Leap Day paper one of the largest in 123 years for Inter Lake
What you hold in your hands today is one of the biggest editions in the 123-year history of The Daily Inter Lake, which started as a weekly newspaper in Demersville in 1889 and became a daily in 1908.
Today’s newspaper is 154 pages, and it’s chock full of advertising, historical news from the Inter Lake archives and all the regular features you expect in a Wednesday edition, including your grocery inserts.
The only comparable edition we have been able to verify is from our 50th anniversary as a daily, which was celebrated in 1957 with a special 142-page “progress edition.” Editor W.B. Sweetland wrote that, in his opinion, that edition was the largest ever published in Montana to that date.
We have to thank our advertisers who contributed more than 80 pages of full-page advertising for this collector’s edition. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.
We also have to thank our staff for making this project come together in a way that has been fun and informative, and without undue stress — even though it all took shape in less than a week!
One of the enjoyments for me as editor was to pore through the Inter Lake’s archives as I put together what we are calling our Leap Year Digest for today’s special edition. Starting in the D Section, you will find more than 40 reprint pages from Leap Days past. We have included selections from every newspaper published on Feb. 29 between 1916 and 1976.
In case you were wondering, the Inter Lake did not publish a Sunday edition in 1920 and 1948 and did not publish on Saturdays in 1964, so those years are not represented. But what is here should keep you reading for many hours as you study the history of Kalispell, the Flathead Valley and the larger world that has been documented in our little hometown paper for well over a century.
And to make the historical part of the paper even more fun, we have put together a contest for our readers on Page D1 that draws on information published in the Leap Year Digest.
Anyone can play for fun, but to enter the contest officially you have to be a Facebook user and “like” the Daily Inter Lake’s page at www.facebook.com/dailyinterlake. It’s well worth your while as the Inter Lake’s publisher, Rick Weaver, is offering $100 gift certificates to three winners who will be able to redeem the prizes with any advertiser in today’s paper.
If you are not a home Internet user, you can use computers at the public library to set up a Facebook account and “like” the Daily Inter Lake’s Facebook page. Or ask your child or grandchild for help.
Contest entries need to be received by noon on Friday, so start reading right away. If multiple entries are received with all correct answers, the three winners will be chosen at random from among them.
As usual, employees of the Daily Inter Lake and Hagadone Publishing, or members of their immediate family, are not eligible to win.
Please enjoy today’s special edition and remember to “like” us on Facebook — even if you don’t enter today’s contest.
It’s where we stay in touch with you, our readers, and part of the electronic future of the Daily Inter Lake.
BONUS: We know not everyone uses the Internet, so be the first to call us at 758-4456 and leave a message telling us which historical Leap Year Digest page was reprinted twice in today’s edition and win a six-month subscription to the Inter Lake. Sorry, just one winner.