Pawhuska Journal-Capital

The Pawhuska Journal-Capital newspaper has been providing coverage of Pawhuska and Osage County news, sports and features for more than a century.

History of Pawhuska Journal-Capital Newspaper

An account in the April 1, 1867, edition of the Indian Herald, thought to be the first newspaper published in Pawhuska, this item was noted, according to a 1905 story in the Osage Journal. The United States Indian Agent at that time was named Beede.

The Herald relates that he made a speech to the council a few days before in which he assured them that he had come among them to make them quit stealing and to quit running in debt. After he got through the Indians resolved.

1st Newspaper

The history of newspapers in Pawhuska date back to the very early days, however, these early papers, all weekly publications, have come and gone.

The present Journal-Capital is an outgrowth of a merger of two earlier papers. The first, The Capital, was started on January 30, 1904, in Pawhuska. The Journal, established December 10, 1904, is still published on Fridays by the Journal-Capital Company. It is a legal newspaper of restricted circulation. The Journal-Capital, the present, is a merger of the Journal with the early day Capital. The Journal and The Capital both started as weekly publications, then were dailies, then merged.

The first newspaper apparently was the Indian Herald printed in 1875. Its editor was W. McKay Dougan, the then government doctor with the Osage Agency. I. T. Gibson, the first Indian Agent for the Osage, established the here in Pawhuska and was the president. A few copies of this earlier paper were preserved in the Osage Tribal Museum in Pawhuska.

There was thought to have been several attempts to establish a weekly paper in Pawhuska in earlier days. Some of them were apparently published for only a few months.

One reportedly, was a one-sheet paper for which news was gathered locally. The copy was sent to Arkansas City, Kansas and set in type and printed then returned to Pawhuska for redistribution. As far as is known, there are no copies of this paper in existence today.

The present day Daily Journal-Capital, the only newspaper left in Osage County, celebrated its 25th year as a daily under the name on April 5, 1950. It has been a continuous publication under its name since April 6, 1925. The Journal-Capital was formed in 1925, following a merger of the city's two daily newspapers. The Daily was a morning paper and the Capital was an evening paper.

The first home of the combined paper was on East Main in the building now occupied by Jackson Locker Plant (Don Well's Insurance building.) All of the equipment of the Daily was moved from the building now occupied by the Schlumberger Company, behind the Duncan Hotel (now Townsley's Bear Wheel Aligning.)

The merger of the two papers was completed April 6, 1925, but the first issue of the Journal-Capital was not until April 7, 1925. The move of the large equipment was more than the two papers combined could handle in one day to have the paper published April 6. The report in the April 7 paper shows that workers moved equipment all night in preparation for the next days publication.

Officers of the old Daily Capital were Richard Elam, president; O. H. Lachenmyer, secretary-treasurer; and Mrs. Lucille Mason, society editor.

Elam purchased the Capital, which was then a weekly paper, from Vernon Whiting. Elam soon turned it into a daily with the first daily publication on September 8, 1922, after having been established as a weekly on December 10, 1904. E. L. Gay was editor, J. A. Knight was the business manager, Guy Marple, who later until his death was a district court official here, was the city editor, Charles I. Callahan was the circulation manager, and Rowland Blanc, now of California, was the advertising manager.

The Journal Capital is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. Their business is located at 700 Kihekah Avenue, Pawhuska, Oklahoma 74056.