A CENTURY AND A HALF OF SERVING READERS

Over time, a newspaper and its community shape one another.

One-hundred-fifty years ago, a four-page weekly rolled off a hand-cranked

printing press on Third Street and the frontier town of Santa Rosa got its

newspaper. Santa Rosa, then a Confederate stronghold on the eve of the Civil

War, has changed markedly in the intervening years. So too has the newspaper

that became The Press Democrat.

But the essential relationship between the newspaper and the community is

no different. Together, we collaborate in the hasty and imperfect craft of

newsgathering -- creating that first rough draft of history.

Together, we've been through earthquakes, wars, political upheaval and

social change. We've endured presidential assassinations and terrorist

attacks. We've shared heartbreaking tragedy and triumph. We've argued

vehemently about a bridge over the Golden Gate and a dam at Warm Springs.

We've reported stories you didn't want to hear. We've missed stories we should

have told.

Through it all, we've tried to live by the directive of editor Ernest

Finley: ''Do what is right for the community.'' The community we cover today

reaches well beyond Santa Rosa to include Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.

The community Finley knew at the turn of the 20th century was one of the

richest agricultural counties in the nation. At the turn of this century, we

are known the world over as Wine Country.

After all this time, our identity remains rooted in the land -- and the

landscape. The redwoods, hillside vineyards and rocky Pacific Coast are much

more than a backdrop for the stories we tell. Together with the people who

live here, they create an unmistakable sense of this place we have chronicled

for the past 150 years.

In today's newspaper, a three-part special section celebrates our

anniversary. We've looked back to remember our shared history and forward to

anticipate how to stay relevant amid the remarkable technological changes

transforming news. No matter the format of the future, The Press Democrat is

intent on remaining what we have always been -- the most trusted source of

local news for the community we serve.