(In this 1910 photo, the Pajaronian was a daily and weekly newspaper operating out of downtown Watsonville. Pajaro Valley Historical Association archives)
Sitting at my desk, fingers on the keyboard, I find myself stumped on how to begin this column.
How do I effectively capture the impact the Pajaronian has had in its 150-year history, in only one or two sentences? Especially when that history includes the long-time careers of hard-boiled editors such as James Piratsky and Frank Orr, as well as the illustrious Pulitzer Prize in 1956.
Yes, it’s intimidating.
When I mentioned this dilemma to R-P reporter Todd Guild, he told me to write just what I told him.
That did the trick, giving me a bolt of inspiration that was probably not all that different from the one J.A. Cottle felt when he decided to publish his own newspaper in the fledgling town of Watsonville, 150 years ago.
On March 5, 1868, Cottle, the first owner, editor and publisher, established the Weekly Pajaronian. The one-page, six-column publication was printed at 313-315 Main St.
What Cottle’s intent was for the paper is unclear, but perhaps it wasn’t for its news value. The Pajaronian was a place for poetry, creative writing, and other essays seemingly not pertinent to Watsonville or its surroundings. A one-column strip along the side was reserved for local advertisers, where readers would find the latest deals at establishments such as Watsonville Boot and Shoe Store and Thomas Snodgrass, Harness Maker, now lost to the sands of time.
The first issue in particular had a hefty list of attorneys offering their services, for whatever reason.
Sometime during Piratsky’s 30-year tenure as editor, the Pajaronian began its rise as a trusted local news source. Not long after Piratsky’s tenure, Orr burst onto the scene as editor. His name is still mentioned, whether fondly or not, by long-time Watsonville residents.
As the Pajaronian turned 150 years old on Monday, today’s front page is an homage to those editions of the past.
Publisher Jeanie Johnson, a long-time employee of the newspaper, said the impact the R-P has had on the community cannot be understated.
“The Pajaronian was founded very early in Watsonville’s history,” she said. “Generations of Watsonville residents have turned to the newspaper to find out what is going on in their community. It is very much ingrained in the fabric of the city.”
With such a long history, the newspaper has become a tradition for some families.
Watsonville resident David Miller, in a letter to this newspaper, said his parents first subscribed to the R-P in the 1940s. Miller, his sister and brother grew up reading the newspaper.
Like many others, the Miller siblings read the comics first.
“As we grew older, we learned so much about politics, history, geography and science from the paper,” Miller wrote. “It recorded all the important events in our city and county. There is still no better news source for our area.”
Steve Bankhead, a frequent contributor to the paper and Watsonville resident, began reading the R-P in high school. He later subscribed in 1966 while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany because he wanted to keep up with the happenings in his hometown.
“It wasn’t quite daily though,” Bankhead recalled. “Newspapers came by boat mail, so I’d occasionally get a big bundle of a week or two editions, which I’d ration by only reading one each day till the next load came in.”
It is said that a local newspaper is the heart and soul of a city, and that couldn’t be more true in Watsonville: The R-P and the city share a birthday in the same month and same year.
On March 30, 1868, the California State Legislature approved a request to incorporate Rancho Bolsa del Pajaro into the Town of Watsonville, a town that had a population of just more than 1,000.
Watsonville city officials have a large schedule of events set for 2018 to commemorate the sesquicentennial, kicking off March 30 with a birthday cake celebration at the plaza.
We will also be marking the occasion by publishing a magazine, which will be filled to the brim of historical facts, photos and other tidbits throughout the past 150 years of the R-P and Watsonville. The magazine will be available at the March 30 event and throughout the year.
Just like the opening words, I’m now finding it difficult to put the final exclamation point on a legacy that continues every day, so I will keep it simple:
Thank you for reading, and we look forward to providing you with the news that matters to you for the next 150 years.
