The Border Vidette

The Border Vidette was a Democratic weekly that began publication in Nogales, Arizona, in 1894. It was published by the Vidette Publishing Company from 1894 to 1896 and edited by Frank M. King. In 1897, King became its publisher alongside J.R. Southworth.

Estelle Lutrell's Newspapers and Periodicals of Arizona 1859-1911 sheds some light on the life of Frank M. King, the paper's most famous owner and editor. Like many territorial newspapermen, King made his money in mining. While in New Mexico, he discovered the Lincoln Lucky Mine; he sold his share in 1884 and moved to Arizona. King farmed in Yuma County and received an appointment to the territorial prison in 1886. In 1897, King took over The Border Vidette, which he operated for a year before he moved to Phoenix to eventually manage the Arizona Democrat [LCCN: sn96064393], founded by John O. Dunbar, in 1901.

Under King's guidance, the Vidette carried columns such as "Sonora News," "Mining News," "Railroad News," and "Southwestern Range." These dealt mostly with cattle and ranching, both important pursuits of King's, and they continued to appear on at least a semi-regular basis for the life of the Vidette.

As a border paper, the Vidette tackled many transnational issues that a town such as Nogales faced. The August 3, 1918 issue reported that World War I border restrictions were wreaking economic havoc on the Mexican and American sides of the town, causing "universal weeping among retail merchants of Nogales, Arizona, who see 'panicky' times ahead, for those who depend on citizens of the other side of the international line, to swell their daily receipts."

On December 14, 1898, Emory D. Miller took over as the editor and proprietor of the Vidette. Miller kept the format of the paper consistent during his tenure, with the focus remaining on enterprise in Santa Cruz County. Miller owned and edited the Vidette until it closed up shop in 1934.