History from B3
this machine the photos had to be sent to an engraving company and would take a couple of days before the photo would appear in the paper.
DEPARTMENT HEADS ADDED
My father, who was business manager and an officer in the company, decided that because the company was rapidly growing it was time to have managers in each department of the newspaper. There were five departments: Advertising, News, Circulation, Production and Office. This proved to be very beneficial as each department was responsible for its own area. The department heads and my father would meet once a week to discuss their problems and work out solutions. This proved to be very helpful to my father while running the entire company.
THE PILOT PROMOTES EVENTS
The paper promoted and/or sponsored many worthwhile events that were for the betterment and entertainment of people of Marshall County such as: Annual Auto Show, Annual Cooking School, Annual Home Show, L.P.G.A. Golf Tourney, WLS Barn Dance (both radio shows were broadcast from Plymouth), Tex Ritter Show, front page promotions of citywide retail sales like dollar days, old fashioned days, midnight madness etc., U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers chorus (performed three times in Plymouth) Jazz Ambassadors (performed four times in Plymouth), the Blueberry Festival and many other worthwhile events.
During WW II, The Pilot-news carriers raised over five thousand dollars in War Bonds and Stamps for the war effort. In September of 1971, the Pilot News donated the ground between the library and the Pilot building (then on Center Street) so the library could expand its facility.
A NEED FOR MORE SPACE
In the late 1950’s the Garro Street building was becoming overcrowded and the need for a much larger, more modern building was being considered. Because my father, Alfred, had died at age 50 of cancer, my grandfather came out of retirement at age 87 and handed the department heads a sheet of architect’s drawing paper then he asked each one to draw and estimate how much space their department would need. This information was then given to the architects that planned the building.
My grandfather and grandmother looked at desirable places for the new plant to be situated. They found three properties in the residential part of North Center Street - - right across from the fire department and next to the library and close to the post office - - that were available for sale. “This is an ideal spot, just where we need to be!” my grandfather said.
THE PLANNING STAGE
It was 1959 and the department heads were busy figuring out how many square feet of space, what materials, machinery, furniture etc. that they needed for their respective departments to perform efficiently. There were many discussion meetings during that year with each other and the architects. Finally the plans were completed and approved by my grandfather and grandmother and the department heads. The groundbreaking was held on Nov. 12, 1959 with my grandparents, my aunts Eleanor and Edith and all of the department heads: Advertising Manager, George Towle; News Editor, Don R.J. Cramer; Circulation Manager Keith D. Heisler; Production Foreman, Galen Wagoner and Office Manager Dorothy J. Moore. The building crew began the very next day. This was the largest building that my grandfather built as it was 10,320 square feet on the first floor and 5,000 square feet in the basement.
The production area and press room had to have special steel with reinforced concrete to accommodate all of the weight of production machinery as the paper was still a “hot metal” type of production. The largest portion of the basement was used as newsprint storage. There was also a room that was humidity-controlled to preserve all of the hard bound newspapers dating back to the first issue of 1851. Another innovative aspect was the unloading of newsprint from a semi-trailer into the basement. Galen Wagoner, the production foreman, figured out a way to do this. At the landing the newsprint rolls, weighing about a half-ton each, were rolled off of the semi trailer onto a series of rollers. The newsprint roll was then easily pushed onto a three-bar shaft that went into the basement then onto another series of rollers that would slow down the newsprint roll where it safely stopped allowing the press men to roll it to its resting place in the storage room. The center bar is what the roll would slide on and the other two bars on each side would guide the roll into the basement. Photos were taken of this process during an open house for newspaper people from other newspapers as the marveled at this quick, easy and efficient way to unload tons and tons of newsprint.
The front portion of the building housed the news, circulation, advertising, office, my grandfather’s office and the reception area. Each department head, except the production foreman who had a desk in the production area, had his or her own office.
