The
Golden Transcript is the second oldest
newspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, behind the
Central City Register-CallThe Central City Register-Call, also called the Weekly Register-Call, is the oldest newspaper in Colorado. It is published by Aaron Storms and David Spellman in Black Hawk, Colorado...
. The
Transcript is also the oldest media outlet of the Denver metropolitan area. It is published by
Mile High NewspapersMile High Newspapers is based in Golden, Colorado, United States. The company publishes four weekly newspapers: the Arvada Press, Lakewood Sentinel, Golden Transcript, and Wheat Ridge Transcript. The company was formerly known as Jeffco Publishing Co. until its most recent name change in May 2005...
in
Golden, ColoradoThe City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
.
Newspaper history
This newspaper was established as the Colorado Transcript in Golden on December 19, 1866. It was begun by George WestGeorge West was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Bradninch, England, West attended the common schools. West immigrated to the United States in February 1849 and settled at Ballston Spa, New York...
, one of the founding fathers of Golden, who came west as leader of the Boston Company during the Colorado Gold RushThe Pike's Peak Gold Rush was the boom in gold prospecting and mining in the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory of the United States that began in July 1858 and lasted until roughly the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861...
in 1859. West began his journalistic career as an apprentice of the newspaper of Claremont, New HampshireThere were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
, continuing as a journalist at the Boston TranscriptThe Boston Evening Transcript was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941.-Beginnings:...
. After coming west, he fortuitously helped William N. Byers publish the first extra edition of the Rocky Mountain NewsThe Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
on June 11, 1859, and then with his partners in the Boston Company established Colorado's fourth newspaper, the Western Mountaineer, in Golden on December 4, 1859. After that newspaper ceased operating in 1860, West fought with the Union ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in the American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and resumed his journalistic career as Local Editor of the News in 1865. With money West saved he established Colorado's eighth newspaper, and Golden's third newspaper, in 1866. He named it the Transcript after his old newspaper, the Boston Transcript, which published from 1830-1941 on Milk Street across from the Old South Meeting House in BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The namesake has now outlived the 110-year career of the original.
Originally a weekly, the Transcript would continue publishing along this line for a century. Its founder remained at the helm for 40 years, a remarkable accomplishment in Colorado journalism, until his death in 1906. An ardent DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, West used his paper often to promote Democratic candidates and causes. He also was a tireless promoter of Golden and constantly reported on and encouraged its growth and progress. Upon his death it passed to his son, Harley Dean West, a veteran of the Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, and it remained in the West family for some years. During the 1960s the newspaper became a twice-weekly, three days a week, and finally a daily newspaper, publishing on weekdays throughout the 1970s. It resumed being twice weekly in the 1980s, and resumed being a weekly in the 2000s. Through the years the Transcript outlasted skilled and serious competition, including the Golden Globe (1872–1919); Jefferson County Republican (1919–46); and Golden Outlook (1940s-90s).
The Golden Transcript carries the remarkable distinction of having never missed an edition throughout its publishing history. This has been accomplished despite such events as a major paper shortage that caused it to print on single sheets of wrapping paper in 1869 and a fire that struck it as a daily in 1978. As of December 24, 2009, the Transcript has published 10,832 total issues.
Homes of the Transcript
The Golden Transcript has been headquartered at five locations:
- Boston Building - 1005 Washington Avenue, Golden (1866–67, now destroyed)
- Loveland Block - 1225 Washington Avenue, Golden (1867–70, second building of that name, now destroyed)
- Transcript Building - 1115 Washington Avenue, Golden (1870–1967)
- Transcript Building - 1000 10th Street, Golden (1967–2007)
- ClickData Building - 110 North Rubey Drive, Golden (2007-Today)
In 1978 the Hesteds Building (1225 Washington Avenue, now destroyed) became the emergency quarters from which the
Transcript was published after its headquarters was damaged by fire on November 4, 1978. Ironically, the paper was printed on exactly the same site as its second home.
Other Transcript newspapers
Through time companion editions of the Transcript have been published by its creators. These include Golden's original daily edition, reporting on the Colorado Territorial Legislature, published from 1866–67; the Denver edition, published in 1875; and the Wheat Ridge editionThe Wheat Ridge Transcript Newspaper is a weekly newspaper that serves the community of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The newspaper is owned by Mile high newspapers. Originally the Jefferson County Transcript, it has been published since 1982....
(originally Jefferson County edition), published from 1982 to the present. These are considered distinct publications apart from the original Transcript.
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