The Ordway New Era Archive

The Missouri Pacific Railroad pushed through Ordway in eastern Colorado as early as 1887, but it wasn't established as an official town until 1890. C.B. Stewart, formerly of the short-lived Granada Times, set up the Ordway New Era and began publication using a small printing press and hand-set type. The first, eight-page issue came out on March 14, 1902, in which Stewart promised, "When we get underway, we shall print four of the pages at home, and be able to give our readers more matter. Give us a chance and we will do all that we can to give you a first class paper." Stewart was briefly joined by his stepson, J.W. Walters, who acted as publisher in 1904 and 1905. Stewart stayed with the New Era until 1907 when Jay F. Johnson took over the New Era and its subscription list of around 400. Stewart went to act as a Justice of the Peace in Ordway, and he later founded and published the Cheraw Clarion from 1910 to 1916, occasionally returning to the New Era throughout the years.

Johnson edited and published the New Era until 1914, when Lester Isaac and Nina B. Giffin took control of the paper. Lester Giffin had previously worked on the Grand Junction News and the Pueblo Chieftain before buying the New Era. Besides acting as the editor and publisher of the paper, Giffin served as mayor of Ordway for two terms, as well as the president of the Colorado Editorial Association in 1921, and vice president of the National Editorial Association from 1923 to 1924. The Giffins published the New Era for 38 years, during which time the paper absorbed the Crowley County Leader. In 1981, the paper was purchased by William and Beje Schweitzer, but they sold the paper to Dan Hyatt and Dwight Sechrist Jr. just a year later. In 1996, the paper was sold to the Rocky Ford Publishing Company, under which it continues publication.

N.W. Ayer & Son's American Newspaper Annual and Directory lists the Ordway New Era as a politically independent paper. C.B. Stewart, the paper's founder, stated in the first issue that "the advancement of the interest to Ordway is the only politics we will take part in." The New Era published local and regional news, particularly as it pertained to the agricultural and economic interests of the area. State and national news items, local social news, serialized stories, sports, fashion, and domestic features were also published in the New Era.