The St. Johns Review Newspaper History

Serving Our Community Since 1904

Reliable, Relevant, Real

The mission of The St. Johns Review is to inform, educate, and empower the community by highlighting local issues, promoting community events and initiatives, providing a platform for diverse voices, fostering community engagement and collaboration, and promoting positive change and growth in the neighborhoods we serve.

Our local community comprises a diverse range of neighborhoods, including St. Johns, Cathedral Park, Linnton, Arbor Lodge, Bridgeton, Haydon Island, Kenton, Overlook, East Columbia, Piedmont, Portsmouth, and University Park, all located in North Portland, Oregon.

History of The St. Johns Review Newspaper

The St. Johns Review was founded November 11, 1904 by J. C. Crome. Crome made it known that he intended to make the newspaper an invaluable resource to the residents of the Peninsula and a newspaper in which they could take pride and satisfaction. Throughout its history, each publisher has strived to maintain Crome’s original image. Although the REVIEW has changed appearances throughout the years, its philosophy has remained the same: “A community newspaper makes a community better.”

The Review has had several owners in its 117 years of publication, but in 1994 Gayla Patton purchased it. It was in 1989 that she founded a newspaper called The Hayden Island Connection (also in North Portland on Hayden Island). When the Review became available she jumped at the chance to purchase it, eventually combining the two to cover most of North Portland’s neighborhoods. The paper survives on advertising and subscription dollars.

St. Johns Review Transition of Leadership : Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future

In December 2022, Gayla Patton retired from her work on The St. Johns Review. The newspaper was sold to another interest that plans to keep the paper substantially the same format while placing attention on the core neighborhoods that the paper serves and creating special issues highlighting neighborhood businesses and events.  Focused issues will also present topics on Finance, Health, Work-life, Home-life, Family, Cooking, Dining, Wellness, Seniors, Education, and Mentality.  

The paper contains community news, historical articles, events, personal interest stories, meeting notices, crossword and other puzzles, classifieds, birth/death/marriage (etc) notices., and other helpful and entertaining information. The publisher covers events in the community, writes articles, researches information, sells advertising, designs ads and the newspaper. The St. Johns Review is mailed to a large subscription base with many dedicated readers having subscribed over the years. 

Gayla Patton was named Grand Marshall for the 57th Annual St. Johns Parade.

More about Gayla Patton

The St. Johns Review Newpaper will be forever grateful to Gayla Patton for her long hours of sacrifice and the beautiful body of work she produced since acquiring the paper in 1994. Gayla has retired to the country, happen to breath the fresh air each morning, to feed her chickens, and to enjoy her fish pond. Thank you Gayla for all that you have done for this community.

Gayla Patton purchased the St. Johns Review Newspaper in December 1994. It has always been my intention to keep the newspaper a friendly and accurate source of community news for North Portland residents and businesses with information about what is happening the neighborhood to keep them informed and also entertained.

Patton began her publishing career in 1989 when she founded the Hayden Island Connection newspaper. Since the two newspapers boundaries aligned perfectly, in 2001 she merged the Connection with the Review.