Owners and publishers are O.H. Barber, from the Northwest, and Charles P. Diehl, from Salt Lake City. They do business in a little building on Main Avenue. Diehl and Barber later terminate their partnership, and Diehl becomes sole owner.

April 1905 - Diehl sells the News to the News Printing Co., consisting of William M. Wayman from Payette, George F. Sprague - the treasurer of the Twin Falls Investment Co. - and George B. Fraser, who takes over editing the News. Various owners follow in the next few years.

May 5, 1905 - The Twin Falls Times (later known as Idaho Evening Times) starts publication on Main Avenue, just a block away from the News.

1913 - Roy A. Read buys the News. Read subsequently moves the newspaper into a corner of the Masonic Hall on Second Street West.

Aug. 8, 1918 - Read makes the News a daily paper, changing the name to the Twin Falls Morning News. Only an hour later, the Times also goes daily. The two papers are fierce political rivals.

1921 - The Times goes into bankruptcy and is bought by yet another owner.

Sept. 1, 1928 - The Times is bought by a group of Oregon newspapermen, who change its name to Idaho Evening Times.

1932 - Tofflemire forms a partnership with Emil Bordewick of Buhl, owner of the Times since 1931. Together, they later buy the News from Roy Read.

Jan. 1, 1937 - Both papers begin publication under the same roof on Second Street West - the Times in the evening and the News in the morning. A Times reporter and a News reporter take turns using one desk.

1937 - Five newspapermen - called together by Tofflemire, publisher of both the Times and the News - come up with a name to be used in news stories and advertising to market south-central Idaho. Scores of suggestions come to light during the session. Toff's suggestion of "Magic Valley" carries the day, and the new name becomes part of the Idaho lexicon.

1938 - The papers employ a total of 240 people - Twin Falls' second-largest industry next to the sugar factory - including 12 people in the two editorial departments.

Feb. 16, 1942 - To keep pace with the wartime effort, the News and Times consolidate, creating a single afternoon paper with the name that's still in use today. Combined circulation is 16,000 - the largest of any Idaho newspaper outside of Boise.

1945 - A new Masonic Hall opens on Blue Lakes Boulevard, and The Times-News purchases the old Masonic building downtown, which still bears the newspaper's name on its facade today.

January 1961 - Tofflemire and Bordewick sell the paper to Jared How of Mankato, Minn., and Jack Mullowney becomes publisher.

April 1, 1968 - Howard Publications Inc. buys The Times-News.

Late 1960s and early '70s - Publisher Al Westergren transforms The Times-News from a strictly local product to a regional newspaper.

March 16, 1970 - The newspaper moves to its new building - the one on Fairfield Street West which it still occupies today - and converts from hot metal composition and letter press production to photo composition and offset newspaper production.

1970 - The newspaper's move puts an end to its "job shop," which for decades has produced business stationery, a wildlife magazine, high school annuals and various other printing jobs in a building next to the old newspaper plant. The year's changes also drastically cut the number of printers employed.

Fall 1970 - O.A. "Gus" Kelker becomes the newspaper's top editor, a position no longer shared.

February 1978 - The Times-News newsroom gets its first computers for composing and processing text of stories, and for sending those stories to the typesetters.

August 1978 - The Times-News moves to morning publication and inserts a Saturday edition, making the paper available seven days a week. The paper also changes format and adopts a newly designed nameplate, new headline type and new section headings.

1979 - Construction project expands the newspaper plant by 6,500 square feet. The newspaper marks its 75th anniversary.

January 1984 - Times-News rejoins The Associated Press, the nation's oldest wire service, and the (AP) designation starts appearing on many stories. (Previously, the newspaper subscribed to the United Press International service.)

Jan. 1, 1990 - Circulation is 22,000.

June 1990 - Paper gets a redesign, including introduction of the current Times-News nameplate. Innovation in photo technology allows the paper to be more colorful throughout.

June 8, 1991 - The paper launches Ag Weekly, a weekly tabloid-sized publication for Magic Valley farmers, agricultural-industry business people and rural residents.

August 1992 - The Times-News begins phasing in use of recycled newsprint. The new paper contains about 15 percent recycled fiber.

September 1993 - Newspaper starts a Mini-Cassia Bureau.

Fall 1997 - The Times-News Online is launched, putting the newspaper on the Internet.

April 1, 2002 - Lee Enterprises completes its purchase of The Times-News and other Howard Publications newspapers.

Jan. 16, 2004 - Lee Enterprises announces a deal with Liberty Group Publishing to acquire South Idaho Press, Elko Daily Free Press and five weekly newspapers in Magic Valley.

Oct. 28, 2004 - Times-News celebrates the 100th anniversary of newspapering in Twin Falls.

Compiled by Virginia Hutchins