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The
Freeport Press
was established as a
weekly newspaper in 1880 by J.J. Ashenhurst.
He was a resident of Martins Ferry and when he decided to
start a newspaper he chose Freeport without ever seeing the
town. It was chosen because of the geographical location and
was located at the corner of S. High St. and Ohio St.
In
1883 it was purchased by L.B. Williams of Freeport, beginning an association with
the Williams family that would last for four
generations. With the retirement of L.B.
Williams in 1917, his son, Homer C. Williams,
became editor and publisher. In 1925 Dean
Williams purchased a half interest in the paper
from his father and the Press operated under
this partnership until 1944 when Dean Williams
became sole owner. During this time the business
was located on Muskingum St.
In
1949 a new building was constructed on
Main St.. The original structure has been added to on
both sides but the front, which featured stone from the
Freeport Stone Quarry, remains the same.
Maynard
and Anne Williams Buck purchased
the Freeport Press in 1957. This was the fourth
generation of the Williams family to be involved
with the Freeport Press. At the time of the
purchase there were only four people employed
and the main business of the Press was to
publish the weekly newspaper, "The
Freeport Press". Then they began to
develop a commercial printing business, which
continued to grow. The
Freeport Press and the Scio
Weekly Herald merged in 1964 and the
newspaper then became the Press
Herald until 1968 when the Cadiz
Republican joined the Press
Herald to become the Harrison
News Herald. The business office was and
still is at Cadiz but the paper is still printed
at the Freeport Press.
In 1987 Maynard and
Anne Buck sold the company to one of their
customers, Suburban Graphics, to ensure that the company
would grow and provide job security for its employees
well into the 21st Century. At that time James W.
Carson, who had come to the press as vice president and
general manager in 1980, became the holder of a minority
interest in the company.
In December 1989, Jim
Carson purchased the Freeport Press from a group of
investment partners and later became a business partner
of Mr. John Schrock.
In 1998, Mr. Jim Carson reached an agreement to
sell his shares to a new partnership between Mr. John
Schrock and Mr. David G. Pilcher. In January of
2005, Mr. David G. Pilcher became the sole owner of the
Freeport Press Inc.
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