Weekly newspaper now stands as Folsom’s oldest continuously operating business
The Folsom City Council took a moment before Tuesday night’s meeting to recognize a historic milestone in the community — the 170th anniversary of the Folsom Telegraph.
“On behalf of the Folsom City Council and our residents, we commend and congratulate the Folsom Telegraph for its 170 years of dedicated service and its enduring legacy as the oldest business in Folsom,” Mayor Justin Raithel said. “We thank the staff, past and present, for their commitment to telling Folsom’s story.”
During the presentation, Raithel reflected on the newspaper’s long history in the community, noting its presence through major chapters of Folsom’s development — from its earliest days during the Gold Rush and the arrival of the railroad to economic hardships and the modern challenges facing print newspapers in the digital age.
First published on March 12, 1856 as the Granite Journal, the newspaper that would later become the Folsom Telegraph has chronicled the life of the community for 170 years, documenting the people, places and events that have shaped the city from its earliest days through the modern era.
The newspaper took its original name from the town’s earliest identity. Before becoming known as Folsom, the settlement along the American River was briefly referred to as Granite City during the height of the Gold Rush.
Today, the Telegraph stands as Sacramento County’s oldest newspaper and the fourth-oldest weekly newspaper in California. Only three publications in the state have operated longer: the Mountain Democrat in Placerville, founded in 1852; the Mariposa Gazette, established in 1854; and the Amador Ledger Dispatch, which began publishing in 1855.
Much of the historical information about the newspaper’s earliest years comes from archival records and historic editions preserved by the Folsom History Museum.
In its earliest days, the newspaper was a modest publication consisting of just four pages printed weekly in the basement of a building near the corner of Sutter and Wool streets in what is now Historic Folsom. The paper was produced using hand-set type, a labor-intensive printing process that remained in use until 1933.
Early editions looked far different from modern newspapers. Pages were filled with long columns of text, often reprinted from larger city newspapers across the United States, with relatively little local reporting. Advertisements featuring simple line-art drawings provided the only visual break in the dense blocks of type. Photographs would not become common in newspapers for many decades, and headlines were only slightly larger than the stories they accompanied.
Within a year of its founding, the Granite Journal was renamed the Folsom Dispatch.
Ownership of the publication changed hands several times during its early years. In 1858, William Penry purchased the newspaper but sold it after only a few months to Thomas Mooney. Under Mooney’s ownership, the publication again changed its name, becoming Mooney’s Folsom and Placerville Express.
Mooney later moved to San Francisco to publish another newspaper that included a section dedicated to news from Folsom.
Penry returned to Folsom later that same year and, along with partner Charles Killmer, launched theFolsom Semi-Weekly Telegraphon July 3, 1860. The name reflected the publication’s increased frequency of printing.
The title changed again the following year as the town itself transitioned fully from Granite City to Folsom. By 1861, the newspaper became known as the Folsom Weekly Telegraph.
Penry sold his interest in the Telegraph that year to O.D. Avaline, who became the paper’s sole proprietor. During the Civil War, Avaline left to join the Union Army. While he served, the newspaper continued publishing with assistance from his wife and a local attorney, Peter Hopper.
Following the war, Hopper eventually assumed control of the newspaper and shifted the publication fully to a weekly format as the paper continued evolving under new ownership.
The Telegraph continued to grow over the following decades as different publishers guided the paper through periods of change. In 1874, John Howe purchased the newspaper and published it until his death the following year.
After his passing in 1875, ownership of the paper passed to his widow, Mrs. John Howe, who continued operating the publication for nearly a decade.
Her tenure marked one of the earliest known instances of a woman serving as both publisher and editor of a newspaper in the region. Historical records preserved in the Folsom History Museum archives indicate that Howe continued publishing the Telegraph until 1884, carrying forward the weekly publication at a time when opportunities for women in journalism and business leadership were rare.
While little detailed documentation remains about Howe’s personal life, historical accounts describe her as a determined editor who was not hesitant to express strong opinions in the pages of the newspaper. Among the topics she reportedly addressed were matters of public behavior and civic responsibility, reflecting the role early newspapers often played in shaping community standards in frontier towns.
Because women in the 19th century were commonly identified publicly by their husband’s name, historical records rarely include Howe’s first name. Instead, her byline in the pages of the newspaper simply appeared as “Mrs. John Howe” or “Mrs. Howe.”
Her role in sustaining the Telegraph during those years represents an important chapter in the newspaper’s early history and in the broader story of women in Western journalism.
In 1884, ownership of the newspaper passed to Weston P. Truesdell, and the publication adopted the name that remains today —The Folsom Telegraph.
By the late 1880s, the newspaper continued expanding its role as a voice for the growing community.
In 1889, Thaddeus McFarland assumed control of the newspaper and shifted its editorial focus more squarely toward reporting on the lives and activities of Folsom residents.
Following his death in 1897, his wife, Mary McFarland, took over the responsibilities of publisher and editor. With the help of her children, including daughter Hazel, the McFarland family continued operating the newspaper for decades.
