iccpa history

75 YEARSIn t e r - C o u n t y C o o p e r a t i v e P u b l i s h i n g A s s o c i a t i o n

Publishers of the Advertisers, the Inter-County Leader and the Washburn County Register

eaderLServing Northwest Wisconsin

INTER-COUNTY

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CCoouunnttyy Register

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BeginningsPage 3

TimelineBegins page 2

Birth of theAdvertisers

Page 7

June 22, 1933: First organizational meeting to formICCPA; first plant in CenturiaNovember 2, 1933: First Inter-County Leader published, Bennie Bye is the co-op’s first manager

1939: Moved plant to Frederic1944: 24x30 addition1951: Purchased the Frederic Star1953: Romain Brandt named manager following thedeath of Bennie Bye1958: Edward F. Greinke named manager followingthe resignation of Romain Brandt

75 years in the making

What we do...

We tell stories.And since it was founded 75

years ago, our newspaper, theInter-County Leader, has toldthousands of stories - from warsto weddings, graduations togridiron greatness, births todeaths. In nearly 4,000 issues since

1933, the Leader has kept thepeople of Burnett and Polkcounties informed of what goeson in their backyard - and oflocal connections with theworld.Our own story began in the

Great Depression with a groupof farmers some local newspa-pers deemed radical in theirstruggle to gain a stronger voicein their quest for a better eco-nomic future. Feeling unfairlycharacterized and perhaps evenslandered by reports in localpapers and papers across thestate, those farmers felt they

needed some way to speak outfor their own interests.The movement to form coop-

erative businesses was reachinga peak across the nation - and soit was that the group of localfarmers in Polk and Burnettcounties began their own news-paper. For five dollars you couldbecome a voting member in thecooperative. Bennie Bye, a jour-neyman journalist, took on thejob of editing and managing thenew paper.The initial editorial content of

the Leader in 1933 focused onthe milk strikes and dispellingrumors about the strike.But editor Bye also made it

clear that the Leader was to be avehicle to offer a forum foreveryone.“No lines have been drawn,”

Bye wrote in the premiere issue,“but all stock has been sold withthe understanding that this is tobe a cooperative paper serving

the best interest of the commonpeople, whether they be farmers,professional men or businessmen...”The original goal of the Leader

met, the nation’s first coopera-tive-owned newspaper contin-ued as a strong public forum ona number of issues, editor Bye atthe helm for 20 years, a clearvoice, advocating cooperativesthroughout the upper Midwest.Seventy-five years and four

editors later, the Leader main-tains a realization of its roots, astrong public forum and a proudrecord of defending freedom ofthe press.Not to overlook the coopera-

tive principal of providing need-ed services and jobs.We look forward to what the

future holds for the newspaperindustry, the Inter-CountyLeader and its Web site. - GaryKing, editor

The Inter-CountyCooperative PublishingAssociation publishes twonewspapers and fiveAdvertisers each week, addingup to more than 700,000papers printed each month.We also have a commercialprinting department thatdesigns and prints businesscards, brochures, calendars,posters, and more. ICCPAemploys more than 70 persons with an annual payroll of approximately two million dollars a year.Depending on its yearly suc-cess, it returns a percentageof its net profit to businesses and employees.

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I C C P A • 7 5 Y e a r s • O p e n h o u s e

COVER: A composite photo with one of the 4-by-5 Graphex cameras used in the 1950s and ‘60sby Leader reporters, and the building on the west end of Main Street in Frederic that served asthe home to the Inter-County Cooperative Publishing Association for approximately 35 years.The sign above the door, taken from a 1940s photo, was superimposed onto a present-day photoof the building.

ICCPA Timeline1933-2008

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More Timeline, page 3

1966: Offset printing equipment replaces hot metalmethod of setting type1967: First Indianhead Advertiser printed

1974: Moved to current plant on Wisconsin Avenue1976: Changed format of Leader from broadsheet totabloid1977: Sales reached $1 million1982: Frank Gursky named manager following theretirement of Ed Greinke1983: Bernice Asper retires after 20 years as editor1983: Cooperative celebrates 50 years1985: Sales reached $2 million1985: Opened an office in Siren1985: Installed Deadliner platemaking system whicheliminated using negatives to make printing plates

The birth of the nation’s first

cooperative-ownednewspaper

November 1, 1933 was a longday and night for the staff of anewspaper that was about to seeits first printing.Despite the excitement in the

air, some fought off sleep whileothers gave in to fatigue andnapped as the premiere editionof the Inter-County Leader – thenation’s first cooperative-ownednewspaper - rolled off the press-es in the early-morning hours ofNovember 2.The headline across the front

page read, Farmers’ Strike CalledOff Temporarily. It represented the tone of the

times. In the midst of the GreatDepression, farmers were beingsubjected to foreclosures andbankruptcies because the pricesthey could receive for what theyproduced was less than their costof operation. Many farmers felttheir concerns weren’t being lis-tened to or reflected accurately inthe pages of newspapers locallyand throughout the state.It was from such a setting that

the Inter-County Leader cameinto being.Some of the original organizers

were members of the PolkCounty Farmers HolidayAssociation, the group promot-ing the farm strike called in 1933. A group of farmers met several

times that summer and consid-ered purchasing the Polk CountyLedger in Balsam Lake, but likedthe idea of starting their ownnewspaper, especially after learn-ing it would involve a third thecost of purchasing the Ledger.According to longtime Leader

employee Ray Linden, whosefather Carl was one of the firstboard members, their neighbor,Charles Eckels, had an idea tohelp the area farmers.“He came over one day and

told my dad ‘We’ve got to start anewspaper!’”Linden said Eckels went to all

the co-op store managers to getbacking.Area farmers were asked to

pitch in five bucks apiece and acooperative was formed. Whilemost cooperatives sold farmproducts, this one aimed to servethe people with a forum forviewpoints and ideas.

Some of the co-op membersknew Bennie Bye andapproached him to be the editorand manager. Bye had newspa-per experience, working witharea newspaper publishers W. R.Vezina at St. Croix Falls and E. E.Husband at the Ledger in BalsamLake. A Grantsburg High Schoolgraduate, Bye was a printer’sapprentice at the office of theGrantsburg Journal.

“Carry the truth”“The Inter-County Leader

enters the newspaper field withno sense of animosity toward ourpresent weekly papers,” wroteO.A. Bloom, one of the originalorganizers. “The Leader isowned by men and women in allwalks of life; farmers, businessand professional men from allparts within our county andwithout. Our mission shall bemutual cooperation for the bestinterests of all of us. The Inter-County Leader speaks for no spe-cial privilege. It will be an organthrough which any and all of usmay voice our opinions; in otherwords, a free press.”Bye reinforced Bloom’s mes-

sage with his own words in thepremiere issue of the Leader,including the following words:

“The principal way in whichwe expect to make this paper dif-ferent from the common run ofpapers is that we are in businessfor service and not for profit, andintend to carry the truth to thepublic regardless of whose toesget pinched.”

Early growthIn the early years, Bye and his

family lived above the print shopon Centuria’s Main Street, withvery little earnings. The net earn-ings for the cooperative in its firstfour months of operation wasjust over $500. But the popularity of the

Leader was evident by its sub-scription list, which grew from to1,400 in its first weeks.By the third year of its publica-

tion, the Inter-County Leaderhad outgrown its quarters in thesmall two-story building on thesouth side of Centuria’s MainStreet, and the start of 1936 sawthe cooperative move into the bigSievert auto garage.Once remodeled, the garage

provided plenty of room for aprint shop and editorial space toprovide a weekly paper for 3,000subscribers – nearly twice asmany as in 1934, the paper’s firstfull year of production.A new press – a large Duplex

from Scotts Bluff, Neb., arrived atthe shop on a cold January day,followed closely by a truck withanother five tons of equipment,being moved across town.Centuria, according to the

ICCPA’s 20-year anniversary

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“A voice for us”

The first editorial,published Nov. 2,1933, by editorBennie Bye

All right, folks, here is thefirst issue of the long talked-of, long heralded cooperativenewspaper serving Polk andneighboring counties. Whilewe are swamped with workand hardly have time to writeanything, a brief outline of thesteps taken to establish thispaper ought to be part of thisissue.This is not a Farmers Union

paper, though it has beenadvertised as such throughboth talk and published arti-cles in neighboring papers.However, we are not ashamedof the platform, aims andprinciples of the FarmersUnion and wish every one ofthem could be put into prac-tice. But the reason the estab-

A new paper

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See History, page 5

See A new paper, page 4

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Timeline, continued


B E G I N N I N G S

1986: Computer system installed in the bookkeepingdepartment1987: Doug Panek named manager following theretirement of Frank Gursky1987: First electronic pagination by Leader staff,using Pagemaker software and 12-inch black andwhite Macintosh computers1987: Construction of 70 x 120 addition completed.



