# The Chehalis Bee > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Chehalis_Bee > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Chehalis_Bee.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chehalis_Bee > Source revision: 1338683220 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Former newspaper in Chehalis, Washington}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Chehalis Bee | logo = | logo_alt = | logo_size = | logo_caption = | image = File:Lewis County Bee 01.jpg | image_alt = | image_size = | caption = Office of the Lewis County Bee, {{circa|1886}} | motto = | type = [Daily](/source/Daily_newspaper), [weekly newspaper](/source/weekly_newspaper) | format = [Broadsheet](/source/Broadsheet) | owner = G.M. Bull and William W. Francis (founders), Dan W. Bush (final owner) | founded = {{start date|1884|06|06}} | ceased_publication = {{end date|1898|11|28}} | relaunched = As the Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 1898 | publisher = | president = | general_manager = | chief_editor = | editor = | custom_label = Original name | custom_data = The Lewis County Bee | political_position = | language = [English](/source/English_language) | publishing_city = [Chehalis, Washington](/source/Chehalis%2C_Washington) | publishing_country = United States | circulation = 4980 | circulation_date = 1898 | circulation_ref = | price = | readership = | sister_newspapers = [The Chehalis Nugget](/source/The_Chehalis_Nugget) | ISSN = | eISSN = | oclc = 17560793 | RNI = | website = | free = Lewis County Bee OCLC - [https://search.worldcat.org/title/17315622 17315622] | module = }} '''''The Chehalis Bee''''' was a [weekly newspaper](/source/weekly_newspaper) published and circulated in [Chehalis, Washington](/source/Chehalis%2C_Washington). The ''Bee'' was originally known as the '''''Lewis County Bee''''' and was the second newspaper organized and published in the city after ''[The Lewis County Nugget](/source/The_Lewis_County_Nugget)''. The first issue of the ''Bee'' was printed and circulated on June 6, 1884. The [nameplate](/source/nameplate_(publishing)) was changed in 1888. The ''Lewis County Bee'' was founded by G.M. Bull and William W. Francis. Ownership or stakes in the paper changed frequently in the late 1880s. Judd Bush purchased the ''Bee'' in 1889; his brother, [Dan W. Bush](/source/Dan_W._Bush), was the editor and became the full, and last, owner in 1891. During the 1890s, the ''Bee'' published several special blue and red inked issues. Competing newspapers in Chehalis included ''[The Chehalis Nugget](/source/The_Chehalis_Nugget)'', the second-leading paper in the city, and ''[The People's Advocate](/source/The_People's_Advocate_(Chehalis%2C_Washington))''. Dan Bush purchased the ''Nugget'' in November 1898 and combined the two competing newspapers into ''[The Chehalis Bee-Nugget](/source/The_Chehalis_Bee-Nugget)''. ==History== ===Beginnings=== The ''Chehalis Bee'', originally known as the ''Lewis County Bee'',{{sfn|McDonald Zander|2011|p=21}} was published from 1884 into November 1898.{{r|VPSP}} The first issue of the ''Lewis County Bee'' was printed and circulated on June 6, 1884.{{cite news |title=Untitled - first column |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee/1897/05-21/page-40 |access-date=January 26, 2026 |work=The Chehalis Bee |date=May 21, 1897 |page=2}}{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=A look back at the history of newspapering in Greater Lewis County |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-look-back-at-the-history-of-newspapering-in-greater-lewis-county,220924 |access-date=February 5, 2026 |work=[The Chronicle](/source/The_Chronicle_(Centralia%2C_Washington)) |date=June 17, 2006}}{{efn|In 1919, the Siler family, of [Siler, Washington](/source/Siler%2C_Washington), donated an original copy of the first editions of the ''Lewis County Bee'' and ''Lewis County Nugget'' to the city's [Carnegie library](/source/Carnegie_library) as part of the facility's permanent collection.{{cite news |title=Librarian Has Annual Report |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1919/09-05/page-9 |access-date=January 22, 2026 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=January 9, 1920 |page=9}}}} Editions varied between [dailies](/source/Newspaper) and [weeklies](/source/Newspaper), often in morning editions.{{cite news |title=Valued Papers Said Periled |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1951/03-17/page-1 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=[The Daily Chronicle](/source/The_Daily_Chronicle) |date=March 17, 1951 |page=1}} An annual subscription cost $1.50.{{r|UFC}} The ''Lewis County Bee'' began under the proprietorship of G.M. Bull and William W. Francis. Bull left the paper later that year; a professor, John T. Forrest{{efn|John T. Forrest was possibly the namesake of the [Forest, Washington](/source/Forest%2C_Washington) community. See the article for more information.