The paper was founded by
John R. Needham and Hugh McNelley in 1850. Tri-Cities Newspapers acquired the paper in 1970.
Boone Newspapers took over ownership in 1975. Donrey Media Group sold the paper to Community Newspaper Holdings (later shortened to
CNHI) in 1998. In May 2020, the CNHI publications
Journal-Express and
Pella Chronicle were discontinued and merged with
The Oskaloosa Herald; these were two of the 16 publications shut down by owner CNHI due to business losses associated with the
economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In June 2023, the
Herald closed its building on A Avenue West and moved to 219 High Avenue East, near Oskaloosa's town square. In March 2025, the
Herald announced it would cease its Tuesday publication and become a weekly newspaper publishing on Saturdays, citing the rising costs of producing and distributing a printed newspaper. == References ==