Casa Grande Dispatch
| Type | Thrice-weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. |
| Founder | J. F. Brown |
| Founded | January 1912 (as Casa Grande Times) |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 200 West Second Street Casa Grande, Arizona 85122, United States |
| Circulation | 5,606 (as of 2022)[1] |
| OCLC number | 16877473 |
| Website | trivalleycentral |
The Casa Grande Dispatch is an American newspaper published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in Casa Grande, Arizona. The paper is circulated in Casa Grande and Pinal County. It originated in 1912 and has been published by Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. since 1963.[2]
History
In January 1912, the Casa Grande Times was founded by J. F. Brown.[3][4] Evans T. Richardson was the paper's first publisher and editor.[5][6] After a year, Richardson acquired the paper,[4] and sold it in June 1913 to Wainwright "Bunny" Randall.[7]
In September 1913, a rival paper called the Casa Grande Bulletin was founded by Angela Hutchinson Hammer and Ted Healy.[8][9] Hammer left after a few months. In January 1914, she started a third paper called the Casa Grande Valley Dispatch,[10] which quickly absorbed the Times from Randall.[11]
In 1924, Hammer sold the Dispatch to A.C. Wrenn, owner of the Arizona Blade Tribune. His son Harold H. Wrenn was put in charge of the Dispatch.[12] In 1928, Wrenn acquired the Bulletin from Healy and merged it into the Dispatch.[13] The paper was acquired by E.C. Grasty in January 1930,[14] followed nine months later by William R. Mathews and Ralph Ellinwood in August 1930. At that time, A.N. Boyd was put in charge.[15][16] E.H. Boyd soon became editor and owner.[17] In 1935, Healy died.[18]
In 1941, E.H. Boyd sold the Dispatch and the Coolidge News to Thomas L. Robinson.[17] The Dispatch was acquired by Clyde A. Eckman in 1946,[19] followed by C.W. Cleary in 1948.[20] Dispatch founder Angie Hammer died in 1952.[21] The paper was sold to Walter A. Averill in 1954,[22] Donald N. Soldwedel in 1960,[23] and Donovan M. Kramer in 1963.[24] Hammer became the first woman inducted Arizona Newspaper Hall of Fame in 1965.[25] Kramer was also was inducted into the hall of fame in 1998,[26] and died in 2009.[27] His widow Ruth A. Kramer continued to manage the business until her death in 2025. At that time the Dispatch was passed down to their children.[28]
External links
References
- ^ "2022 ANA Directory by ANA News - Issuu". issuu.com. July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ "About Us | Casa Grande Dispatch: Serving Pinal County For More Than A Century". PinalCentral.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "A New Messenger of Hope". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. January 9, 1912. p. 4.
- ^ a b "History Of Journalism In Casa Grande Is Recorded In Old Files Of Dispatch". Casa Grande Dispatch. March 20, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved April 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Notice". Tucson Citizen. January 6, 1912. p. 4.
- ^ "Arizona". The Los Angeles Times. January 13, 1912. p. 12.
- ^ "Editorial". Casa Grande Dispatch. June 27, 1913. p. 2.
- ^ "Ted Healy Here". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. August 19, 1913. p. 6.
- ^ "Editorial". Casa Grande Bulletin. September 11, 1913. p. 4.
- ^ "A New Paper". The Parker Post. January 14, 1914. p. 2.
- ^ "To Our Subscribers". Casa Grande Dispatch. January 23, 1914. p. 2.
- ^ "Florence Publisher Buys Casa Grande Valley Dispatch". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. November 24, 1924. p. 6.
- ^ "Consolidation Of Two Casa Grande Papers Announced". Arizona Republic. Phoeniz, Arizona. March 3, 1928. p. 11.
- ^ "E.C. Gasty of Chandler is New Owner of Local Paper - Will Form Publishing Firm". Casa Grande Dispatch. January 9, 1930. p. 1.
- ^ "Dispatch Is Sold To Ellinwood And Mathews Of Tucson Star". Casa Grande Dispatch. August 7, 1930. p. 1.
- ^ "Tucsonians Acquire Casa Grande Paper". Tucson Citizen. August 9, 1930. p. 3.
- ^ a b "Coolidge News, Casa Grande Dispatch Sold To Easterner". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. December 24, 1941. p. 10.
- ^ "Service Held For Ted Healy, Former Valley Publisher". Casa Grande Dispatch. April 19, 1935.
- ^ "Casa Grande Dispatch Sold to Clyde Eckman". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. January 12, 1946. p. 2.
- ^ "C.W. Cleary Buys Dispatch; Assumes Control August 1st". Casa Grande Dispatch. July 30, 1948. p. 1.
- ^ "Mrs. A. Hammer, Local Pioneer, Dies In Phoenix". Casa Grande Dispatch. April 17, 1952. p. 1.
- ^ "Casa Grande Dispatch Under New Ownership | Change Is Effective With This Issue; Walter Averill Is New Owner". Casa Grande Dispatch. December 2, 1954. p. 1.
- ^ "Casa Grande Dispatch Under New Ownership". Casa Grande Dispatch. March 31, 1960. p. 1.
- ^ "Mr. and Mrs. Don Kramer Buy Case Grande Dispatch". Casa Grande Dispatch. March 27, 1963. p. 1.
- ^ "Dispatch's Founder Elected To Newspaper Hall of Fame | Pioneer Newswoman Honored Posthumously". Casa Grande Dispatch. January 11, 1965. p. 1.
- ^ "Three inducted into news hall of fame". Arizona Daily Sun. Flagstaff, Arizona. Associated Press. October 18, 1998. p. 3.
- ^ "Obituaries| Donovan Kramer, Sr., 84; published community newspapers in Arizona". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. Associated Press. October 27, 2009. p. 15.
- ^ "Kramer Media co-founder Ruth Kramer dies". National Newspaper Assocation Foundation. June 1, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.