A new paper/from page 3lishment of this paper has beenreferred to as a Farmers Unionmovement is undoubtedly due tothe fact that the individualsbelonging to the organizationhave done a great deal to “put theventure over.”Five of the seven members of

the board of directors are Unionmembers, but a rough check-upshows that more stock has beenbought by non-Union membersthan by members. Stock has beenbought by Union, Holiday andEquity members, by peoplebelonging to none of these organ-izations, by business and profes-sional men.No lines have been drawn, but

all stock has been sold with theunderstanding that this is to be acooperative paper serving thebest interests of the common peo-ple, whether they be farmers, pro-fessional men or business men.The welfare of one group shouldmean the welfare of the othergroups.The principal way in which we

expect to make this paper differ-ent from the common run ofpapers is that we are in businessfor service and not for profit, andintend to carry the truth to thepublic regardless of whose toesget pinched. In other words, ourpolicy will be shaped by a devo-tion to the greatest good for thegreatest number, and not by whatis or what is not apparently bestfor the immediate swelling of thecash box.Of course, while we are doing

this, we must have the necessaryincome to keep the plant running,but we have faith that it is possi-ble to stay in business and adhereto the above policy. We’re goingto give it a good try, anyhow.The original plans for the estab-

lishment of this paper were topurchase the Polk County Ledger

at Balsam Lake. The deal wouldhave required the purchase of Mr.Husband’s two-thirds interest,and the writer was to take stockfor his one-third interest. Afterconsiderable “dickering” andnumerous meetings over a periodof several months, it was foundthat the purchase of the Ledgerwas not practical. There was acomplaint from the beginningthat the price was too high.Along in the summer, as every-

one in the drought, the cropshortage parts remembers, camethee, and the prospect of havingto buy feed through the winter.The much-hoped-for “New Deal”did not materialize, and stockbecame difficult to sell, notbecause of unwillingness to helpthe proposition along, but for thesame reason that you can’t getblood out of a turnip.The newspaper was faced with

the alternative of dropping thepaper deal altogether, or figuringout a cheaper way of acquiring apaper than buying the Ledger.Talk for an entirely new paperwas encouraged by the discoverythat good used equipment couldbe installed and paid for in fullfor about one-third of the moneyrequired to buy the two-thirdsinterest of the Ledger.More meetings. The next thing

was to make a canvass and see allwho had bought stock to find outif it was O.K. with them to applytheir share on the new paperinstead of the Ledger. No diffi-culty was experienced. One solic-itor wrote in and said a few ofthose who had promised to buyhad backed out after the Ledgerdeal had been abandoned.The location for the new paper

was the next thing.Several were considered. The

writer favored Centuria from thestart because it is centrally locat-

ed, but perhaps more for the rea-son that it is really one of our“home towns” as we started apaper here once before.The businessmen of Centuria

pledged their liberal support ifthe paper was located here, and avery nice block of stock was soldhere.So, when the first stockholders’

meeting was held on Monday,Oct. 9, Centuria was readilydecided on as the location.Articles of incorporation wereadopted without difficulty, andthe meeting insisted that the com-mittee of seven who had workedso faithfully on the paper dealfrom the start should be elected tothe first board of directors. Theelection was unanimous. Herethey are: J.W. Hanson, Luck;P.TH. Peterson, Johnstown; Chas.Eckels, Wolf Creek; Amil Markee,Apple River; O.A. Bloom,Osceola; H.A. Mittelsdorf,Farmington; Carl Linden, BurnettCounty.J.W. Hanson had served the

committee as president, and ChasEckels as secretary, and they wereelected to like positions on theboard of directors, with HerbMittelsdorf as vice president.The above committee worked

hard and tirelessly toward thegoal of a cooperatively ownedand operated newspaper. Itwould be impossible to knowwhere to place the most credit.Then there were dozens of othersthroughout the townships of thecounty who worked hard to sellthe necessary stock. While theshares were only $5 (non-assess-able) yet it was hardly necessaryto comment on the scarcity of $5bills. But, the job is done and thenew paper is a reality and will befor some time if we live throughgetting out this first issue of 8,500,16-page papers. - Bennie ByeTThhee fifirrsstt ccoommppuutteerrss

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Timeline, continued


chronology, was enjoying thedistinction of being a publish-ing town.Before long, the new press

was turning out 10,000 Leadersin about three hours time –once a week. After printing 12-page issues

each week, editor Bye felt theycould accommodate all thenews items piling up on hisdesk, but it didn’t work outthat way. Only extra advertis-ing justified increasing thepage count to 14.By the end of October 1936,

the Leader was printing 22pages broadsheet on a regularbasis – a “phenomenal growth”for a paper that started fromscratch three years earlier, Byenoted. The Inter-County Leader

published a lot of national,state and most importantly,local news. All for $1.50 a year.

RefreshingIn 1938, The Capital Times

newspaper in Madison tooknote of the young publication,editorializing, “When thenewspapers of the state andnation are so largely dominatedby the big interests, it is refresh-ing to note that progress isbeing made in a different, ide-alistic type of journalism.”Bye commented in his col-

umn a few months later thatwhile most newspapers shapetheir editorial policy accordingto advertising patronage, theLeader just couldn’t do that.“The fact that one certain can-didate runs a good-sized addoes not guarantee him a goodnews or editorial write-up inthis paper.”The formation of coopera-

tives, government legislationaffecting farmers – it was allpart of the early Leader’s agen-da, as promised. What beganas literal civil unrest in thestreets was manifesting in thenewspaper.And readers were eager to

participate. At one point theLeader began charging 15 centsfor every 100 words over 1,000words of a letter to the editor.People had found a forum -

and some got a bit carriedaway.A woman from Clear Lake

wrote to demand Bye investi-gate nepotism and otherwrongdoings in Polk County’s

relief program, writing “why isthe committee chairman’s wifepermitted to be foreman whenshe is too dumb to do the cleri-cal work?”Bye published it. The letter

writer, editor and cooperativesoon faced a $12,000 libel suit,settled peaceably in October of1939.But the spirit of the paper

was never broken and anothermove was being made - toFrederic - in a building on thewest end of Main Street,described by the editor as “adandy.”“The Leader directors and

management are not unmind-ful of the fine treatment thathas been had at the hands ofmost of the business people ofCenturia, and it is with regretthat we move away,” said a1939 editorial by editor BennieBye.

