• Newspaper
  • Community

  • History

    The Tryon Daily Bulletin, known as “The World’s Smallest Daily Newspaper,” was established in 1928 by founder Seth Vining Sr. Vining who quickly took on the title “Curb Reporter” for his wanderings in search of the “triumphs and daily doings” of the ordinary people.

    In the 1930s the paper printed as a Reader’s Digest size publication. It enlarged to 8 ½” by 11″ in 1955.

    Cliff Berryman, a Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist for the Washington Star and frequent visitor in Tryon, drew the Curb Reporter logo in the 1930s. That logo is still in use today. Vining was editor and salesman and printer, so the townspeople took up writing the stories.

    In 1935, Vining moved The Tryon Daily Bulletin offices to the old Bank of Tryon building, sharing space with several other businesses renting there. He purchased the building in 1959. By 1976, Seth M. Vining Jr. took over the paper. When he retired in 1989 he sold the publication to Jeff and Helen Byrd, and a group of Byrd family friends.

    In 2010 the Bulletin is sold to Tryon Newsmedia, LLC. The newly formed North Carolina Company is majority owned by Todd H. Carpenter, president and chief operating officer of Boone Newspapers Inc. Others with ownership are Publisher and President Betty Ramsey, BNI and its key personnel. The new company is managed by BNI.

    As they have for years, the people of Polk County write many of the articles. Then they read them. That remains true to a large extent, although today solid local reporting by staff journalists makes up a larger portion of the content.

    Important Dates:

    Jan. 30, 1953: The Bulletin publishes its 25th anniversary edition. Price Fifty Cents.

    Jan. 31, 1978: Bulletin publishes its 50th Anniversary edition. Price Fifty Cents.

    January 1987: Seth M. Vining dies at the age of 86.

    Jan. 30, 1998: Bulletin publishes 70th Anniversary Souvenir Edition, edited and largely written by Caroline O’Neil, with reprint of Bulletin’s first edition inserted.

    Jan. 17, 2008: The Tryon Daily Bulletin building, a Romanesque Revival commercial building erected in 1907 by the Bank of Tryon, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Goals:

    • Produce exciting, top quality news publications focusing on people and events that affect the Tryon and Polk County area.
    • Go the extra mile to meet the needs of our advertisers
    • Report news accurately and without bias
    • Edit and publish with integrity and with the best interest of our community in mind
    • Operate at a profit level that allows us to fairly compensate our employees, reinvest in our community and stand independent from outside influences
    • Take an active leadership role in our community
    • Do what we say we will do
    • Above all treat our readers, advertisers and employees as we would like to be treated ourselves

    Circulation:

    • Published Tuesday through Friday and a Weekend Edition
    • Daily Circulation: 5,000

  • Geographic location:

    Polk County is made up of 239 square miles located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern North Carolina. Positioned in the heart of the Carolinas Golden Gateway, Polk County also offers quick access to the growing metropolitan areas of Asheville, Charlotte and Greenville/Spartanburg.

    Population:

    Polk County’s population in 2009 was estimated at 19,255 residents. That number is made up of 93.5 percent white or Caucasian people, 5.3 percent African Americans, .2 percent Asians, .2 percent Native American and 4.5 percent residents of Hispanic origins. The median age of residents is 44.9 years.

    Climate:

    Situated in what’s known as the Thermal Belt of North Carolina, Polk County enjoys a mild climate with 64 inches of rain and five inches of snow per year. On average, there are 217 sunny days per year with the average high temperature being around 89 degrees in July. The average low temperature, 32 degrees, typically occurs in January.

    Major Employers:

    Polk County government, Polk County Schools, St. Luke’s Hospital and Tryon Estates (life care facility). Percent of residents working in manufacturing 9.2; production 19.3; professionals 28.9; and sales. The median household income is $44,362.

    Education:

    Polk County’s graduation rate is at 80.6 percent, while 25.7 percent of residents over the age of 25 hold a bachelors degree or higher.

    Recreation:

    Equestrian activities, water sports, walking and hiking, cycling, fishing and hunting keep Polk County residents more than entertained.

    Civic Organizations

    Polk County’s residents can consider themselves incredibly philanthropic because the county boasts more than 120 civic organizations.