Among the most influential figures in the newspaper’s history was Hazel McFarland, who began working at the Telegraph as a young apprentice in the print shop. Over time, she became central to producing the weekly publication, often spending long Thursday evenings in the Telegraph office on Sutter Street preparing the paper for printing and distribution alongside family members.
The McFarland family would guide the Telegraph for roughly half a century, making it one of the longest periods of single-family stewardship in the newspaper’s early history. Historical accounts describe Thursday evenings at the Telegraph office as a busy and often late-night operation as the weekly edition was printed. Once the press began running, freshly printed papers were stacked, folded by hand and prepared for delivery throughout the region. The sound of the press starting and the smell of fresh ink signaled that another edition of the community’s newspaper was ready for readers.
Beyond the newsroom, Hazel McFarland also played an important role in the civic life of the community. When the City of Folsom incorporated in 1946, she became the city’s first elected clerk. Alongside her duties at City Hall and the newspaper office, she also taught piano lessons to local children from her home on Figueroa Street.
The Telegraph entered a new era in 1962 when the newspaper was purchased by publisherJ. Clifton Toney and business partner Fred Curry. Under their leadership, the publication expanded its coverage and modernized operations. Steve Toney, Clifton’s son, moved to Folsom to work at the newspaper in various capacities – ad salesman among others.
When lithography became the technology used for printing, he became a master lithographer. The second generation newspaper local passed away in April of 2024.
That same decade marked a significant technological change when the newspaper transitioned to a Goss Urbanite offset press, allowing for higher-quality printing and faster production.
In 1976, the Telegraph was sold to Sierra Publications, which also operated the Sacramento Union and several suburban newspapers.
Ownership changed again in 1990 when Lesher Communications acquired the paper, marking the first time the Telegraph was owned by a large regional publishing company.
From 1995 until 2022, the Telegraph operated under the ownership of Brehm Communications Inc., a family-owned newspaper company with a long history in community journalism. During that time, the Telegraph was part of a group of Northern California publications that included the Auburn Journal, Lincoln News Messenger, Placer Herald, Roseville Press Tribune and Loomis News. The papers were organized under the Gold Country Media brand, with printing operations handled by sister company Gold Country Printing based in Auburn.
During the years under Brehm ownership, the Telegraph earned numerous professional honors from organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists and the California News Publishers Association. The newspaper was repeatedly recognized among the top community newspapers in California, including several years in which it was ranked among the top three publications in the state by the California News Publishers Association.
Later in 2022, Brehm Communications sold the Telegraph and its sister publications to Alta Newspaper Group Limited Partnership, a privately held Canadian publisher owned by Vancouver-based Glacier Media Inc. and its founder, David Radler.
Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Glacier Media operates a network of media and information businesses across North America. Through Alta Newspaper Group, the company has expanded its presence in California by acquiring several local newspapers and community publications.
Radler, a Canadian executive active in finance and news media, has a storied history in the newspaper industry. Earlier in his career, he served as president of Ravelston Corporation, a privately owned company he co-managed with media executive Conrad Black that once controlled a large international newspaper portfolio, including Hollinger International,
Alta Newspaper Group manages many of its California holdings through affiliated entities, including Gold Mountain California News Media, under which the Telegraph and several other regional publications currently operate. The newspapers are produced from the company’s main regional office in Auburn.
Following the transition in ownership, the company reorganized operations across several of its California publications. The restructuring included reductions in management and staffing levels and the closure of several local newspaper offices across the communities served by the group.
Among those departing during that transition was longtime Folsom Telegraph editor and general manager Bill Sullivan, who had also served as regional publisher under Brehm Communications. Sullivan later went on to join forces with longtime software developer and Folsom resident Adam Frick to co-found All Town Media LLC and launch Folsom Times, an independent digital news and entertainment publication focused on Folsom and surrounding communities, an effort several other media outlets have featured them for, including Comstocks , Courthouse News, and others.
Over the past two decades, the newspaper industry has undergone sweeping change across the globe as digital platforms reshaped how people consume information. At one time, weekly newspapers regularly published large editions filled with advertising, which served as the primary marketing platform for local businesses. Today, advertising and readership habits have greatly shifted to digital platforms, forcing print newspaper page counts across the industry decline, once bustling newsrooms that were a hub of activity at all hours have shrunk or become non-existent and many publications reduced print frequency or closed entirely, leaving many communities as “news deserts.”
Gold Mountain California News Media Publisher John Love was in attendance at City Hall Tuesday to accept the 170 Year Recognition.
“I’ve been in this industry for little over thirty-five years and it has definitely changed seen its changes,” said Love as he addressed council members “We appreciate being a part of Folsom, and we hope to be here for another 170 years. Thank you for the invite and accommodation.”
Despite the many challenges of the past, present and the future, the Folsom Telegraph has continued to publish as a weekly newspaper, carrying forward a tradition that began during the Gold Rush when Folsom began to rise from mere dirt. Congratulations on 170 years!
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Historical information and historical photos for the above publishing provided with the assistance of Folsom History, Folsom Public Library, Library of Congress and Newspapers.com.
