Los Banos Enterprise

Los Banos Enterprise

Type	Biweekly newspaper
Format	Tabloid
Owner(s)	Michael W. Braa
Founder(s)	P.H. Higgins
Founded	1891
Language	English
Circulation	16,000
OCLC number	20400807
Website	losbanosenterprise.com

The Los Banos Enterprise is a newspaper that serves the city of Los Banos, California. ^[1] The paper is printed bi-weekly and has a circulation of 16,000 copies. ^[2] The paper had been owned by The McClatchy Company since 2003 ^[3] until the company sold it in 2022 to Michael Braa. ^[4]

History

The Los Banos Enterprise was founded in March 1891 by Pete H. Higgins. ^[5] He sold the paper in May 1891 to Carlos O. Freeman. ^{[6] [7]} Frank S. Smith bought the paper in 1896. ^[8] A few years later the Enterprise was owned and operated by Willard Beebe. ^[9] He bought the Colton News in 1903 ^[10] and then leased the Enterprise to his brother Gilbert J. Beebe, ^[11] who ran the paper for two years until his death from erysipelas in 1905. ^{[12] [13]} Fred S. Walker then became the owner. In 1906, he bought the Los Banos Advance and absorbed it into his paper. ^{[14] [15]} Walker sold the paper in 1908 to Leo H. Bowen and Milam G. Coats. ^{[16] [17]}

Mrs. Hazel Bowen took over management in February 1910. ^[18] She bought the paper that April, ^[19] and sold it a few days later. ^[20] The new owner of the Enterprise was Bert A. Wilson. ^[21] In 1915, Wilson was named post master of Los Banos. Needing to commit attention to his new position, Wilson leased the Enterprise to M.P. Lewis, who had been a foreman in the mechanical department of the paper. W.S. Walker became editor of the paper at that time. ^[22] Wilson retained ownership of the Enterprise until 1944, when he sold it to Frank Merrick and Floyd R. Melvin. ^[23]

In 1963, W.J. McGiffin Newspapers bought the paper from Merrick and Melvin and named J. Frank Knebel as publisher. ^[24] The company later renamed itself to Brehm Communications and the Enterprise was managed by its subsidiary San Luis Publishing Co., Inc. ^[25] In 1984, the subsidiary was sold to Lesher Communications, owner of the Merced Sun-Star. ^[26] In 1995, Lesher sold the Enterprise to USAMedia Group Inc., based in Crystal City, Missouri. ^[27] The company's name was changed five years later to Pacific Sierra Publishing Company. ^[28] In 2003, McClatchy purchased the Enterprise, along with the Merced Sun-Star and four other non-dailies, from Pacific Sierra. ^[3] In 2022, McClatchy sold the Enterprise to Michael Braa. ^[4]

References

1. "The Los Banos Enterprise (Los Banos, Calif.) 189?-Current". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
2. "Los Banos Enterprise newspaper". MondoTimes.com. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
3. "McClatchy Announces Acquisition of Merced (CA) Sun-Star –". Dirks, Van Essen & April. December 4, 2003. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
4. Payton, Allen D. (August 24, 2022). "Introducing the new owner of the Los Banos Enterprise". Los Banos Enterprise. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
5. "Notice". Oakdale Leader. March 13, 1891. p. 4. Retrieved November 10, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Change of Owners". Merced Express. May 30, 189. p. 3.
7. "Notice". Oakdale Leader. June 12, 1891. p. 4.
8. "Local Brevities". Merced Express. November 13, 1896. p. 3.
9. "Local Brevities". Merced Express. September 2, 1898. p. 3.
10. "The Colton "News" Changes Owners. - Willard Beebe". The Weekly Sun. San Bernardino, California. January 9, 1903. p. 1.
11. "Local Brevities". Merced Express. March 14, 1903. p. 3.
12. "Death of G.J. Beebe | Editor of the Los Banos Enterprise of Erysipelas". The West Side Index. Newman, California. April 28, 1905. p. 1.
13. "Notice". Oakdale Graphic. May 3, 1905. p. 1. Retrieved November 10, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Local Brevites". Merced Express. June 30, 1906. p. 3.
15. "Notice". Madera Mercury. June 30, 1906. Retrieved November 4, 2018– via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
16. "Agreement". Merced County Sun. July 10, 1908. p. 4.
17. "Local Brevities". Merced Express. July 11, 1908. p. 3.
18. "Local Brevities". Merced Express. February 19, 1910. p. 3.
19. "Bill of Sale". Merced Express. April 9, 1910. p. 3.
20. "Local Items". The San Benito Advance. April 13, 1910. p. 3.
21. Tucker, Bud (April 20, 1954). "Bert Wilson | Los Banos Councilman is 'Tireless Worker'". Merced Sun-Star. p. 9.
22. "Los Banos Enterprise Is Leased". The Oakdale Graphic. p. 1. Retrieved November 10, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
23. "B.A. Wilson Sells Los Banos Enterprise". The Fresno Bee. p. 15. Retrieved November 10, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
24. "Merrick, Melvin Announce Sale of Enterprise". Merced Express. May 23, 1963. p. 1.
25. "New publisher named". The Gustine Standard. March 15, 1984. p. 1.
26. "Gustine Standard purchased by Lesher Newspapers". The Gustine Standard. September 6, 1984. p. 1.
27. "Lesher newspapers announces pending sale of Standard". The Gustine Standard. January 25, 1995. p. 1.
28. Kieta, Joseph (March 29, 2002). "The Sun-Star boasts colorful history". Merced Sun-Star. p. 62.