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Newspaper The Dolores Star (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-Current Dolores star diamond jubilee

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About The Dolores Star (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-Current

Dolores, Colorado is located in Montezuma County, situated on the lands of the Ancestral Puebloans and the Ute peoples. The area was settled by white miners in the 1870s, but by the late nineteenth century, cattle ranching was the dominant economic activity in the county. Dolores was established as a station on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad in 1891, which provided a further boost to the county’s economy.

The town’s first paper, the Dolores Herald, was published for only one year, between 1896 and 1897. R.B. Hawkins, who had been previously at the Telluride Daily Journal, took over the defunct Herald and founded the Silver Star. Hawkins printed the following in his first issue, on April 8, 1897:

We will try to keep the Silver Star above petty politics, and in local affairs our policy will be to support the best man for the place, without regards to politics … We are not crazy on the temperance question … was never convicted of stealing anything, have not particular brand of religion to introduce, believe in law and order, and will endeavor to keep at least one eye on the Golden Rule.

The Daily Journal of Telluride described the first issues as “gotten up splendidly, both from a typographical and news standpoint, reflecting much credit upon the editor and publisher” (April 10, 1897). Six months later, in October 1897, the Montezuma Journal of Cortez, Colorado reported that Hawkins had “thrown up the sponge” and Joe DeWitt, formerly of the La Plata Miner, purchased the Silver Star. The San Miguel Examiner noted that “[t]he Dolores Silver Star has changed hands and the new editor [DeWitt] has tightened his belt a notch and assumed the duties of editor, general manager and devil” (October 16, 1897). DeWitt vowed his Star would be “independent and fearless in the future as in the past, and it will always be found on the side of law and order, working for the betterment and upbuilding of the community regardless of consequences” (April 7, 1898).

In addition to reporting local and state news, DeWitt used ready print content from the Western Newspaper Union of Denver to fill out his paper. Against those that “twit him of using ready prints,” he defended his decision by saying that he was able to give more reading matter that was “well-edited and selected with a special view to interest, instruct, and entertain Colorado and western readers” (Daily Journal, January 28, 1899).

The April 3, 1899 issue of the Silver Star carried a prominent advertisement offering the paper and plant for sale. On April 28, 1899, the Star announced the retirement of DeWitt and introduced L.D. Garwood as the Star‘s new editor. Garwood promised the paper would be “in politics, as well in all things … independent, but not neutral.” However, by July of the same year, the editorship of the Silver Star passed back into the hands of Joe DeWitt. The Mancos Times remarked, “Joe H. DeWitt has again assumed charge of the Dolores Silver Star, and we trust he will be content to remain at his post for many moons” (July 28, 1899). In 1901, DeWitt purchased the Silver Star and changed its name to the Dolores Star. With the change of name came a change in look and format. The San Miguel Examiner observed that “Joe DeWitt has just given his Dolores Star a new dress of type and it comes out with all the blushing daintiness of a young miss in her first long frock” (March 2, 1901).

DeWitt again advertised the Dolores Star for sale in September 1902 and sold it to Charles Bear in October 1903. Bear came to the Star from the Salida Mail which described him as one of the “most valued and substantial printers ever employed at the Mail, and it is safe to say that he will make the new venture a success” (October 27, 1903). The Daily Tribune of Florence, Colorado noted that Bear made wonderful improvements at the Star and “if the people of Montezuma county will give Charlie the support he deserves, they will be rewarded with a first class newspaper, reliable in every respect” (January 29, 1904). Bear continued as editor and owner of the Dolores Star for the next 22 years, proud to “advocate those things which its editor believes are for the best interest and advancement of Dolores and the surrounding country” (Dolores Star, April 29, 1910). The paper was sold in September 1925 to Fred Bradshaw, who published the paper until 1949, after which the paper changed ownership many times. It is currently co-published by Sam and Melinda Green.

Provided By: History Colorado

About this Newspaper

Title

  • The Dolores Star (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-Current

Other Title

  • Dolores star diamond jubilee

Dates of Publication

  • 1901-current

Created / Published

  • Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo. : Joe H. De Witt

Headings

  • -  Dolores (Colo.)--Newspapers
  • -  Colorado--Dolores
  • -  United States--Colorado--Montezuma--Dolores

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Vol. 5, no. 1 (Apr. 5, 1901)-
  • -  Published as Dolores star diamond jubilee, Mar. 12, 1971-Mar. 10, 1972.
  • -  Available on microfilm from the Colorado Historical Society.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  Latest issue consulted: Vol. 89, no. 14 (Thursday, June 5, 1986).

Medium

  • volumes

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn86002159

OCLC Number

  • 11176410

ISSN Number

  • 0889-5155

Preceding Titles

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

The Dolores Star Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo. -Current. (Dolores, CO), Jan. 1 1901. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn86002159/.

APA citation style:

(1901, January 1) The Dolores Star Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo. -Current. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/sn86002159/.

MLA citation style:

The Dolores Star Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo. -Current. (Dolores, CO) 1 Jan. 1901. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, aj.sunback.homes/item/sn86002159/.