Deming Headlight

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

On June 25, 1881, James Edward Curren published the first edition of the Deming Headlight in Deming, New Mexico.^[1] Curren founded 17 newspapers throughout his life. The name of his Deming paper was a reference to the trains on the Southern Pacific Railroad.^[2] In 1884, Curren left the Headlight after trading it for the Kingston Clipper, which he renamed to the Sierra County Advocate.^[3]

Alva C. Lowry published the paper briefly.^[4][5] He was followed as editor by A. R. Loomis in 1885,^[6] Captain Edward Pennington in 1886,^[7] former governor Edmund G. Ross in 1889,^[8] William B. Walton in 1892,^[9] and R. G. Clark in January 1897,^[10] who left later that year.^[11] In March 1898, J. A. Long acquired the paper,^[12] followed in July 1898 by George L. Shakespeare.^[13]

In 1902, Shakespeare sued P. J. Bennet, publisher of the Deming Herald, for libel, and sought $5,000 in damages.^[14] In 1911, Shakespeare sold the paper to Roy Bedichek and Edwin R. Vallandigham.^[15] Later that year J. H. Shepard was hired as editor,^[16] and after a year was replaced by L. O. Danse.^[17] In 1915, Headlight founder Curren died.^[18] Vallandigham assumed full control of the paper from Bedichek and published it until his death in 1922.^[19] His widow then leased the paper to John A. Griffin, who died in 1924.^[20] Griffin's widow then published the paper for a year. In 1925, Mrs. Vallandigham sold the paper to Col. Clyde Earl Ely.^[21]

In 1926, P.M. McInnis and Captain Charles G. Sage purchased the Headlight from Ely.^[22] In 1927, P.M. McInnis retired due to poor health and sold out to Sage.^[23] A month later Sage was involved in a car crash.^[24] In 1933, Sage purchased the Lordsburg Liberal.^[25] In 1937, Sage purchased the Hatch Reporter.^[26] In 1948, Sage purchased the Deming Graphic from Mrs. M. F. Brumback.^[27]

In 1955, Sage, now a Major General, sold the Headlight and Graphic to David L. "Pappy" Watson.^[28] In 1961, Richard J. Hodson and James D. Glatt bought the papers,^[29] and Watson continued to work as publisher until he died later that year.^[30] Glatt later bought Hodson out. In 1966, he sold the papers to Graham M. Dean, owner of the Artesia Daily Press.^[31] In 1970, James K. Green purchased the three New Mexican papers from Dean.^[32] In 1979, the Graphic was absorbed into the Headlight.^[33]

In 1988, the Green family sold the Headlight, Ruidoso News and El Defensor-Chieftain to Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Daily News.^[34][35] In 1989, Cooke acquired the Valencia County News-Bulletin.^[36] In 1999, MediaNews Group acquired the Headlight.^[37][38] The Headlight later became part of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, a joint venture formed in 2003 between MediaNews Group and Gannett, with MediaNews Group the managing partner.^[39] In 2015, Gannett acquired full ownership of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership.^[40] In 2017, the Headlight decreased its print edition from five days a week to two.^[41] In 2022, Gannett sold the Headlight to Nickolas C. Seibel, publisher of the Silver City Daily Press and Independent.^[42]