History
The Daily Press began in 1896, with pioneer Grant County merchant George Norton's weekly Silver City Independent. The newspaper was purchased in 1899 by attorney and politician W.B. Walton, who operated the Independent with a staunchly Democratic editorial perspective. In 1934, failing health forced Walton to sell his Independent to longtime New Mexico newspaperman Col. Clyde Ely, who, on June 24, 1935, turned the weekly paper into the new Silver City Daily Press and Independent, which published Monday through Friday, and was soon expanded to include a Saturday edition. Ely constructed the landmark Daily Press Building at the corner of Market and Arizona streets downtown to serve as the newspaper's headquarters. The newspaper remained in the Ely family until 2014, when it was sold to another Silver City businessman on the day that it was scheduled to cease publication forever. Since 2014, the Daily Press has expanded by resurrecting the Independent as a weekly, among other moves.
Specialties
The Silver City Daily Press and Independent is Grant County's only locally owned newspaper, publishing daily except Thursdays and Sundays. Each Thursday, we distribute the free weekly Independent, which focuses on arts, entertainment and outdoors happenings throughout southwest New Mexico.