News and advertisingThe building on the west end

of Main Street, which standsyet today, offered the newspa-per elbow room for growth.Nearing a circulation of 3,800,the Leader had more than dou-bled its outreach in its first half-dozen years, promising a voicefor not only the farmers buteveryone who “needs a voice.”Separating the editorial and

business end of the newspaper

was important to maintaincredibility among readers. Yetsome space was found eachweek to remind folks how theLeader offered the best valuefor their advertising dollar.From a Dec. 12, 1939, issue:

“When Mrs. William Gehrkeinserted an ad in the Leaderlast week that she had 100White Rock and Giant pullets, aplane landed in the yard thenext day after the paper cameout, purchasing the whole flockat a good price.”News and advertising in one

article, editor Bye might havedecided.As the war years arrived, the

Leader offered up much of itsspace to news of servicemen -often tragic news - and forevery local aspect of the warfront. Calls for enlistment,working in the shipyards, pro-motion of war bonds, gasrationing and general patriot-ism crowded each page of theLeader.Bye, now editor and manag-

er, in a 1943 issue, called to taskCongressman Alvin O’Konskifor a column that never sawpublication.“This week we publish

Congressman O’Konski’s newsnotes and comments, afterskipping it last week,” Byewrote. “His last week’s letterwas such that, in our opinion, itwould have been a disruptinginfluence on national unity in atime of war, and the Leader didnot want to be a party to it.”O’Konski wrote Bye and

admitted his words were “a lit-tle too strong.”“It was one of those days,

Bennie, when I was investigat-ing some of the ship buildingcontracts and investigating theautomobile situation inWashington. And I think Ishould have cooled off a bitbefore I wrote that newsletter.”Bye wrote, “We do not wish

to be a judge of what our read-ers should read or not read, butwe do reserve the privilege ofdrawing the line as to what weprint and become responsiblefor.”

Promotes cooperativeBye crusaded for the local

farmers through his writing butalso worked behind the scenes,helping to publish a FarmersUnion newspaper and gettinginvolved with state editorialassociations and attempting tofurther the cause of the com-mon man.He died on a Wednesday

morning, the publication dayfor the Leader. It was all his co-workers could do to publishthat week’s Leader.“We shall miss his patient

attitude when trials and tribu-lations rise. We shall miss hisgeniality and kindliness, his

tolerance and quiet unassum-ing presence,” stated a eulogyprinted on the front page. “In avery modest way, he was aprince among men.”

1953-1963Just a few days

after Bennie Bye’sdeath in 1953,Romain Brandtwas named editorand publisher ofthe Leader.Brandt fell intothe role with ease,penning a weeklycolumn titled Pause A Moment.He relied on co-worker ElmerHaumant, who had worked forThe Star and was hired by theLeader upon the Leader’sacquisition of that paper. Haumant was

sportswriter, com-positor, Linotypeoperator andadvertising man-ager before beingnamed editor andshop foreman in1958 uponBrandt’s depar-ture for anotherjob at Berlin, Wisconsin.Brandt went on to become theexecutive director of theWisconsin NewspaperAssociation and died in theearly 1990s.Ed Greinke, the cooperative’s

accountant, was chosen by theboard of directors to replaceBrandt as manager andHaumant was named editor.Haumant, who had grown upin Frederic and had becomewell-known for his SportsFlashes and Sports Cornercolumns in the newspaper, wasa natural choice to edit thepaper. He knew most people inthe village well and filled thenewspaper with insights on thenews stories he covered. Hewrote a column entitled TheWay We See It. The Leader was now the only

newspaper in Frederic. Due to“changing conditions in theprinting field which made italmost impossible for twopapers to exist in one town,”according to The Star’s editorHarvey Oleson, the Leaderpurchased the Star in 1951. Itwas called the Inter-CountyLeader and Frederic Star forawhile but eventually returnedto its original title.In late 1963, Haumant

resigned his position, and man-ager Ed Greinke hired hisreplacement – on the spot.

The Asper yearsBernice Asper entered the

world of small-town journal-ism on November 1, 1963, 30years to the day that the firstLeader had been assembled forprinting.

The first and only womaneditor of the paper to date andthe only female newspaper edi-tor around at that time, sherecalled that filling the positionseemed daunting in those firstmonths. And it didn’t help thatshe was receiving angry lettersfrom a phantom writer.“There were some people

who felt I was in over my head,and of course, I thought I was,too,” she said.Asper, a graduate of Luck

High School, had worked at avariety of jobs in the area buthad little journalism experi-ence, aside from an office job atthe Enterprise-Herald at Luck.Her high school journalismteacher had told her she wouldmake a good journalist, but dueto the shortage of money dur-ing the Depression years, and

Since 1933Board of Directors

J.W. HansonHerb A. MittelsdorfCharles EckelsAmil MarkeeP. Th. PetersenO.A. BloomCarl LindenEd LarsonF.W. WieseGuy ClarkWalter C. HelbigPaul BosleyHarry HallquistArnold BiedermanLeonard LindenRaymond NelsonJohn NorthquestClifford OlsonDale KnauberMickey L. OlsonViola OlsonVivian BylDelroy PetersonCharles JohnsonRobert DueholmEvald “Bob” GjerningJanet OachsHarvey StowerMerlin Johnson

ManagersBennie ByeRomain BrandtEd GreinkeFrank GurskyDoug Panek

EditorsBennie ByeRomain Brandt Elmer HaumantBernice AsperGary King



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History/from page 3

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What’s in aname?

The name, Inter-CountyLeader, was selected for thispaper because of demandfrom neighboring countiesthat they be included.Considerable stock was soldin Burnett County, so thename “Polk-Burnett Leader”was suggested.Then, several from St. Croix

County suggested “Tri-County” so they would beincluded. About the time thatname was decided upon,someone popped up and saidthey knew that there wouldbe a lot of support for thepaper in Barron County.So, “Inter-County Leader”

includes them all, and anyothers from Wisconsin’s 72counties.

30 years, plus...



And we’re still here!?Employee longevity at ICCPA is well-noted. Some

current part-time workers have been here for boththe 50th and 75th anniversaries. Some might evenremember working here when the co-op marked its25th - and even its 20th anniversary (1953). Currentfull-time employees who have worked here 30 yearsor more are shown here at the beginning of theircareers, along with a few part-time employees(Millie Erickson and Bernice Abrahamzon) who havehad a working relationship with the cooperative formore than 50 years. We dug deep into the Leaderfiles to find these photos.

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Following the Leader...

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LLeettttiiee MMccDDoonnoouugghh

BBeerrnniiccee AAbbrraahhaammzzoonn

JJuulliiee DDaahhlliinngg aanndd MMiilllliiee EErriicckkssoonnGGaarryy KKiinngg

These old photosshow former employ-ees and one currentemployee. Can youname them? Theanswers are at thebottom of page 14.

TThhee oolldd ““FFoollllooww tthhee LLeeaaddeerr”” vvaann aanndd eemmppllooyyeeeess iinn 11997755..

IInnsseerrtteerrss ddoonnnneedd ““LLeeaaddeerr LLoovveerrss”” TT--sshhiirrttss ffoorr tthhee 6600tthh aannnniivveerrssaarryy..

The “YellowPapers” become thecatalyst for the cooperative’sgrowth

For the past 40 of its 75years, the success of theAdvertisers, known by most ofNorthwest Wisconsin as the“yellow papers,” has allowedthe ICCPA to expand andimprove its operation whilecreating more employment.In 1967, on the heels of

installing a new offset webpress, the IndianheadAdvertiser was launched.Built on the monthly MilltownAdvertiser, which the coopera-tive had purchased in 1953, theweekly Indianhead Advertiserwas geared to serve all ofBurnett and Polk counties witha new advertising servicewhich would reach everypostal box holder in the area.Then-manager Ed Grienke

called Frank Gurksy, knownfor his paste m p l o y m e n twith theE n t e r p r i s e -Herald at Luck,and Gurskybecame theadvertising man-ager and pro-moter for thenew publication.It wasn’t long before the

obvious success of theIndianhead Advertiser led toan expansion of its distributionarea, in 1970. Next, the cooperative

launched the Tri-CountyAdvertiser, building on thenucleus of the New RichmondShopper, a monthly publica-tion that had been printed inthe Leader plant for someyears. Jim Brinkman was hiredto be the salesman. The Tri-County Advertiser grew rapid-ly, calling for expansion of itsarea to include all of northernSt. Croix County, parts of PolkCounty and other neighboring

areas.A third publication - the

Wild Rivers Advertiser, waslaunched in 1972, starting withan office in Spooner. It wasdeveloped to serve Washburnand Barron counties, alongwith parts of Sawyer and Ruskcounties. Wayne Boniface andErland Quinn were hired as adsalesmen for this publication. Today, the cooperative pub-

lishes five Advertisers - theIndianhead, Wild RiversNorth, Wild Rivers South, Tri-

County North and Tri-CountySouth.The success of the

Advertisers, which led togrowth of the company andneed for more space, led to thesecond move of the coopera-tive, in 1974, from the plant onOak Avenue in Frederic to itspresent location on NorthWisconsin Avenue (Hwy. 35).From 1966 to 1974 the coopera-tive tripled its total income andwithin 10 years it realized atenfold increase in advertisingsales alone - and by 1979 ad

sales broke $1 million. Today,sales from the Advertisers rep-resent well over $3 million ofthe cooperative’s approximate$5 million in total sales.The Advertiser made it pos-

sible to expand a workforcethat now includes more than 70employees, injecting more than$2 million in salaries, wages,taxes and benefits into the localeconomy.And using more than 2 mil-

lion pounds of newsprint -most of it yellow.

