Woodburn Independent
Weekly newspaper published in Woodburn, Oregon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Woodburn Independent was a weekly paper published in Woodburn, Oregon, United States, and also covering the cities of Hubbard, Aurora, Donald, Gervais, St. Paul and Mt. Angel, and the surrounding area of Marion County.[3] The Independent was founded in 1888.[1] It is published on Wednesdays by Pamplin Media Group.[1] In 2026, the paper became the Herald Independent.[4]
| |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Pamplin Media Group |
| Publisher | Kim Stephens |
| Editor | Justin Much |
| Staff writers | 2 |
| Founded | 1888[1] |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 1585 N. Pacific Hwy., Suite H Woodburn, Oregon 97071 United States |
| Circulation | 5,254 (as of 2022)[2] |
| OCLC number | 11702956 |
| Website | woodburnindependent |
History
The paper was established by Leonard H. McMahan on December 1, 1888.[5][6] According to the newspaper's staff, the paper preceded the incorporation of Woodburn by about nine months and initially read more like a gossip sheet than a news source.[6] McMahan went on to become a member of the Oregon House of Representatives during the 1923 Legislature, and a Marion County Circuit Judge from 1924 to 1943.[5]
McMahan edited the paper until 1893.[7] That year, the Woodburn Independent and the Woodburn World were bought by J.E. Day and A.S. Auterson, who consolidated the papers together. McMahan then started a new paper in Salem called the Evening Independent.[8] In 1895, R.H. Miller bought Day's stake for $1,600. At that time, Auterson was the plant's foreman and Miller owned the Star job printing office in Eugene.[9] Auterson became the paper's publisher and one time was threatened by a man demanding a retraction.[10]
In 1898, Herbert L. Gill became a co-owner of the Independent with Auterson.[11][12] In 1911, Gill sold the paper to John Ralph Bell but soon regained ownership.[7][13][14] In 1921, Gill and his son Wayne B. Gill became co-owners of the paper.[15] Herbert L. Gill sold his stake to Rodney W. Alden in 1930.[16] Alden sold out to Mrs. Mabel Grass in August 1944,[17] and who then acquired full ownership from Wayne B. Gill in October 1946.[15]
Grass sold the paper to Edward C. Conman and Eugene F. Stoller in August 1947.[18] Eagle Newspapers acquired the paper from Stoller in 1971.[19][20] About forty years later the company sold the paper along with five others in January 2013 to Pamplin Media Group.[21][22] Robert B. Pamplin Jr. sold the company in June 2024 to Carpenter Media Group.[23] In March 2026, the Independent merged with The Herald-Pioneer to form The Herald-Independent.[4]
Lawsuit
The Independent sued the city of Salem when the city denied access to records of a 2017 arrest for child abuse. The newspaper lost the initial case, but won on appeal in September 2018.[24]