I was a witness to the moving from the old building on West Garro Street to the new building on North Center Street and it was a huge job. The offices etc. were not that bad to move but the production machinery and the (gulp) press was an enormous task. The engineers from the Goss Press Company measured each unit of the press exactly so when the press was moved they could accurately place each unit. It worked perfectly. The Saturday paper was printed on Friday giving the movers and the Goss Press company engineers all week-end to get the job done. As soon as the last paper was printed the movers and Goss Press engineers began. That next Monday all of the department heads thought the paper would be really late. I have to give the movers and installers a pat on the back as the paper was only one hour late being printed and the postal deadlines were met. My grandfather’s comment was “My goodness - - those fellows knew what they were doing and really did their job well”. The cost of the building and lots was $300,000.
OPEN HOUSE
The fall of 1960 brought a happy time for my grandfather, grandmother and the whole Pilot staff. There was a series of open houses which over 2,500 guests from all over the county came to inspect the new facility. Members of the Pilot staff conducted tours of each department, answered questions and served refreshments. Most of the visiting guests were amazed at the amount of equipment and varied work it takes to put out a daily newspaper. The pressmen ran the press at designated times and the visitors marveled at how the press worked.
SAM BOYS DAY
As a special tribute to my grandfather for the many years of service to Marshall County, citizens and friends paid a special honor to him on his 90th birthday, June 20, 1961. The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Ernest Bixel declared it “Sam Boys Day”. Mayor Ernest Bixel presented him with a plaque inscribed “To a distinguished Editor and Community Leader - - Samuel E. Boys”. In addition to hundreds of cards and letters from local and state people, hundreds of people stopped by the office to wish him a happy birthday. Community leaders and even clerks in the stores were wearing a special tag “Sam Boys Day”.
My grandmother,
Florence Riddick Boys passed away May 10, 1963 at the age of 90 and on Thursday, April 14, 1966, my grandfather, Samuel Evan Boys, passed away at the age of 94.
REORGANIZING
On April 29, 1966, because of the death of both of the founders of The Pilot Company, again the shareholders had to reorganize. They elected Eleanor Boys Blank as President, Edith Boys Enos, Vice-president and Michael D. Boys as Secretary-treasurer. Keeping up with my grandfather’s tradition of moving ahead, the company was ever progressive as it expanded its coverage by buying The Bremen Enquirer, a weekly, on November 10, 1966 from Mr. and Mrs. James Crittenden.
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER NAMED
On June 4, 1969 Michael D. Boys was named assistant publisher and area advertising director of The Pilot Company. Also on that day the announcement was made of the purchase of the Nappanee Advance News and Farm and Home News, both weekly papers. The papers were purchased from Donald E. Nichols, Jr.
THE PILOT-NEWS GOES OFFSET
On Friday, July 23, 1971 the first offset issue of The Pilot-news rolled off the new six unit Goss Community Offset press. This innovation in the newspaper business became a reality. Moving the business forward again as my grandfather and grandmother would have wanted was a dream come true for The Pilot Company. With the circulation nearing 9850 and covering 88% of the county - - the paper was reporting the news for ALL the people of Marshall County and surrounding counties - fairly and clearly.
THE PILOT COMPANY IS SOLD
The end of an era: In 1977 the officers and directors of the family corporation, The Pilot Company’s board of directors, voted to sell the company. When it was announced that the paper was for sale many other newspaper groups were interested. The Boys family had owned the paper for 73 years - - more years than anyone else at this time.
Park Newspapers Inc. of Ithaca, New York was the successful company to purchase the paper. Michael D. Boys stayed on as General Manager for eight and one-half years before leaving the company as he didn’t like the direction that the new owners were taking. It was a reversal of what the founders of The Pilot Company stood for.
In 1993 the name was changed to Park Communications and in 1996 was sold to Media General of Richmond, Virginia. Then it was bought by CNHI (Community Newspapers Holding Incorporated), of Montgomery, Alabama, then sold to Horizon Publications of Marion, Illinois who now owns the Pilot News Group consisting of: The Pilot News, Heartland News, Culver Citizen, Starke County Leader , The Shopper and the Review.
Well, that’s it folks. Oh there is so much more of the history that I could write about but I think you have had enough to read for today or um tomorrow if you chose to continue reading the history. I just wanted you to know the history of your daily newspaper. I wanted to tell you how The Pilot-news got started and I hope that you keep reading and supporting YOUR newspaper.