About Us

Where Time is Killed Humanely

State Line Observer

Morenci, Michigan

The forerunner to the Observer was first published in 1872 with the name the New Era. The name was later changed to the Morenci News. In 1875, the paper was known as the State Line Observer and it eventually became the Morenci Observer. The Green family became the owners in 1929. Ten years later, publisher F. Russell Green died and his widow, Minnie, took over. She served as publisher while also working as a school teacher. Her son, Robert, became publisher in 1949, and while serving in this role, he also pursued varied interests, including oil painting, cross country skiing and racing sailboats. A true Renaissance man, he also spent time as a wine maker, a cigar connoisseur, inveterate walker, horseradish maker, civil servant, stationary bicyclist, avian feeder and commercial printer. Bob died from the COVID-19 coronavirus in April 2020.

David became publisher/editor when Bob retired in 1985. He made the well-accepted change to the tabloid size newspaper format and the much-reviled decision to revert to the 1875 name, the State Line Observer. That change was made in 2004 to reflect greater coverage of the Fayette area when the Fayette Review closed and sold its subscription list to the Observer. David created the paper's motto: Where time is killed humanely.

David decided 40 years of hard labor was enough and retired at the end of 2020. At this time the Observer ceased publication on the cusp of its 150th birthday, relinquishing its crown as Morenci's oldest business.

Digital copies of the Observer dating back to 1923 are available via an archival website through Stair District Library.