Back in 1983, when ICCPAmarked its 50th anniversary,computers were just beginningto find their way into our pro-duction process.A quarter of a century later,

no one can imagine publishinga newspaper or advertisterwithout computers or digitaltechnology.Although our main product

still involves putting ink topaper, the process evolvesmuch differently today and itnot only ends up on paper -but on our computer screens.

The print revolutionWhen the Inter-County

Leader began production in1933, getting stories, photosand ads printed on thousandsof newspapers may haveseemed routine to those doingit - but not to us in this comput-er age. In fact, it seems daunt-ing.Back then, individual pages

were created using pieces oflead type, each character set bya Linotype operator. TheLinotype - so named because itcould produced an entire lineof metal type at once (line o’type) required an outside ventfor the small furnace it used tomelt the lead type that would

be poured into a mold follow-ing keystrokes. Despite looking cumbersome

next to today’s technology, itwas considered a machine thatrevolutionized newspaper pub-lishing, making it possible for arelatively small number ofoperators to set type for manypages on a daily basis.The Leader’s Linotype was

for decades and was still beingused in the 1970s, mostly forthe setting of funeral announce-ments and other small jobs.Ray Linden, a longtime pressoperator who worked with allforms of printing - from hand-

set type to offset - was the lastlinotype operator for the com-pany.It was one step up from hand

setting of type, which stilloccurred in the Leader’s pressshops in the early years. Thesetting of headlines and otherjobwork required a backwardsway of thinking, as type had tobe laid out backwards in orderfor the printed version to bereadable.Late-breaking news meant

the back shop had to keep a

Same goal: much different process

Birth of the AdvertisersIINNTTEERR--CCOOUUNNTTYY CCOOOOPPEERRAATTIIVVEE PPUUBBLLIISSHHIINNGG AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONN •• SSPPEECCIIAALL EEDDIITTIIOONN •• OOCCTTOOBBEERR 77,, 22000088 -- PPAAGGEE 77


JJaacckkiiee TThhoorrwwiicckk aanndd MMaarryy HHeeddlluunndd ppuutt tthhee nneewwssppaappeerrssaanndd AAddvveerrttiisseerrss ttooggeetthheerr wwiitthh ccoommppuutteerr ppaaggiinnaattiioonn..

FFoorrmmeerr eemmppllooyyeeee RRaayy LLiinnddeenn iiss sshhoowwnn ooppeerraattiinngg oonnee oofftthhee LLiinnoottyyppeess iinn tthhee LLeeaaddeerr’’ss oolldd ppllaanntt.. LLiinnddeenn,, wwhhoowwoorrkkeedd 4400 yyeeaarrss ffoorr tthhee LLeeaaddeerr,, iiss tthhee ssoonn ooff oonnee ooff tthheeccooooppeerraattiivvee’’ss ffoouunnddiinngg mmeemmbbeerrss aanndd ffiirrsstt bbooaarrdd mmeemmbbeerrss..

TThhoouussaannddss ooff AAddvveerrttiisseerrss rroollll ooffff tthhee pprreesssseess aatt IICCCCPPAAeeaacchh wweeeekk..

DDiicckk WWiillddeerr,, aa lloonnggttiimmeepprreessssmmaann ffoorr tthhee LLeeaaddeerr,,llooookkss oovveerr aa ccooppyy ooff tthheeMMiillllttoowwnn AAddvveerrttiisseerr wwhhiicchhtthhee ccooooppeerraattiivvee ppuurrcchhaasseedd iinn11995533.. TThhee ffoorreerruunnnneerr ttoo tthheeIInnddiiaannhheeaadd AAddvveerrttiisseerr,, iittooffffeerreedd aa mmiixx ooff aaddss aannddnneewwss..

GGuurrsskkyy

See Technology, page 10

Tammi MilbergReporter

Raelynn HunterEditorial Assistant

Nancy JappeReporter

Mary StirratReporter

Gregg WestigardReporter

Brenda SommerfeldReporter

Gary KingEditor

Inter-County LeaderWashburn County Register

Editorial • Leader & Register newspaper staffs

Marty SeegerReporter

Priscilla BauerReporter

Sherill SummerReporter

Carl HeidelReporter

Regan KohlerReporter

Suzanne JohnsonOffice manager

Diane DrydenReporter

Inter-County Leader

Larry SamsonReporter

Doug PanekManager

Management and Board of Directors

Vivian BylChairman - Luck

Charles JohnsonTrade Lake

Merlin JohnsonGrantsburg

Konnie DidloAsst. Manager

Janet OachsGrantsburg

Harvey StowerAmery

Kim TalmadgeOffice manager

Front offices/bookkeeping

Myrna BistramSiren

Cindy CarlsonSiren manager

Judy Ann DittrichSCF manager

Julie DahlingFrederic

Marlys ElrodFrederic

Millie EricksonFrederic

JoAnne KittlesonFrederic

Sales representatives

Rick Malecha John Reed

Jim SchottAlice Schmidt

Jackie Moody

The faces behind our cooperative

Washburn County Register

June LoveFrederic

Anne LindquistFrederic

Judy MinkeSt. Croix Falls



Becky StrabelSue BuckAd Coordinator

Cindy DennBonnie TjaderPam Nerby

ShirleyChristianson

Rita FransenGayle OlsonGraphics production

nanager

Graphics Production

Laurie Schmidt

Karen NilesKatieGrey

ConnieMagnuson

Mary HedlundPhotography

Jackie ThorwickPage Designer

Sue Renno Connie Rich

Kevin HackerPressman

Pat Bates Michelle Flaherty Mike LonettiLead pressman

Bill MoranProduction manager

Commerical Printing

Richard BrownPressman

Lettie McDonoughSubscriptions

Carolyn FoltzCoordinator

Randy Lunde

Robert Harrison Stuwart Bengtson

DavidVanderHeyden

Robert Beyer

Peggy DueholmSupervisor

Tonie HorkySupervisor

Barb HoagMichael ElrodJake Matz

Tom Lahners

Wendy Larson

Sue PribulaKerri Nielsen Eugene RuhnLinda Raschick Patty RoettgerHarmony Szurgot

Tony WilsonGary Schommer

Commerical Designers Web Press Operators Commerical Printing

Proofreading

Ad Designers Page Designers

TypesettersGraphics Artists

InsertersCirculation

Delivery





page “open” until the lastminute.Page designing like that often

required “all-nighters,” withstaff working through the nightprior to that week’s publica-tion.Offset printing - which uses a

photographic process thatallows the transfer of an inkedimage from a metal plate to arubber blanket and then to theprinting surface - was first usedin the Leader in 1953 when itwas incorporated into the com-pany’s commercial printingdepartment. Using a Polaroidinstant camera, along with off-sent printing technology, was agiant leap forward for theLeader’s job-printing depart-ment.It was highlighted at the

cooperative’s 20-year openhouse.But it wasn’t until 1966 that

the company used the technol-ogy for the printing of itsAdvertisers and newspaper,with the acquisition of a three-unit Thatcher offset press. AHarris four-unit press was pur-chased in the early 1970s as thecompany settled into it’s newfacility.