}} became a part-owner in April 1886, assuming full-ownership in August.{{r|UFC}} The ''Lewis County Bee'' officially changed its moniker to the ''Chehalis Bee'' in April 1888 after Forrest sold the newspaper to W.E. Shater and W.H. Snyder. The ''Bee'' changed hands frequently afterwards, with the company sold in October 1888 to Frank Mortison and Frank H. Owens,{{r|UFC}} a newspaperman who owned the ''Winlock Pilot''{{cite news |title=News Of The Week |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=THEEYE18881110.2.10 |access-date=February 5, 2026 |work=The Eye (Snohomish, Washington Territory) |date=November 10, 1888 |page=1}} and by the mid-1890s became editor of the ''Coast Advocate'', a "not a large one" newspaper published in [Half Moon Bay, California](/source/Half_Moon_Bay%2C_California). Owens was described by ''[The San Francisco Call](/source/The_San_Francisco_Call)'' as turning the ''Bee'' into the "leading country newspaper in [Western Washington](/source/Western_Washington)".{{cite news |title=Fair Halfmoon Bay |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/california/san-francisco/san-francisco-call/1895/04-23/page-4 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=[The San Francisco Call](/source/The_San_Francisco_Call) |date=April 23, 1895 |page=2}} ===Bush family ownership=== thumb|Nameplate, The Chehalis Bee, 1898 Judd C. Bush,{{efn|Newspaper sources recounting the history of the ''Chehalis Bee'' and ''Chehalis Bee-Nugget'' often confuse the middle initials of the Bush brothers. See sources throughout the article for the errors.}} an Illinois native who arrived in Chehalis in 1888, purchased Mortison's investment in the ''Bee'' in August 1889 and Owen's ownership later that November.{{r|UFC}}{{cite news |title=Chehalis Couple Wed Forty Years |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1933/10-06/page-2 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=[The Centralia Daily Chronicle](/source/The_Centralia_Daily_Chronicle) |date=October 6, 1933 |page=2}} He had previously been a proprietor of other newspapers, including the ''[Sydney Telegraph](/source/Sydney_Telegraph)'' located in [Sidney, Nebraska](/source/Sidney%2C_Nebraska).{{cite news |title=Judd C. Bush Is Taken By Death |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1935/08-12/page-3 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=August 12, 1935 |page=3}} Bush was not an active owner for long, retiring from day-to-day oversight due to "ill health" in March 1890; his brother, [Dan W. Bush](/source/Dan_W._Bush) began management of the ''Chehalis Bee'', serving as editor. He became the outright owner of the ''Bee'' in 1891.{{r|UFC}} A July 1885 edition, in celebrating [Independence Day](/source/Independence_Day_(United_States)), contained blue ink typesetting on the second page, with red ink used on the third page.{{cite news |title="Eye-Deas" |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=THEEYE18850711.2.35 |access-date=February 5, 2026 |work=The Eye (Snohomish City, Washington Territory) |date=July 11, 1885 |page=4}} The July 4, 1888 ''Chehalis Bee'' issue was printed entirely in blue and red ink; the printer's efforts were noted by the ''[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times)'' to be "not less credibly" more than the usual efforts of the ''Bee's'' editor.{{cite news |title=Territorial Talk |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045604/1888-07-08/ed-1/?sp=2 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=[The Seattle Post-Intelligencer](/source/The_Seattle_Post-Intelligencer) |date=July 8, 1888 |page=2}} A similar colored edition was issued in November 1896 during the [1896 United States presidential election](/source/1896_United_States_presidential_election). The blue ink was described as matching the disappointed feelings of Republican voters in the state.{{cite news |title=The State Press |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045604/1896-11-09/ed-1/?sp=4 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=The Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=November 8, 1896 |page=4}} ===Publication ceases=== The ''Chehalis Nugget'' merged with the ''Chehalis Bee'' in 1898 to become ''The Chehalis Bee-Nugget''; Dan Bush remained the owner of the new publication.{{r|TNS}}{{efn|In a moment of commentary from the [Nebraska State Journal](/source/Nebraska_State_Journal), the ''Nugget'' was stated to have begun as a means to "push Mr. Bush from the newspaper field" despite the former beginning a year before the ''Bee''.{{r|PYK}}}} The managing editor of the ''Nugget'' was reported to have sent a "graceful" letter to their competitor, the ''Bee'', "taking his medicine" after the sale.