Since 1891, The News of the Highlands has been the source for local coverage of the Highland Falls, Fort Montgomery and West Point communities. Located in Orange County, New York, we are a weekly newspaper, published every Friday by News of the Highlands, Inc. – publisher of both The News of the Highlands and The Cornwall Local.
Many may recall visiting our office on Brennan’s Way, just off of Main Street in Highland Falls. But after decades of production we’ve moved publishing operations to our main company office, just over Storm King Mountain, in Cornwall.
Below you can read the history of The News of the Highlands, originally published in our March 14, 1991 centennial edition and updated here:
Tripp brothers founded The News before village incorporated
In 1891, two brothers from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, came to Highlands Falls bent on establishing a weekly newspaper for the then-young community which had, until some 20 years before, been part of the Town of Cornwall.
Frank T. and Allen G. Tripp brought forth the first issue of The News of the Highlands on March 3, 1891.
In the century since, The News of the Highlands continued – through five wars, recessions, depressions and prosperity – to publish once each week, without fail, and report the people and events which have brought the Village of Highland Falls and the Town of Highlands to the present.
And in our first century, The News has also continued its mission through five publishers and six editors.
The brothers Tripp together published The News until 1910. That year, at age 58, Allen G. Tripp died on Nov. 16 at Stamford, Conn., after a lengthy illness. He was a bachelor.
Following his death, the newspaper was published by his brother Frank for another 14 years. Frank died on Dec. 4, 1924, at Newburgh at age 75. He was survived by two daughters, Miss Edith Tripp and Mrs. Jack (Maree) Myer of Highland Falls; a brother, William H. Tripp, and a sister, Mrs. J. Franklin Ficken, of Highland Falls; and a sister, Mrs. Adda M. Reber or Marion, Ohio.
In 1900, Samuel Carlton came to work at The News of the Highlands. Upon the death of Frank Tripp, he became the editor. And on April 10, 1930, he left the newspaper for unexplained reasons. Few details of his life here or background have been printed.
When Frank Tripp died, the newspaper continued to be published by his family as the “Estate of Frank T. Tripp.” His daughters, Edith Tripp and Maree Myer, ran the business until 1957.
Thomas L. Williams succeeded Carlton as editor of The News, and served from April 1930 to July 1937. Again, few details of his background are available, although it was noted in the announcement of his appointment that he came here from the Suffern Tribune.
Upon Williams’ departure, LeRoy F. McCormick was named editor of The News starting July 15, 1937. A native of Nebraska, he continued in that role until 1957 when he purchased the newspaper from the Tripp estate. McCormick remained as editor and publisher of The News until he retired in 1970.
During his tenure, The News became recognized as one of the outstanding small weekly newspapers in New York State. Under his guidance, the paper won many awards from the New York Press Association for excellence in various aspects of the business through state-wide competitions. McCormick also served as a directory of the NYPA.
On January 11, 1986, McCormick named his son Clifford – one of four children – as junior partner in The News. And upon his father’s retirement two years later, Clifford McCormick assumed the roles of editor and publisher of the newspaper.
Clifford McCormick remained as publisher of The News until March 1971, when the business was acquired by a corporation – The News of the Highlands, Inc. – headed by Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, a New York City lawyer whose home is at Ananouri in Cragston here. McCormick remained with the paper as editor until March 1973 when he left to take a position with the U.S. Military Academy’s printing branch.
Frederick W. Brennan served as editor from April 1973 until June 2008. He began his career here in 1952 when he was hired as reporter/photographer by the elder McCormick.
Mary Jane Pitt replaced Brennan as editor after working as a reporter and photographer for The News from July 1988. She remains with the newspaper as its editor today.
The News today is owned by the same corporation, which is now headed by Mrs. Anne Sidamon-Eristoff, wife of the first head of the group.
Joseph V. Gill, who had begun employment with The News in 1973, served as the general manager of the corporation until March 2019. During his tenure the company acquired The Cornwall Local in our neighboring community.
Through the years The News has grown from a simple 4-page newspaper to one which averaged 14 pages each week – from a paper whose circulation has grown from a few hundred each week to thousands – but it remains true to its initial goal of being the mirror reflecting the residents of Highland Falls, Fort Montgomery and West Point where local events are concerned.