Early copyFor the first 50 years of publi-

cation, news copy was pro-duced on typewriters; manualsand then electrics. The 1980ssaw innovations that allowedtypesetting on computers thatused paper tape with key-strokes recorded in punchedholes. The tape was runthrough a large computerwhich in turn exposed anddeveloped photoraphic paperfor the finished copy.Page design was revolu-

tioned with the arrival of offsetprinting, which involved cut-ting up stories and stickingthem to a larger piece of paperwhich was photographed by alarge camera. The negativewould then be burned onto aplate for the press.With computers becoming

more powerful, the scissors andhobby knives became obsolete.Page and ad design - begin-ning in the 1990s - was nowdone on the computer screenusing special software. Pageswere printed out and pho-tographed to create negativesfor the plates.And today, the process is one

step faster, with the finishedpages being sent directly fromthe computer screen to theplate.The new system has perfect-

ed color printing, also. While

the Leader printed its first frontpage color photograph in the1970s, it wasn’t until the 1990sthat full-color photographswere added to the paper, andfor the past six years the Leaderhas offered 16 full-color pages.

High speed connectionsIt’s always been true that

reporters have needed a pen, anotebook, a camera...and agood pair of shoes.But technology has meant

less travel in many instances -and fewer hours searching forinformation.Today, reporters have a com-

puter with a high-speed con-nection to the Internet and thenewspaper’s digital archives.They can take most of the officeand all its resources with them. Laptop computers, digital

cameras and the Internetallows reporters to file storiesfrom the scene or their home.

Digital photography arrivesIn one of the most dramatic

changes in newspaper produc-tion has been the invention ofdigital photography, a technol-ogy adopted by the Leader inthe late 1990s.For decades, Leader photog-

raphers relied on a darkroomfor their photos. Working innear-total darkness to developnegatives and prints was a wayof life for early photojournal-ists, who endured the suspense

of wondering if they “got theshot,” and whether it wasexposed correctly and in focusin the minutes and hours priorto developing their film.Early photos taken or sub-

mitted - in order to be in thepaper - needed to be sent awayto a company in the Twin Citieswhich would produce a metal“halftone,” a rendition of aphotograph etched in metal,using small dots that wouldpick up the ink, creating thevarious shadows and high-lights of each photo.Later the Leader would

invest in cameras using a 4-by-5-inch negative, the classicpress cameras of the 1940s and‘50s. In a November 1953 issue of

the Leader, the sports pagesincluded the following note:

“The pictures on this page weredelayed enroute from theengravers, arriving a day toolate for publication last weekbut they were such excellentshots that we just had to showthem this week. The pictureswere taken by Gene Brown’sStudio of River Falls, who inci-dentally was on hand to takepictures for the Frederic HighSchool annual.”When the Leader finally was

able to turn it’s own photo-graphs into press-readyimages, new challenges await-ed.

Late-breaking photos oftencreated the challenge of devel-oping the film, sending itthrough the developer, stopbath and fix solutions, drying itand then making a print usinganother three-step chemicalprocess - all under deadlineconditions. Sometimes the filmwas put in the enlarger before itwas dry in order to speedthings up - a step not recom-mended by those wishing topreserve the negative.The camera negative size

gradually went to 2-1/4-inchand in the late 1970s, to thecommonly-used 35 millimeter.As the cost of silver rose, so didthe cost of black-and-whitefilm. The Leader, like so manyother newspapers, began tobuy 35 millimeter film in bulkrolls of 100 feet in order to save

costs. It required a bulk filmloader that allowed photogra-phers to roll their own 35 mil-limeter film in reusable cas-settes.Digital photography changed

everything.Today, the Leader doesn’t

need a darkroom – just a com-puter that allows them to trimand adjust the images theyshoot. They can see on-the-spotwhat they’ve photographedusing the small screen on theback of the camera - instead ofrelying on faith. And if photodoesn’t turn out...you know itimmediately.Digital photo technology has

also made it easier for readersto submit their photos - fromengageme nts to a variety ofevents.And all archived photos after

1998 are now available in color- not just black and white.

The entire paper - onlineThe Leader’s first production

crew would undoubtedlyshake their heads in amaze-ment if they could see the tech-nology that produced the Inter-County Leader’s first virtualedition.In 2007, the board of directors

gave the approval to place theentire Leader on the Interneteach week, making it possiblefor someone on the other sideof the globe to click a computermouse and flip through thepages of the Leader, likelybefore the printed versionleaves our building for deliv-ery.The Leader e-edition is the

latest use of the Interet by ournewspaper, which made itsfirst appearance on the World-wide Web with a modest Website in 1997.Today’s Leader Web site,

(www.the-leader.net) offers thevirtual paper edition andbreaking news stories. TheWeb site receives visits from6,000 people monthly - fromstudents to servicemen andwomen - to former residents ortravelers who just want to keepup with their hometown news.It all requires more diligence

by the newspaper staff - andperhaps a much different mind-set than has been establishedover the past decades by theWednesday publication dead-line.What technology changes

will occur in the next 25 years?That’s something we can readabout in the Leader’s 100-yearanniversary issue.

Technology/from page 7

SSeettttiinngg ooff ttyyppee iinn tthhee 11997700ss iinncclluuddeedd aa kkeeyybbooaarrdd tthhaatt pprroo--dduucceedd ppuunncchh--hhoollee ttaappee,, wwhhiicchh wwoouulldd tthheenn bbee rruunn tthhrroouugghh aallaarrggee pphhoottoo--pprroocceessssiinngg mmaacchhiinnee..

TThhee llaarrggee ccaammeerraa ooff tthhee oolldd ddaarrkkrroooomm hhaass lloonngg ssiinnccee bbeeeenn rreeppllaacceedd bbyy nneeww eeqquuiippmmeenntt,, aammaacchhiinnee tthhaatt ccrreeaatteess pprriinnttiinngg ppllaatteess ffrroomm aann iimmaaggee sseenntt ddiirreeccttllyy ffrroomm aa ccoommppuutteerr ssccrreeeenn..

TThhee wweebb pprreessss iiss uusseedd ttoo pprroodduuccee tthhee AAddvveerrttiisseerrss aanndd nneewwssppaappeerrss.. AAtt rriigghhtt,, iinnsseerrtteerrss kkeeeepp uupp wwiitthh tthhee ffllooww ooff ppaappeerrss..

CCoommppuutteerrss aarreeaann iinntteeggrraall ppaarrttooff tthhee IICCPPPPAA’’ssccoommmmeerrcciiaall pprriinntt--iinngg ppllaanntt.. PPrriinntteerrBBoobb BBeeyyeerr iisssshhoowwnn pprreeppaarriinnggffoorr aannootthheerr pprriinnttjjoobb..

1987: Construction of 70 x 120 addition completed.Web press moved to this area. Construction alsoincluded a new dock area, library and lunchroom1988: “The Leader Lines” employee newsletter started1989: Began a scholarship program

1990: Beginning of the FAX machine era1992: Sales reached $3 million1993: An open house was held in celebration of our60th anniversary1993: Received an award from the DNR for our effortsin recycling paper1996: Opened an office in St. Croix Falls1997: 60 x 70 addition was added to the press build-ing to be used used for commercial printing1997: First web site for Leader



when her father gave her $300 tohelp her on her way, she endedup going to Minneapolis BusinessCollege.One of her first stories to write,

just a few weeks after beinghired, was that of the assassina-tion of President Kennedy. She soon began a personal col-

umn, “As Per Bernice,” whichdrew a following among readersand allowed her to render opin-ions on a number of personal andpolitical issues, in a homespunmanner. Asper was the only editorial

staff person in those days, cover-ing several meetings in personand by phone, coming in at 4 a.m.most days to get the job done.She did the payroll and helpedinsert papers.Manager Greinke and press-

man Clyde Kunze would helpout with photo and sports assign-ments. Kunze penned “Kunze’sKorner,” a weekly look at localsports that drew a heavy follow-ing. In the 1970s, a part-time

reporter position was created tohelp cover assignments, followeda few years later by another, full-time position.It was while Asper was editor

that the ICPPA began to publishthe Advertisers (see separatestory), allowing for furthergrowth beyond the base of thecooperative, which had beennewspaper production and jobprinting.Manager Ed Greinke retired in

1982 and was replaced by adver-tising manager Frank Gursky.

