Sam Collins was one of the early publishers. Chambers Was Editor A little
later W. E. Chambers became the editor of the Kirkland News Independent, which
in turn was taken over by the old-time real estate firm of Burke and Farrar,
names synonomous with Kirkland.
On July 25, 1918, the 'East Side Journal made its debut. A mortgage
foreclosure had finished the operations of the Independent and Chambers, who
had left Kirkland, was encouraged to return and serve as editor of the
Journal. One of the early objectives of the Journal publishers was to
show Kirkland and environs as an ideal place to live. Burke and Farrar
distributed copies of the newspaper throughout the mid-West, primarily in
Minnesota and the Dakotas, urging the natives of those areas to move out on
the shores of Lake Washington. In those days Guy Farrar was promotion man for
the concern and made "Chautauqua tours" of the central states
searching out prospects.
In returning to Kirkland as editor of the new East Side Journal, Chambers had
this to say in a Page One editorial: "I come not as a stranger in your midst,
and believe that during the years I edited the local paper I demonstrated some
editorial ability, and am confident that when you review the editorial policy
pursued you will remember I relentlessly fought vice, corruption and graft in
every shape and form, even to my own personal detriment The enemies of the
people were my enemies, and those interested in the uplift and betterment of
man always found my paper their champions."
Further on in the article, Chambers said, "it was evident that Mr. Wester (W.
L. Wester) was sincere when he said the only desire of the land company (Burke
and Farrar) was to have a high class newspaper of a constructive nature that
would be a credit to the community, otherwise he would not have come to me,
due to the fact I am, and always have been, opposed to the company in almost
every Kirkland boy not long out of Uncle Sam's World War I uniform. Things
weren't so rosy with the paper when "Dick" assumed command but they were soon
after Everest assumed control of it.
A highlight in "Dick" Everest's tenure as publisher of the Journal was the day
in 1927 when the newspaper was moved to new quarters on Lake Street, where it
has been located until the recent move to the new Journal Building, a few
doors south. The late John Wester, father of Jack Wester, Kirkland
business man, was architect and builder of the four-story printing plant and
apartment units. A brochure printed and distributed by Everest stated, "We
have moved into our new home. It gives us a great deal of pleasure to present
it to the people , of the East Side of Lake Washington for, after all, our new
home is nothing more or less than the home of your newspaper."
After operating the paper for so many years and parlaying it from a little
four-pager to a news organ with bulk in size and weight in editorial content,
"Dick" sold the Journal on September 1, 1937, to Bob and Paul Frank.
This brother combination came from the mid-West, Bob as a journalist and Paul,
an accountant. Bob, a big, good-natured individual, is an expert on typography
and the appearance of the Journal during his time was held in high regard both
by his subscribers and the people who rate newspapers on performance. Paul
later dropped out of the picture and Bob carried on alone.
Frank operated the Journal for 11 years. In 1948 the newspaper was purchased
by its present owners, operating as a partnership until July of this year when
it became a corporation.