The Russian River Flag was a newspaper that covered the community of Healdsburg, California from 1868 to 1886. It was preceded by the Democratic Standard, 1865-1868, and followed by the Healdsburg Enterprise in 1886.
History
Healdsburg's first newspaper was established in January 1860 by A.j. Cox, and was called the Review. ln June 1864 it was replaced by the Advertiser, published by J.E. Fenno and Warren, with Cox as editor. One year later, in June 1865, the name was changed to the Weekly Advertiser. But by August the paper's ownership again changed hands--it was now owned by A.J. Cox and L.W. Boggs--and they published the paper under the name the Democratic Review.
A new rival paper was established in October 1865 under the masthead of the Democratic Standard . The owners were William R. Morris and Company. Soon after, the Democratic Review was sold and taken to Lake County, where it became the Clear Lake Courier.
William Morris in his Salutatory address of the Democratic Standard stated, "No apology is necessary for our presenting claims for patronage as a public journalist. It will not be questioned that a very powerful influence is exerted by the press of the country upon the character, intellectual and moral, of its inhabitants"
In October of 1865 William Morris became the sole publisher of the Standard, and promptly transferred a half-interest to John B . Fitch. Fitch had ideas of his own concerning the running of the paper that differed from Morris. He offered Morris 45 acres of land - part of the original Sotoyome land grant - in exchange for his newspaper shares. Morris accepted, and Fitch owned the paper on his own. After only a month his enthusiasm was gone, and he sold the paper to Boggs and C.A. Menafee. Boggs then sold his interest to W.A.C. Smith. In 1867 Fitch (again) and Joe Davis (Fitch's relation by marriage) became the owners. This partnership did not last long. The two fought, and "Fitch made the imprint of the butt of a Colt .44 under Davis' left eye" (HT Diamondjubilee edition). Davis left town for the gold fields, and Fitch sold the Standard to John G. Howell in 1868.
The Russian River Flag
In the fall of 1868 John G. Howell was a passenger on the stagecoach running between Petaluma and Healdsburg. He immediately liked the Healdsburg area, and in November 1868 bought the Democratic Standard from John B. Fitch. Two changes occurred as a result of that sale - the Democratic Standard became the Russian River Flag, and the underlying political ideology became republican. In his salutatory editorial John Howell asked "that every old Missouri democrat of Healdsburg and its surrounding country subscribe for the Russian River flag" (RRF 11/19/1868).
In 1876 Howell sold the Flag to the Jordan Bros. Elder brother L.A. Jordan soon after became sole proprietor. Four years later, in 1880, Jordan hecame Postmaster, and put the Flag up for auction. J.W. Ragsdale was the high bidder. Ragsdale had been an editor and printer in Santa Rosa, and brought with him to his new paper a new press and type, slugs, and rules. He carried on the paper's republicanism. In fact, Ragsdale had political ambitions, and became a state senator, and later, ambassador to China.
Ragsdale sold the Flag in 1885 to R.F. Eagle. A year later W. Frank Russell and his sister held the mortgage on the plant, and wanted to "cash in". This not being feasible, by a small payment they took over the Flag. In 1887 the Flag was sold to Felix Mulgrew.