The Western Star: A Local Newspaper with a Rich History and Archive

• The Western Star newspaper was established in 1884 in Coldwater, Kansas, around the same time as the town of Coldwater, and they have been growing at similar rates.
• Over time it has become one of oldest newspapers due largely to its rich history dating back over 130 years!
• You can explore The Western Star online newspaper archive with over 11.000 searchable pages from 1884–1923.

The Western Star is a local newspaper that has been published continuously since 1884.

The Western Star newspaper was established in August 1884, right around the time when Comanche county was starting to gain organization and only a few months after the establishment of the town Coldwater. Since both The Western Star and Coldwater were founded around the same time, they have been growing at similar rates.

The Western Star is always adapting to improve. In 1942, it was the first newspaper in southwestern Kansas to install an automatic job press. This was done during WWII when help was scarce, but it allowed the paper to put out a better product more quickly and neatness became less of an issue. There were many nights the staff worked until dawn on Friday mornings just so that readers could get their paper early that day.

In May 1945, Mrs. Lenore B. Butcher transferred her interest in The Western Star newspaper and office building to her partner Ward H. Butcher and his son Norman W. Butcher, per her will. With this, the third generation of the Butcher family became business partners.

The Western Star has been serving Coldwater, Kansas since 1884 and has grown into one of the oldest newspapers in Kansas state over time with unique features and contents making it stand out from other newspapers in the area. Its rich history makes it a valuable asset for those living in Coldwater as well as anyone interested in finding out more about this historic publication from Kansas state!