Asper retired in 1983 but stayedon the job part time, continuingher personal columnfor a fewyears and covering a variety ofassignments. She entered full-time retirement in 1993, after 30years as an editor and journalistfor the Leader. She later servedon the Polk County Board ofSupervisors and continued herinterest in the newspaper andlocal government issues.

1983-2008Upon Asper’s stepping down

from the editor’s position in 1983,Gary King was chosen for the edi-tor’s chair. He had had been hiredby the cooperative in 1977, work-ing as a darkroom technician anda sportswriter before taking thehelm of the Leader. Under the guidance of man-

agers Frank Gursky and Gursky’ssuccessor, Doug Panek and sup-port from the board of directors,has opened satellite offices inSiren and St. Croix Falls andexpanded its news coverage toinclude more sports coverage andcounty and local governmentnews.In 2004, the cooperative pur-

chased the Washburn CountyRegister newspaper, based inShell Lake.With the addition of full color

photographs and expanded cov-erage, both the Register andLeader have experienced growthin reader circulation, theRegister’s press run at nearly2,000 and the Leader’s at nearly8,000.Both the Leader and Register

offer a Web site and the Leadersite offers a virtual edition of thenewspaper – with every page ofthe weekly newspaper offeredonline.Technology keeps changing but

the mission remains the same;providing a public forum andendeavoring to tell stories andevents that reflect, create and sus-tain the communities we serve.

History/from page 7

TThhee ccooooppeerraattiivvee pprreesseennttss sscchhoollaarrsshhiippss ttoo ggrraadduuaattiinngg sseenniioorrss ffrroomm eeiigghhttaarreeaa hhiigghh sscchhoooollss..

IICCCCPPAA hhaass rreecceeiivveedd aawwaarrddss ffoorr iittsseeffffoorrttss ttoo rreeccyyccllee nneewwsspprriinntt..SShhrreeddddeedd nneewwssppaappeerr iiss ssoolldd ttooffaarrmmeerrss ffoorr bbeeddddiinngg..

Timeline, continued BBeerrnniicceeAAssppeerr wwaasstthhee eeddiittoorr oofftthhee LLeeaaddeerrffoorr 2200 yyeeaarrss,,ffrroomm 11996633 ttoo11998833.. SShheewwrroottee aawweeeekkllyy ccooll--uummnn ccaalllleeddAAss PPeerrBBeerrnniiccee..

FFllaaggss ooff tthhee IInntteerr--CCoouunnttyy LLeeaaddeerrcchhaannggeedd sseevveerraall ttiimmeess tthhrroouugghh tthheeyyeeaarrss,, mmoosstt nnoottaabbllyy wwhheenn tthhee ppaappeerr’’ssffoorrmmaatt wweenntt ffrroomm bbrrooaaddsshheeeett ttoottaabbllooiidd..

TThhee ssaallee ooff tthhee WWaasshhbbuurrnnCCoouunnttyy RReeggiisstteerr ttoo tthhee IInntteerr--CCoouunnttyy CCooooppeerraattiivvee PPuubblliisshhiinngg AAssssoocciiaattiioonn,, ttooookkppllaaccee tthhee fifirrsstt wweeeekk ooffSSeepptteemmbbeerr,, 22000044,, aatt tthheeccooooppeerraattiivvee’’ss FFrreeddeerriicc oofffificcee..SShhoowwnn ((LL ttoo RR)) aarree ccooooppeerraa--ttiivvee mmaannaaggeerr DDoouugg PPaanneekk,,ccooooppeerraattiivvee bbooaarrdd ooff ddiirreeccttoorrss cchhaaiirrppeerrssoonnVViivviiaann BByyll aanndd EErriicc aannddTThheerreessaa JJeennsseenn,, ffoorrmmeerr oowwnn--eerrss ooff tthhee RReeggiisstteerr.. –Photo byGaryKing

See Timeline, page 14



A look at Leader news by decadeThurs., Nov. 2, 1933

Headlines• Farmer’s strike is calledoff temporarily - Trucedeclared after 10-day halt infarm produce marketing -strike may repeat• A brutal and callousmurder - by Bill Evjue, edi-tor of Madison’s CapitalTimes• Rumors, gossip and falsereports of strike numerous• Young Democrats organ-ize - A meeting of the YoungDemocrats was held in thefire hall at Centuria onFriday evening, Oct. 20.

In the ads• Did you know that weserve the best coffee in PolkCounty? The New PrincessCafe, P.L. Wilhelm,Proprietor, Amery• Congratulations andsuccess to the Inter-CountyLeader; Al’s Red CrownService, Balsam Lake • Wade Ramsey wishes toannounce that the formerCarlstrom Barber Shop willbe operated by myself in amanner to give entire satis-faction to the public. Give usa trial to be convinced.Osceola• Buyers and dealers infarm produce, hides andfurs. Also flour and feed;Dodd Produce, Osceola.

Thurs., Nov. 4, 1943Headlines

• Memorial services forMarvin Carlson, killed inaction• War fund drive underway; Let’s be generous• Grantsburg authorwrites new novel (“TheMedic from Bunker Hill,” bythe Rev. James Falk)• Deronda girl killed incrossing accident

In the ads• Try Our Plate Dinner -Sandwiches anytime untilclosing - hamburgers a spe-cialty! You will be delightedwith our chile con carne. Icecream, too. Mrs. Wm.Neuman. Next to post office;Frederic• We’re proud toannounce we have justbecome dealers for famousCargill Feeds (sponsored byCenturia Implement & Feed,Cushing Co-op CreameryStore, Milltown Co-opProduce & ShippingAssociation and FredericFarmers Co-op Exchange)

At the movies:• “The Human Comedy,”starring Mickey Rooneyand Frank Morgan, at theFrederic Theatre• “Good Morning, Judge,”starring Dennis O’Keefe,Louise Allbritton and BethHughes, at the St. Croix FallsAuditorium Theatre• “Aerial Gunner” star-ring Chester Morris, Richard

Arlen and Jimmy Lydon, atthe New Amery Theatre

Wed., Nov. 5, 1953Headlines

• Head-on smash-upSaturday night sends four toFrederic Hospital • Visit your school duringNational Education Week• Marvin Manning on TVSaturday• Mrs. Bennie Bye to win-ter in California

In the ads• POISON - Tie up yourpets - The rat exterminatorwill be in Frederic, today,Wednesday, November 4,and will set out poisonWednesday afternoon andWednesday night. Play safeby keeping your dog or catconfined. Frederic VillageBoard - by Henry Bille• Cold Wave Special -$7.95 complete - includinghaircut and the very latest inhair styling - regular $12.50.A beautiful wave chuckedfull of lanolin, to leave yourhair soft and pliable. Abby’sBeauty Shop, Frederic• Preinventory sale - Oursample milk house, 12 by 12,insulated - interior finished,now only $420. Save $130on this. ConsolidatedLumber Co. Phone 44.Frederic

In sports• Dallas Friberg scoresagainst Luck (Photo ofDallas Friberg scoringFrederic’s first touchdownin a drive over center.)• Grantsburg dumpsFrederic 18-7 in season finale• Bruce Tromberg had agreat night against Luck inthe game played Oct. 24 forFrederic’s homecoming,which Frederic won, 14 to 6

At the movies• “War of the Worlds,”starring Gene Barry andAnn Robinson. Color byTechnicolor at theAuditorium Theatre, St.Croix Falls• “John Huston’s MoulinRouge,” starring Jose Ferrerat the Frederic Theatre