{{cite news |title=People You Know |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/nebraska/lincoln/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal/1898/12-14/page-6 |access-date=January 26, 2026 |work=[Nebraska State Journal](/source/Nebraska_State_Journal) |date=December 14, 1898 |page=9}} The transaction was officially completed on November 28, 1898, for a price of $2,400, {{Inflation|US|2400|1898|fmt=eq}}, which included all ''Nugget'' holdings and machinery. Judd Bush became the editor of the ''Chehalis Bee-Nugget''.{{cite news |title=The Nugget Sold |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=PPLADVCT18981202.2.17 |access-date=February 5, 2026 |work=[The People's Advocate](/source/The_People's_Advocate_(Chehalis%2C_Washington)) |date=December 2, 1898 |pages=1, 2}} Early issues of the ''Bee'' had been stored for preservation in the basement of the [Temple of Justice](/source/Temple_of_Justice_(Washington)) in [Olympia](/source/Olympia%2C_Washington). A collection of the ''Chehalis Bee'', along with other publications printed before 1900, was reported by 1951 to be near a state of permanent loss. The newspapers had begun to rot and [microfilming](/source/microfilming) of the collection had either not been undertaken or was found to be lacking.{{r|VPSP}} ==Recognition and criticism== Four days after the first issue of the ''Lewis County Bee'' was printed, the ''[Seattle Post-Intelligencer](/source/Seattle_Post-Intelligencer)'' remarked that the ''Bee'' was "neat" and believing it could achieve the "fullest measure of success" if it were to be "true to the best interests" of its local readership.{{cite news |title=Brevities |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SEATDPI18840610.1.2 |access-date=February 9, 2026 |work=[The Seattle Daily Post-Intelligencer](/source/The_Seattle_Post-Intelligencer) |date=June 10, 1884 |page=2}} As part of the "Twin Cities" of [Centralia](/source/Centralia%2C_Washington) and Chehalis, the newspaper had a natural competition with the early version of ''[The Chronicle](/source/The_Chronicle_(Centralia%2C_Washington))''. The Centralia paper, in 1889, jokingly stated that the ''Bee'' had "lost its stinger" and that readers in [Lewis County](/source/Lewis_County%2C_Washington) had begun treating it "only as a drone". ''The Chronicle'' stated that the ''Chehalis Bee'', if it improved, could be a valuable business and political influence in [Western Washington](/source/Western_Washington).{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=Today In history: From the files of The Chronicle |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2006/08-15/page-18 |access-date=January 21, 2026 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 15, 2006 |page=B6}} In 1894, the ''Toledo Tidings'' also questioned whether the ''Bee'' may "develop a sting". The ''Tidings'' referred to the newspaper as a "Republican Organette" and part of a "Republican junk club" in Chehalis.{{cite news |title=Untitled - 3rd column |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=PPLADVCT18940831.2.62 |access-date=February 9, 2026 |work=The People's Advocate |date=August 31, 1894 |page=4}} In an anniversary editorial in 1897 marking the newspaper's 13th anniversary, the ''Chehalis Bee'' staff stated that during their control of the newspaper since 1891, the ''Bee'' had "made a few enemies" but had plans to continue the endeavor "another seven years" until they might "find something considerably better".{{r|UFC}} == See also == * [List of newspapers in Washington (state)](/source/List_of_newspapers_in_Washington_(state)) ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== ===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last1=McDonald Zander |first1=Julie |title=Images of America - Chehalis |date=2011 |publisher=[Arcadia Publishing](/source/Arcadia_Publishing) |isbn=9780738576039 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaVwkcPhFwEC |access-date=January 21, 2026 }} {{refend}} ===References=== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00004518/00001/citation University of Florida Digital Collections - Chehalis Bee catalog] {{Chehalis, Washington}} {{Newspapers in the United States}} Category:Chehalis, Washington Category:Defunct newspapers published in Washington (state) Category:Newspapers established in 1884 Category:Newspapers disestablished in the 1890s Category:1884 establishments in Washington Territory Category:1890s disestablishments in Washington (state) Category:1898 disestablishments in the United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Chehalis Bee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chehalis_Bee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chehalis_Bee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.