GRAVETTE — As The Gravette News Herald becomes history with this last issue of the weekly publication, following is a brief history of the newspaper.
The Gravett News was established September 22, 1894, by A. C. Veach, who moved to Gravette from Edna, Kansas. The town, spelled Gravett, had celebrated its first birthday one month earlier.
Veach sold the newspaper to O. W. Kingsbury in 1899, but repurchased it the following year.
Veach then published “The Gravette News” (note an “e” had been added to the town name) until February 1908, when it was sold to Herb Lewis.
Two weeks after purchasing the newspaper, Lewis changed its name to “The Gravette News Herald”.
He wrote that he changed the name just because he wanted to and because it would herald the story of Gravette to the world.
He owned the newspaper until 1925.
Later Paper Owners
Later owners of the newspaper include the following on their respective purchase dates.
1925 - W. H. Plant, editor A. P. Dunagin
1926 - Don Wagner and Abbie Keeler
1927 - Fred Keeler and Abbie Keeler
1929 - Sam Grammer
1933 - Annie Keeler and Abbie Grammer
January 29, 1943 - Paper ceased publication because of lack of manpower and inability to purchase newsprint. July 25, 1945- Paper resumed publication. Purchased by G. S. Lindsey
1945 - Mr. and Mrs. Don Wagner
1947 - Omar and Kermit Eggensperger
1948 - Jack Galbraith
January 1, 1964 - Dodie and Louise Evans
July, 1986 - Al Kuettner and Leland Turner
1988 - Siloam Springs Enterprise, Mike Brown, Publisher Recent Changes
1992 - Merged with Community Publishers, Inc.
October, 2005 - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
November, 2009 - NAN, LLC
August 4, 2010 - Combined with Gentry Courier Journal and Decatur Herald. Renamed Westside Eagle Observer
News, Pages 1 on 07/28/2010