Jump to content

St. Marys Oracle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Marys Oracle
TypeWeekly newspaper
Owner(s)West Central Publishing Inc.
Founded1877
Headquarters206 George St, St Marys, WV
Circulation2,006 (as of 2016)[1]
Websiteoracleandleader.com

The St. Marys Oracle is a newspaper serving St Marys, West Virginia, and surrounding Pleasants County.[2] Published weekly, it has a circulation of 2,006 and is owned by West Central Publishing Inc.[3]

History

[edit]

The paper was established in 1877 as the Democratic weekly The Observer by M. P. Prettyman,[4] who bought the printing plant of the failed West Virginia Methodist Protestant.[5] Prettyman, a schoolteacher who had developed an interest in typography, taught himself over a series of weekends to set type and run the press.[5] He would later change the paper's to The Oracle in 1881.[6]

The paper passed through a number of owner's before becoming R. A. Gallagher purchased it and changed the name to the St Marys Oracle in 1885.[7] For a period of 15 years Gallagher ran it, selling a half interest to Robert L. Pemberton in 1902 who managed it from that time forward, buying the full interest in 1909.[5]

By 1920 it had a paid circulation of 1,000.[8]

In 2003, the paper sued the Pleasants school board, claiming it had violated the state's Sunshine Laws by not providing adequate details in a meeting where layoffs were proposed.[9] The two parties were able to resolve the lawsuit out of court, with the paper agreeing that the omission had been unintentional.[10]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 2016 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Directory (PDF). West Virginia Press Association. 2016.
  2. ^ "Newspapers Currently Received in the West Virginia Archives and History Library" (PDF). West Virginia Division of Culture and History. State of West Virginia. December 2016.
  3. ^ 2016 West Virginia Press Association Newspaper Directory (PDF). West Virginia Press Association. 2016.
  4. ^ "About The Observer". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Pemberton, Robert L. (1929). A History of Pleasants County, West Virginia. Clearfield. p. 104. ISBN 9780806351599.
  6. ^ "About The oracle". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  7. ^ "About The St. Marys oracle". Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. ^ Harris, John T. (1920). West Virginia Legislative Hand Book and Manual and Official Register. Charleston, West Virginia: Tribune Printing Company. p. 799.
  9. ^ Associated Press (10 May 2003). "Papers sue Pleasants school board". The Charleston Gazette.
  10. ^ Associated Press (29 August 2003). "Newspapers, Pleasants board to resolve lawsuit". The Associated Press State & Local Wire.