Western Nebraska Observer
Weekly newspaper published in Kimball, Nebraska
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41.23693075240082°N 103.6618517015739°W
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Gary and Sue Stevenson |
| Founder | Charles H. Randall |
| Founded | May 1, 1885 |
| Headquarters | 118 E. 2nd Street, Kimball, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Website | westernnebraskaobserver |
The Western Nebraska Observer is a weekly newspaper covering Kimball, Nebraska and surrounding Banner County. It has a circulation of 892 copies[1] and is currently owned by Gary and Sue Stevenson.[2] The newspaper is the town's oldest continuously owned business.[3]
History
Founded May 1, 1885[4][5] by Charles H. Randall, it was the first paper in Kimball,[5] founded when the town, then called Antelopeville, had only four buildings.[6] The first issue was cranked out on Randall's old army hand press.[6] Originally dubbed the Nebraska Observer, the name was changed to the Kimball Observer after the town's name was changed from Antelopeville to Kimball.[5] In the late 1800s it passed through a series of owners, including A. B. Beard, G. L. Carlyle, R. D. Wilson, and V. B. Cargill.[5][7] While the paper's name would change several times throughout the 20th century, the paper was first called the Western Nebraska Observer in 1886.[8]
The paper moved from hand press to linotype machine in November 1915,[9] and to offset printing in 1964.[10]
Robert J Pinkerton, publisher of the paper, starting in December 1962,[3][11] was elected president of the Nebraska Press Association in 1972.[12] He had worked at the paper as an editor from 1958 forward,[12] and was a 1954 graduate of the University of Nebraska School of Journalism.[13] In 1995, while still publishing the paper, he was named master editor-publisher by the Nebraska Press Association, the highest honor awarded by that organization.[11]