Tracy Press

The Tracy Press is one of only a handful of family-owned newspapers left in California. Four generations of Matthews family members have led the Tracy Press to the newspaper company that it is today. But they haven’t done it alone. Many, many other families have grown up with the Tracy Press in its more than 100 years of existence. And today, for thousands of people in Tracy, the Tracy Press — whether in print or online — is their source of local news and information.

The Tracy Press also owns and runs three other weekly papers: the Patterson Irrigator , Scotts Valley Press-Banner and San Lorenzo Valley Press-Banner.

Tracy Press marks second century

This article ran in the Tracy Press on April 2, 1998.

Southeast of Tracy, strong winds blew down George Finck’s mill. In town, G.A.D. Buschke’s 14-month-old son, who had been near death, is now out of danger.

It was April 2, 1898, when these news items broke in the Tracy Press. Thousands more followed in subsequent years.
Today marks 100 years since the Tracy Press first hit the streets, making it the city’s longest-running business.

“ A hometown newspaper is a very important part of the community,” said Tom Matthews, publisher emeritus and member of the Tracy Press board. “I’m very pleased with what we’ve been able to maintain.”

The first issue made its debut as a weekly with world and national news briefs, fictional stories and a column titled “The Fair Sex,” which offered women readers housekeeping tips.

Through the years, the Press has changed from an afternoon weekly to a twice-a-week morning paper to a three-, five- and finally six-day daily.

It has been family owned throughout the years, with members of the Matthews family in control for the past 55 years.
Tom and Sam Matthews, the longest running publishers of the paper, began work at the Tracy Press during World War II, while they were students at West Park School.

“ Everyone went to war, and there was no one to help,” Tom Matthews said. “It was a family deal.”
Their father, Harvey F. Matthews, had bought the paper in 1943 after working on the staff for four years. After the war ended and men returned to work, Tom and Sam Matthews stopped working at the paper while students at Tracy High. On the day of the grand opening of the new plant on A Street in 1949, Harvey Matthews had a fatal heart attack. His widow, Laura, took over as publisher.

“ At the time, we didn’t realize how important or unusual it was that she continued on,” Sam Matthews said. “Over the years, we have been more aware of her determination to keep the Press in the family.”
Tom and Sam returned in 1957 to help their mother — temporarily, they thought — after finishing college and serving in the military.

“‘ Awhile’ turned out to be a whole lifetime of work here,” Tom Matthews said.
The two divided the work. Tom handled the business side while Sam focused on the news . They say it’s the reason they lasted together so long.

“ Being in business with family is difficult at best," Tom Matthews said. “Sam and I have never had a major problem.”

Soon after becoming involved with the Press, the two brothers made two major changes. In 1960, they moved the paper from a twice-weekly distributed in the afternoon to a tri-weekly delivered in the morning. A year later, they installed one of the first newspaper offset presses in California.

In 1986, the Press added Tuesday and Thursday publication days to become a five-day daily, and in 1995 added a Saturday edition.

An original copy of the first paper is kept in the Tracy Historical Museum.

Thomas Duffy first published the paper after other weeklies with names such as Tracy News, the Tracy Exponent and Tracy Times failed.

Betty Galli, a board member for the San Joaquin Historical Society, attributes the paper’s longevity to the Matthews family.

“ They worked hard, and that’s what it takes.”

While small and large independently owned papers are gobbled up by newspaper chains, the Tracy Press has managed to stay under family control. Of all the daily newspapers in California, only about a half-dozen are family owned, like the Press.

“ We wanted to stay in business,” Tom Matthews said. “If we sold the paper, we wouldn’t be here.”
Since the Press started, competition for readers’ attention has increased, especially in the last decade.

“ It’s a different game,” Tom Matthews said. “We’ve been able to hold our own very well considering the economic power of newspapers coming into the market.”

Sam Matthews continues as publisher emeritus and member of the Tracy Press board.

“ Tom and I are taking less active roles, now that the third generation of the family is taking over,” Sam Matthews said.

In 1997, Tom’s son, Robert Matthews, became publisher and president.

“ The paper is in a fortunate position to be in a growing community,” Bob Matthews said. “A newspaper is a business, and it must grow and thrive to be successful. Still, no matter how big the town gets or how big we get, we always want to feel like a ‘small town’ paper.”