This section is a reprint of the July 8, 1918, edition of The Bend Bulletin, which is now known simply as The Bulletin. (Click on the images below to read the reproduced pages.) It is our second historic edition, the first being last month’s reprint of the Jan. 2, 1918, Bulletin.

We hope to reprint one historic edition of the paper on the third Sunday of every month. That month’s edition will have appeared in the same month 100 years earlier. This is an experiment, and it will succeed only if it can generate enough revenue from advertising within historic sections.

Our goal is to replicate the experience of reading the newspaper 100 years ago. The Bulletin runs regular features of the today-in-history variety. These are limited, however, as they focus necessarily on highlights. By contrast, much of what happens in a community, as reflected in its daily paper, is ephemeral. This collection of fleeting information allows for a deeper understanding of life in a community than a collection of highlights, as interesting as they may be.

Here’s how the process of reprinting a century-old edition of the paper works.

First, we review our microfilm archive and pick an edition to re-create. The choice is guided by a number of factors, including not only the edition’s stories and advertisements (which can be as interesting as the news), but also the condition of the microfilm. Some otherwise compelling editions simply are not usable owing to images that are too dark, too light or incomplete.

Next, we transcribe news content and rebuild century-old ads. Bret Jackson, The Bulletin’s advertising production manager, has chosen fonts similar to those used 100 years ago, reworked photos (where possible) and rebuilt all of the ads. David Wray, The Bulletin’s assistant news editor, has rebuilt the pages using transcribed text.

We chose July 8, 1918, to re-create primarily because it features a pair of dramatic local stories. The first describes the deaths of two prominent men while fishing in Crescent Lake. The other details a pair of bootlegging arrests. Some of the best reading, however, appears inside the paper in the form of classified ads (wanted: cheap gun) and display ads for such goods as summer wear, “union suits” and electric ranges.

The quality of our microfilm did create some challenges. We could not read every word in a couple of stories, and we’ve noted the gaps. We ran into similar difficulties last month, but we were able to reference hard copies of the paper at the Deschutes Historical Museum. That was not possible this time, as the museum does not have a copy of the July 8, 1918, Bulletin.

Coming in August: The state health officer visits Bend and declares the city’s sanitary conditions “deplorable.”

— Erik Lukens, Editor of The Bulletin