Formerly known as the Evening Observer, and before then, the Dunkirk Evening Observer, it was originally delivered in the afternoon six days a week (Monday through Saturday), although it has since switched to morning delivery seven days a week.

The Observer was first published December 4, 1882 by founder Dr. Julien T.

[2] John D'Agostino, former news and managing editor, is the current Publisher.

The newspaper describes itself as a hometown paper, but it is owned by Ogden Newspapers Inc. of Wheeling, West Virginia; the paper is operated in a cluster along with The Post-Journal of Jamestown, New York and the Times-Observer of Warren, Pennsylvania.

[3] From March 13, 2014, to October 31, 2016, the entirety of the newspaper's Web site was placed behind a paywall.