By Rufus Woods

The Wenatchee Daily World was founded on July 4, 1905, by businessmen C.A. Briggs and Nat Ament. Two years later, it was purchased by Rufus Woods and his twin brother Ralph. Rufus published the newspaper while Ralph, A Tacoma attorney, provided legal advice to the fledgling paper. Later, their cousin Warren Woods joined the company to handle the newspaper's finances.

Rufus Woods Sr. Publisher 1907-1950

Wilfred Woods Publisher 1950-1997

Rufus Woods Publisher 1997-Present

During the early years, the newspaper was a forceful proponent for economic development of the Columbia Basin and the area the newspaper called North Central Washington, encompassing Grant, Okanogan, Chelan and Douglas counties.

Rufus Woods and the Daily World became integrally involved in the 23-year battle for Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Woods wrote the first story about the proposal in 1918, which was followed by hundreds of articles about the project and editorials promoting the concept.

Wenatchee World Delivery Truck

Wenatchee World Packaging Room

Upon Rufus Woods' death in 1950, his son Wilfred became editor and publisher of the newspaper and continued to promote economic development in North Central Washington. Warren Woods' son, Robert, was the newspaper's editor and later editorial page writer. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Daily World (the name was shortened to The Wenatchee World in 1971) continued to promote regional development, sponsoring a series of trips through Canada and Alaska to study the region's energy resources.

In 1997, Wilfred Woods turned the reigns of the company over to his son, Rufus Woods. The newspaper is owned by the families of Wilfred and Robert Woods.

Wenatchee World Mission Statement

It is the mission of The Wenatchee World to
1) be reasonably profitable,
2) provide outstanding customer service,
3) produce outstanding products that serve readers and advertisers,
4) be a challenging, rewarding and fun place to work,
5) reflect the diversity of our region,
6) make significant contributions to the communities of North Central Washington, and
7) remain independently owned.

Wenatchee World History Video (22 Minutes)

56K and below (23.5 MB Stream):   Dialup Users Broadband (44.2 MB Stream):   DSL/Cable Users T1 and higher (76 MB Stream):   Office Users