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About The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938
Meridian, Idaho (1909-1938)

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Title:
The Meridian times. : (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938
Place of publication:
Meridian, Idaho
Geographic coverage:
  • Meridian, Ada, Idaho  |  View more titles from this: City County, State
Publisher:
J.F. Baird
Dates of publication:
1909-1938
Description:
  • Vol. 6, no. 6 (May 14, 1909)-v. 54, no. 42 (Jan. 31, 1958).
Frequency:
Weekly
Language:
  • English
Subjects:
  • Idaho--Meridian.--fast--(OCoLC)fst01220478
  • Meridian (Idaho)--Newspapers.
Notes:
  • Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
LCCN:
sn 89055004
OCLC:
19023790
ISSN:
2575-0658
Preceding Titles:
Succeeding Titles:
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The Meridian times. May 7, 1909 , Image 1

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The Meridian Times

John F. Baird bought the Meridian Tribune in Meridian, Idaho, from Dr. Samuel Reynolds in May 1909. Reynolds had been publishing the Tribune in Meridian since 1903, when the town was first incorporated. Baird changed the name of the paper to the Meridian Times with his second issue, and dropped the subscription price to one dollar, with the goal to "make the price so low that no one in the vicinity will have an excuse to do without his home paper."

The Meridian Times contained sections of school district news, church happenings, and Oregon Short Line Railroad timetables. While dedicating most of the column space to Meridian news and society notes, the Times also contained news of nearby Boise and other Ada County and neighboring Canyon County towns of Nampa, Caldwell, and Star.

Meridian developed as an agricultural community, and many issues of the Times included one or more pages devoted completely to crop and stock raising news, tips, developments, and discussions. Advertisements by local businesses such as banks, hardware stores, and lumber companies, were targeted to the farming community. On multiple occasions, Meridian played host to meetings of farmers from all around Ada County. In February 1922, the Times published an interesting clip, "The growing of head lettuce is a new industry which bids fair to become a permanent and lucrative one and the farm bureau has arranged for a campaign in Ada County with meetings to be held this week in Meridian."

John F. Baird often took jabs at two other rural newspapers, the Caldwell Tribune and the Nampa Recorder. All three papers had an ongoing rivalry, with each claiming its town was the best in the region.

When Baird first established the Meridian Times, the paper was four pages with six columns and published weekly. In 1913, he purchased a new power printing press, and the paper expanded to eight pages with six columns. Baird continued to publish the Meridian Times for nearly two decades. The Meridian Times continued publication until 1958 when it changed to the Meridian News-Times.

Provided by: Idaho State Historical Society