The Delano Record was a semi-weekly newspaper serving Delano, California and surrounding area.^[1][2] It ceased publication in 2017 as an individual publication, but reemerged as a subsection of the Bakersfield.com website.

History

In June 1908, Franklin H. Austin published the first edition of the Delano Holograph.^[3][4][5] A month later Austin sold the paper to W.T. Boone and O.O. Robertson, two Delano real estate men.^[6] The name was then changed to the Delano Record.^[7] Austin retained the rights to the old name and used it for another publication called Austin's Illustrated Holograph.^[8]

In March 1909, R.K. Brundage bought the paper.^[9] Brundage wanted to devote more time to his real estate business, so a month later he leased the paper to Charles H. Seiders and Charles K. Seeber.^[10] Seeber left at some point and Selders edited the Record until his sudden death in November 1913.^[11] Seiders died from drinking lye, a chemical used to clean type metal. It is unknown whether his death was an intentional suicide or an accident. Seiders recently failed to secure a loan to expand his plant, which could have induced depression. However, he could have mistaken the poison for the second glass in his office, which was filled with water.^[12] At that time Seeber returned to operate the Record.^[13]

In November 1915, J.V. Van Eaton, former staffer at The Fresno Herald, purchased the Record.^[14] In January 1917, Van Eaton sold the business to Walter A. Wyatt.^[15] Wyatt became editor and L. Boyd Baker, son of Rev. A.L. Baker, was named secretary-treasurer.^[16] In April 1917, Joseph C. Norwood bought the paper.^[17] In October 1917, A.W. Thresher, publisher of the Wasco News, purchased the interest of Norwood. Rev. A.L. Baker remained a minority owner.^[18] Norwood soon launched a rival weekly paper in town called the Delano News. At that time Delano had a population of 500.^[19]

The Record was acquired by Larry A. Freeman of Los Angeles in 1942,^[20] followed by George B. Keyzers of San Gabriel in 1950.^[21] Three decades later, Keyzers sold the paper to Reed Print Co. in 1985.^[22] In 2011, Schafter Press, which printed the Record, caught fire.^[23] The fire destroyed the paper news archives, causing the loss of any material that had not previously been stored on microfiche.^[24] The newspaper closed its doors in December 2017 after Reed Print folded.^[25] The Bakersfield Californian soon added a weekly section titled the Delano Record.^[26]

Cesar Chavez Coverage

During the late 1960s it was known for supporting grape growers over workers during the Delano grape strike.^[27] Cesar Chavez recalled that the Record accused him of using "vicious dogs" to scare workers into signing up for the newly formed union.^[28] In fact, the FBI file compiled on Chavez when he was considered for an appointment in the Johnson administration contained an editorial from the Record arguing that such an appointment would be a "cruel hoax":^[29][30]

We agree with David Fairbairn . . . that this proposed appointment is an absurdity, but we go further. We submit this is a cynical and cruel hoax that in the long run can only undermine and make a mockery of the legitimate aspirations of our citizens of Mexican ancestry for the recognition by officialdom to which they are entitled...

References