Lehi Free Press

For generations, the Lehi Free Press has been the voice of the community, documenting the events, achievements, and everyday stories that have shaped life in Lehi. Founded in 1932 by George P. Price after he parted ways with the publisher of the rival Lehi Sun, the newspaper sought to continue local journalism rather than abandon it. This led to a friendly yet spirited competition between the two local papers.

In its early years, the Lehi Free Press office was located right on Main Street, just steps away from its competitor. Residents had the choice between two hometown newspapers, both reporting on local news, school events, sports, politics, and community happenings, adding a vibrant chapter to Lehi history and showcasing the town's burgeoning civic pride.

By 1949, these two competing newspapers decided to join forces, and the Lehi Free Press emerged as the primary publication for the city. Under the guidance of publisher E. Russell Innes and a talented team of reporters, printers, and editors, the paper transformed into an award-winning source of local news for decades, reflecting the sentiments of the Lehi community.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Lehi Free Press is its preservation of the community's history as it unfolded. Weddings, graduations, businesses, city projects, sports victories, and everyday moments were all meticulously chronicled within its pages. Today, those issues provide an invaluable record of Lehi's past, allowing modern residents to step back in time and view their community through the lens of earlier generations.

LehiCity.org

Few people have left a bigger mark on Lehi journalism than Betty Anne Laursen Fowler. As a student at American Fork High School in 1938, she was already honing her writing skills as associate editor of the school yearbook. The following year, she married Lehi native Don Fowler and eventually joined the staff of the Lehi Free Press, where she became one of the most recognizable voices in the Lehi community news landscape.  

One of Betty’s most famous stories perfectly captured her determination and sense of humor. While preparing coverage for Lehi Round-Up Week, she repeatedly asked the event chairman for a schedule of activities but never received one. Facing a newspaper deadline, Betty creatively crafted her own schedule and printed it. Once the newspaper hit the streets, organizers found themselves scrambling to make the published schedule a reality. There was only one catch: Betty had included a pet show that no one had planned. Since it was her idea, she ended up organizing and running the event herself!  

Over the next twenty-two years, Betty became a beloved figure throughout the community, chronicling Lehi history through her popular columns, Up and Down Main Street and later You Better Believe It. Her writing offered readers a front-row seat to community life, blending local journalism with warmth, wit, and personal insight.  

By the time she retired in 1993 after twenty-two years as editor of the Lehi Free Press, Betty had become a local institution. Her contributions to the city were recognized in 1983 when she was selected as Grand Marshal of the Lehi Round-Up Parade—an honor befitting someone who had spent decades telling the story of Lehi and the people who called it home.