The Reflector (Washington newspaper)

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The Reflector
TypeWeekly newspaper
Owner(s)Camden and Mac Spiller
FounderKelley Loe
Editor-in-chief
Eric Schwartz
Founded1909 (1909)
Headquarters209 E Main St, Ste 139 Battle Ground, WA 98604
Circulation29,022 (as of 2022)[1]
OCLC number17011335
Websitethereflector.com

The Reflector is a weekly newspaper that provides coverage of Battle Ground, Washington in the United States and is the legal newspaper of the City of Battle Ground.[2][3]

The name Reflector comes from a tradition including similar newspaper titles like "Mirror." Norwalk, Ohio and Greenville, North Carolina also have newspapers called the Reflector.[4]

History

Kelley Loe published the first issue of The Reflector in Ridgefield, Washington on October 8, 1909.[5] At the time the town had a population around 300.[6] In March 1910, Loe denied reports he had sold the paper,[7] but the later that month it was confirmed the new owner was to be H. A. Moore.[8]

A. W. and C. C. McCormack owned the paper for three years until they sold the paper to Willard D. Nelson, of Haines.[9][10] The paper was soon returned to the McCormacks who resold it in 1924 to J.R. "Red" Hicks, of Sumas.[11] A year later he installed a linotype machine.[12] Hicks published the paper for 22 years, only ever taking 11 vacation days during his career.[13] The Reflector was sold to a group of six Vancouver businessmen who incorporated the enterprise as the A. M. Publishing Company Dave H. Deihl.[14] The company also published the Mid-County Record of Battle Ground, and soon relocated the printing plant.[15]

Richard F. Crouch was hired as a foreman at the Ridgefield newspaper plant and Battle Ground commercial printing plant.[16] In 1948, Crouch and Robert L. Robb leased the plant from A.M.,[17] and Crouch later bought Robb out to become the sole owner of The Reflector and The Mid-County Record.[18] By 1951, the papers came to be owned by John Holt Dodge, who merged the two papers together form The Mid-County Reflector.[19] The paper was relocated from Ridgefield to Battle Ground in 1959.[20]

In 2010, The Reflector was purchased by Lafromboise Communications from its owner of the previous 30 years, Marvin Case.[21][22][23] At that time, it had a free home delivery circulation of 26,500.[24] Steve Walker, formerly of The Daily Chronicle, took over as publisher.[25] In 2020, Chad and Coralee Taylor, owners of The Silver Agency in Chehalis, purchased the newspaper from Lafromboise Communications owner Jenifer Lafromboise Falcon.[26]

In 2026, brothers Camden and Mac Spiller, owners of Maddox Industrial Transformer, bought The Reflector. At the time, the paper's six employees, including two reporters, were required by the new ownership to reapply for their jobs; the publication was also planned for a six-month hiatus.[27][28] The purchase raised concerns among members in the community given the Spiller's association with members of Christian nationalist movements as well as perceived potential conflicts of interest with the brother's ownership of multiple businesses in Battle Ground, several of which employ other prominent figures and elected officials in the city.[28][29] In a commentary article, Camden Spiller announced that new ownership would not allow "puff pieces or pulled punches" and any conflicts of interest was to be noted.[30]

References

  1. "The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy" (PDF). League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund. November 14, 2022.
  2. "Battle Ground City Code – Chapter 1.04 – General Provisions". codepublishing.com. City of BattleGround. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  3. "About The Reflector". thereflector.com. The Reflector. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  4. Bernhard, Jim (2007). Porcupine, Picayune, and Post: How Newspapers Get Their Names. University of Missouri Press. p. 92. ISBN 9780826266019.
  5. "Riegefield Weekly To Appear Oct. 8". The Columbian. September 29, 1909. p. 1.
  6. "Discovering Ridgefield History" (PDF). ridgefieldwa.us. City of Ridgefield. January 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  7. "Local News". Vancouver Columbian. March 10, 1910. p. 3.
  8. "Personal Mention". The Columbian. March 23, 1910. p. 3.
  9. "County Paper Changes Hands". The Columbian. July 30, 1921. p. 3.
  10. "Ridgefield Newspaper Published First Time By New Owner". The Columbian. September 2, 1921. p. 10.
  11. "McCormacks Announce Sale Of Reflector To J. R. Hicks Of Sumas". The Columbian. May 5, 1924. p. 3.
  12. "Ridgefield Reflector Installs Linotype". The Columbian. May 12, 1925. p. 2.
  13. "'Red' Hicks Retiring From Newspaper After 38 Years". The Columbian. January 31, 1946. p. 9.
  14. "2 Publishers Will Retire". The Columbian. January 25, 1946. p. 12.
  15. "Paper Has New Home". The Columbian. February 21, 1947. p. 4.
  16. "Ex-instructor Now Foreman". The Columbian. August 28, 1947. p. 4.
  17. "Two Lease Printing Plant". The Columbian. March 29, 1948. p. 12.
  18. "Crouch Now Sole Owner". The Columbian. September 20, 1948. p. 12.
  19. "Reflector Editor Visits Colorado". The Columbian. August 22, 1951. p. 7.
  20. Caldbick, John (February 25, 2010). "Battle Ground -- Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  21. Sherwood, Courtney (June 21, 2010). "The Reflector purchased by Centralia publisher". The Columbian. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  22. "Chronicle's Parent Company Purchases Battle Ground Newspaper". The Chronicle. June 22, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  23. Bagwell, Steve; Stapilus, Randy (2013). New Editions: The Northwest's newspapers as they were, are, and will be. Carlton, Oregon: Ridenbaugh Press. ISBN 978-0-945648-10-9. OCLC 861618089. | website = www.thereflector.com
  24. Sherwood, Courtney (June 21, 2010). "The Reflector purchased by Centralia publisher".
  25. "Chronicle's Parent Company Purchases Battle Ground Newspaper". The Chronicle. June 21, 2010.
  26. Lafromboise Falcon, Jenifer (December 31, 2020). "Reflector Sold to New Owners". The Reflector. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  27. "The Reflector ownership returns to Battle Ground". The Reflector. Battle Ground, Washington. June 10, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  28. Neumann, Erik (June 11, 2026). "Controversial Battle Ground business owners buy community's only newspaper". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  29. Neumann, Erik (April 30, 2026). "A Christian vision for Battle Ground?". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
  30. Spiller, Camden (June 11, 2026). "Camden Spiller: Bringing The Reflector home". The Reflector. Retrieved June 15, 2026.