Wed., Nov. 6, 1963Front page news

• Break-ins reported atNorth Luck, Dresser andLorain• Veterans Day quiet inthis area• Governor opposes dis-continuing RR freight agentservice• Cook injured in explo-sion Sunday evening (Mrs.Pearl Zick, Route 1, Frederic,who is employed as a cookat Phillips Cafe in Luck,received burns on her face,arms and legs Sundayevening when she lit amatch to light the gas jets onthe steam table and therewas an explosion due to

leaking gas)In the ads

• Les’ Store, Siren. Warsurplus: Heavy, warm jack-ets, coats, insulated boots,insulated suits - just in. Seethem now at fraction abovecost. Grocery department:Large Russet potatoes -$1.98; Red Band bacon - 3lbs. for $1• Used tractors: 1958Massey Harris 444 Diesel,live power - $2,675; 1951Ford, like new - $550.Wanted - good quality hay -will take in trade or paycash; Kallenbach Sales, ShellLake. Authorized Massey-Ferguson Dealer

In sports• Dean Keppen and BobMarlow, football players atSiren, were named to theEastern Lakeland All-Conference Team• McAbee’s knee surgerytermed a success (The opera-tion on Joe McAbee’s kneewas termed a success,according to Dr. Hall ofFairview Hospital inMinneapolis, who operatedon the Viking center’s kneefor a torn cartilage. “BigJoe” had the stitchesremoved at the Grantsburghospital last Monday and isexpected to be ready to joincoach Tom Funne and hisFrederic cagers for extensiveduty after the holidays.)

At the movies:• Walt Disney’s “Son ofFlubber,” at Grand Theatre,Grantsburg• “The V.I.P.s,” starringElizabeth Taylor andRichard Burton, at theAuditorium Theatre, St.Croix Falls• “Beach Party,” starringFrankie Avalon and AnnetteFunnicello at the FredericTheatre


• Maki Implement sold toNelson’s of Grantsburg• Courthouse site, boardreorganzation on agenda• Asphyxiation is cause ofdeath for St. Croix Falls man• Burnett board to reviewcounty assessor proposal

In the ads• Special, now throughNov. 30! Butter pecan fla-vored ice cream - $1.09 halfgallon - Gustafson’s• November special - Bake‘N Broiler - $2.77 (Reg. $5.95)Carlson Hardware• Finest meats, fresh pro-duce, snappy service -Frederic Co-op, BudJohnson, manager• Notice of annual meet-ing - The annual stockhold-ers meeting of the Inter-County CooperativePublishing Association willbe held at Buck’s Resort, six

miles west of Frederic onHwy. 48, Friday, Nov. 16,1973

In sports:• Bruce Shattuck returnsto coach Vike cagers• Luck football coachundergoes surgery (Footballcoach Roger Steen recentlysubmitted to major surgeryat the St. Croix Falls hospi-tal. It’s hard to keep Rogdown, especially duringhunting season.)• Frederic cagers open1973 season against Spooner

At the movies:• “Deliverance,” at theWebb Theatre, Webster• “Tom Sawyer,” at theD’Lux Theatre, Luck• “Instinct for Survival,”at the Auditorium Theatre,St. Croix Falls


• New Lorain Fire Hallcompleted• Strauss from Division ofTourism, Stower, to visitSiren• Keith appointed tonational committee• Neighbor sights fire intime to save barn

In the ads• Dial-A-Devotion (newevery day); sponsored by St.Peter’s and Luck Lutheranchurches• 12.9-percent financingon all 1983 and 1984 cars andlight-duty trucks - 48months to pay; FredericAuto Company, Home of theBig 2 - Chevrolet andOldsmobile• Mary Ellen’s HairstylingSalon. Stylists Carol, Jan,Mary Ellen; Frederic

In sports• Dragons dream seasonends at hands of “big play”Shiocton, 32-6• Viking end-of-year statsshow strong ground game• Dragon Wendy Chrystnamed all-conference• Coach Carley announcesletter-winners

At the movies• “Never Say NeverAgain,” starring SeanConnery at AuditoriumTheatre, St. Croix Falls


• County board makesrecycling mandatory• WCC project marks 10thanniversary• Trail supporters askcounty to accept grant• Northwood votersapprove $4 million school

In the ads:• Hole In The Wall Casinoand Hotel’s Employee of theMonth Lisa Morse congratu-lated by casino managerMorrie Anderson

• 1st anniversary sale -Joan’s Birds Pet Supplies,Siren• Now open in Webster -Kid’s Time Child CareCenter

In Sports:• Unity’s Cramlet placestenth at state (cross country)• Victims recall terror ofpost-game celebration• Somerset, Turtle Lakereach state volleyball tour-nament

At the movies:• “The Good Son,” at thePalace Theatre, Spooner

Wed., Nov. 5, 2003Headlines:

• Saving a life - dispatch-ers at the Polk CountySheriff’s Dept. went theextra mile to help adesparate woman on theother end of the line• Judge: Business is up(Judge Michael Gablemanholds first in a plannedseries of listening sessionsfor public)•Trial could cost $40,000(Public protection commit-tee receives reports on costof Mary Krueger homicidetrial)

In the ads:• ATTENTION NORTH-ERN WISCONSIN WATER-FRONT PROPERTY OWN-ERS - The Wisconsin DNR isproposing a change to theshoreland zoning regula-tions that could have a sig-nificant impact on the valueand enjoyment of yourhome or property sponsoredby Wisconsin RealtorsAssociation and WisconsinBuilders Association,Madison• “That’s How It Is,Sometimes,” a Quirky Taleof Surveillance, Romanceand Lies, by Avah Tuchstoneat Luck School Auditorium• Christmas Land atPeggy’s Fashion Rack andGifts, Siren

In Sports:• Vikings, Pirates take sil-ver and bronze at state(cross country)• On their way to GreenBay! (Osceola girls volleball)• Frederic’s final drive(Turnovers, defense holdVikings in check againstGilman in second-roundplayoff game.)• Postseason of dreams(Webster wins way to sec-tional championship game,but Tiger girls fall to Regis atNew Auburn.)

At the movies”• “Elf” and “BrotherBear,” at Timbers Theatre,Siren• “Scary Movie 3” and“School of Rock,” at St.Croix Falls Cinema 5



News of the Leader: 1933

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40 years later,Bernice is stillBehind the Signpost

From assembling pages of a cal-endar to proofreading ads andnews copy, Bernice Abrahamzonhas done a little bit of everything apublishing plant could throw herway.But for the past 40 years, she’s

been known for her role at theInter-County Leader as a writer, apoet, and to many readers, a closefriend, mostly due to the populari-ty of her weekly column, Behindthe Signpost.“Perfect strangers will call me up

and talk for hours about a columnI’ve written, or send me a letter orphotograph,” she said. “It still sur-prises me.”Abrahamzon has had an interest

in writing all her life and thinksmaybe her father, “a great story-teller,” had an influence on whatshe came to love and do with herlife.She was the editor of her high

school paper in Oconomowoc - theCooney Crier, (Cooney being thenickname for Oconomowoc) andwould send her stories on to theeditor at the city’s newspaper - theOconomowoc Herald - for consid-eration.Later, attending Milwaukee-

Downer college in Milwaukee, sheimmersed herself in writing essaysand studying “artsy” magazinesthat offered a variety of poetry.It was there that a girlfriend gave

her the address of a servicemanwho also liked poetry.She soon became pen pals with a

flight instructor by the name ofKenneth Abrahamzon.Flash forward several years to

the 1950s, and Mr. and Mrs.Abrahamzon are living in Lewis,raising a family.New friends include Ed and

Lorraine Greinke. Ed was the man-ager at the Leader and invited herto work part time in the back shop.That job eventually led her to a

job as proofreader and some jour-nalism assignments.“Due to the deadlines, all of us at

the Leader would take our vaca-tions at the same time each year -the first two weeks of July,” shesaid.The absence of staff meant a

shortage of copy for the paper, andBernice was called out of her proof-reader’s chair to do some featurewriting to build up a cache of sto-ries to fill in the gaps.But most of her time was spent

proofreading stories by other writ-ers.Frustrating for a natural-born

writer.“My own words,” she said. “I

wanted my own words.”In 1967, Abrahamzon began sub-

mitting her own columns to editorBernice Asper. They would end upas fillers in the paper, one week onthe bottom of a page towards theback - another week on top of apage closer to the front - whereverthey fit.A friend who has shared a pas-

sion for writing for years - RuthBunker Christianson - namedBernice’s column, “Behind theSignpost.”Bernice’s local claim to fame

slowly developed as her columnwas assigned a regular spot in theLeader - and readers became loyal,enjoying her homespun humor anddown-home stories.

