The Durango Herald

Serving the heart of Southwest Colorado

The Durango Herald underwent numerous names and owners before being bought by Arthur and Morley Ballantine in 1952.

The City of Durango was founded in September 1880 and its first newspaper, the Record, was created in December by Ms. Romney, a widow. She wrote, edited and published the Record from a tent and later merged the paper in 1883 with the Herald, a "most unequivocally Republican paper," that began publication in 1881 by editors J.S. and George Marsh.

In 1892, Dave Day from Ouray founded the Durango Democrat. Frank Hartmen then started the Trade's Journal and a shoot-out between Hartman and Day left Hartman with a bullet through the calf of his leg.

Rod Day, Dave Day's son, who was in charge of the Durango Democrat, shot and killed William L. Wood, the city editor of the Herald, in 1922. Both men printed articles in thier papers charging each other of alcoholism and dishonesty. It was later decided that Wood had been stalking Day with the intent to kill him and Day was found not guilt after charges were changed to self-defense.

The Durango Democrat and the Herald merged into the Herald-Democrat in 1928. Rod Day started a weekly called the Durango News in 1930.

In 1952, the Ballantine's bought the Herald-Democrat along with the Durango News and changed the name to the Herald-News.

The name was changed to the Durango Herald in 1960.

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