A co-worker, John Franklin,sketched a logo of someone peek-ing out from behind a signpostwith the words “Bittersweet RidgeFarm” on it.Life on her farm was both bitter

and sweet, the same as everywhereelse, she would note in one of fivebooks she has published sincestarting her column. They include acollection of her favorite columns,aptly titled “Behind the Signpost,”“Ladies of the Lewis Ladies Aid,”“Echoes of Christmas,” “Home iswhere I lay my head,” and she edit-ed and self-published her late hus-band’s book “Hawthorne Boy.”

•••After more than 2,000 columns,

with titles ranging from The Roadto Bengtson’s Pond and Back, (apoem) to Noises in the Car, toWhat’s in Your Junk Drawer, theauthor hasn’t run out of ideas.“Nothing is ever wasted on a

writer - the smallest experience issomething to write about,” shesays. “It’s already written in myhead before I put it on paper. Somepeople ask me ‘How can youremember all that?’ and I say ‘I justdo.’”Abrahamzon says sometimes

readers will request she publish acolumn they consider a favorite -and she obliges.And while she enjoys the feed-

back she gets, sometimes reactionsaren’t so positive.She once wrote about missing the

use of passbooks at the bank.“Ed Greinke (manager) called me

on the carpet - and it wasn’t red,”she said. “He told me I had setbanking back 20 years.”Another time she wrote about

how Girl Scouts should sell thecookies themselves instead of theirmothers bringing the order blanksto work.“I was told it was too dangerous

to expect them to knock on thedoors of strangers,” she said.“Times change.”In one column titled Fantasy:

Windfall Leads to Problems, shewrote about winning a million dol-lars and the problems that ensued.After it was published, someone

came up to her and shook her

hand, saying, “We’re happy foryou!”She responded, “You don’t

believe it, do you? You didn’t readthe title!”“But you never lie - you always

write about things that really hap-pen - you always tell the truth.”“So this time I lied,” she respond-

ed.And she had to explain the col-

umn many times.

•••Winning various writing awards

over the years, Abrahamzon saysshe’s been fortunate to have a fam-ily that understood her need tosneak away to writing conferencesand meetings. She’s a charter mem-ber of the Northwest RegionalWriters and a member of theWisconsin Regional WritersAssociation. She has won the WRWA’s covet-

ed Jade Ring Award.“A once in a lifetime experience,”

she said.She’s also a charter member of

the Indianhead Rock and MineralSociety.Both affiliations have brought

her longtime friends.•••

At one point, she made it to the“top of the time clock,” for beingthe longest-employed person at theLeader.It was a feat she cherished nearly

as much as living in the same homefor a long time.Her husband, Ken, who liked

new challenges, led the family todifferent towns. There was Peru,Ind. and Memphis, Tenn., thenSuperior, Ashland and Sheboyganin Wisconsin and then to St. Pauland northern St. Paul in Minnesota.He was a military flight instruc-

tor, teaching British and Frenchcadets how to fly - and later a the-ater director and teacher.“He was a creative individual

and welcomed new challenges,”she wrote in her book, “Home iswhere I lay my head,” which shededicated to Ken and their threesons, Drew, Timothy and Tod. “Hehad unlimited energy, the way verytalented people do,” she writes inthe book. “ When he entered aroom he made it come alive.Together we were a good team andcould make people laugh.”Ken died suddenly in 1986, and a

few days later a fire severely dam-aged the Lewis United MemorialChurch. The flowers and memora-bilia from the funeral were still inthe church. Photos were rescuedbyAbrahamzon’s godchild, KaraAlden.“It was a double whammy,” she

wrote in the book. “In a singleweek I had lost the man I love mostin life and our beautiful church.”She often reflects on their life

together - and their decision in the1950s that led to her idyllic dreamof a home where they could settlefor awhile. “His parents had moved to

Lewis from Superior - so we camefor a summer,” she said. “But it’sbeen a long summer.”

“My own words”

1998: Sales reached $4 million2000: Began electronic pagination to produce theAdvertisers. The want ads are now classified.2001: ICCPA was featured on the Twin Cities produced“Out and About” TV show2002: Quad-stack press unit was incorporated into theweb press allowing the printing of larger sections andcolor photos and ads in our papers2002: Sales reached $5 million

2003: A four-color Hamada sheet-fed press was pur-chased. It will print four colors in one pass throughthe press2004: Purchased the Washburn County Register andopened an office in Shell Lake2004: Basys computer to plate digital plate makerinstalled2004: Purchased a Duplo booklet maker that collates,staples, folds, and trims books2006: Additional warehouse space, 60 x 60, withaccess to the commercial printing and the web print-ing areas was added for storage of skids of flat stock,roll stock, and mail carts2006: A new Hamada two-color press with manyautomatic functions was installed2006: Purchased a Duplo quick coat UV roller coatingsystem. It produces a durable gloss finish on printedmaterials2008: Celebrated our 75th anniversary with a picnicfor past and present employees and an open house

Timeline, cont’d

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Did you know?• The newspapers/Advertisers use approxi-

mately 1,056 tons of paper a year - 88 tons amonth, 20 tons a week.• We print approximately 344 pages each

week. That is 1,490 a month and 17,888 in ayear.• We use approximately 7-1/2 tons of ink in a

year. That is 1,250 lbs. a month and 288 lbs. aweek.• We spend over $1 million in postage and

distribution in a year. That is $91,000 amonth and $21,000 a week.• ICCPA has more than 70 employees and 341

shareholders.

Commercial printing

How will the localnews be delivered

in 2033?When ICCPA celebrates its

100th anniversary - 25 yearsfrom now - it's anybody's guesshow the local news will bedelivered.Will there still be a newspaper

as we've known it for 75 years?Ink on paper?Will it be delivered entirely

via the Internet and cell phones?What kind of technology dis-

coveries - things we've neverheard of - will occur in the nexttwo to three decades?It stands to reason there will

be more merging of old and newtechnologies in 2033 - the print-ed newspaper may still exist,but a new generation, raised oncyberspace technology - willexpect much more than we offertoday.Our public forum will move

toward online blogs and livewebcasts of local politicaldebates and school board meet-ings. That technology itself may

be old news by 2033.Although the Leader has been

a leader in using recycled paper,protectors of the environmentwould like to see news present-ed with fewer trees at stake.And research for the past five

years has shown younger gener-ations aren’t picking up news-papers as often - instead relyingon the Internet - even for localnews.ICCPA has kept up with the

technology changes thusfar - the

first printing plant in the area tofully utilize computer direct toprinting plate technology, thefirst local newspaper to publisha Web site and the first to offer avirtual newspaper online.The factors of the local econo-

my and the advances in technol-ogy will surely play a factor inhow well the cooperative suc-ceeds in future years - whatdiversification it may experi-ence - and what technology itmay need to adopt.

TThhee LLeeaaddeerr’’ss ccuurrrreenntt vviirrttuuaall ppaappeerr aatt wwwwww..tthhee--lleeaaddeerr..nneett..

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Our mission



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What’s next?

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How to make a newspaper hat

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Our four office locations

SSiirreenn SShheellll LLaakkee SStt.. CCrrooiixx FFaallllss

PPrreessssmmaann RRiicchh BBrroowwnn mmooddeellssaa pprreessssmmaann’’ss hhaatt.. - Photo byRaelynn Hunter


iccpa history

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