WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2013
KENDALLVILLE SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com B5
Sunday, June 2
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Home at 207 W. William St.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Home at 208 S. Morton St.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Home at 427 S. Oak St.
Business Honor Roll The following businesses submitted their history for publication
KPC Media Group Inc. Fourteen years before Kendallville’s incorporation as a community in 1863, a newspaper office existed on South Main Street. Now 150 years later, journalism continues to thrive in downtown Kendallville. Under the leadership of George O. Witwer as publisher and then publisher emeritus, KPC Media Group serves all of northeast Indiana with its print and online products. In the spring of 1849, William H. Austin, who was an accomplished fiddler, established the first newspaper in Noble County. He published the Noble County Star from the second story of Samuel Minot’s store (later known as the George Aichele property) on
South Main Street. He later sold it to Samuel E. Alvord, a law student from Pennsylvania who came to Indiana to regain his health. The second newspaper in Kendallville was the Noble County Journal, established in 1860 by Judson Palmiter, an intellectual man from Ligonier. The paper was editorially linked to the political party of Abraham Lincoln, who captured the White House in the first year of the paper’s existence. In subsequent years, other newspapers came and went. By 1911, Kendallville’s two rival daily newspapers were consolidated by owners O.E. Michaelis and George W. Baxter, and the Kendallville Publishing Co., with offices at 112 N. Main St., was created. In 1913, Michaelis and his wife sold their interest to
Dr. Charles O. Merica, a well-known educator and lecturer. He published The News-Sun until his death in 1918 at the age of 54. His widow, Alice W. (White) Merica, assumed ownership. Known for her wit and charm, Mrs. Merica was long active in the Tuesday Club, a women’s study organization and the oldest social club in the city. She also served on the city library board and was active in the First Presbyterian Church. George O. Witwer assumed the position of editor and general manager in June 1962. He became publisher and owner after the death of Mrs. Merica on Jan. 27, 1969. Mrs. Merica was 103. When he first arrived in Kendallville, The News-Sun was a sleepy newspaper with a circulation of 3,600 and 16 employees.
Today, KPC Media Group, with more than 100 full-time employees, publishes daily and weekly newspapers in northeast Indiana, shoppers, phone books and magazines and has a robust online presence. Its main website is kpcnews.com. In August 1996, Witwer retired at the age of 66. He continues to serve as publisher emeritus of the family-owned company. Witwer’s son-in-law, Terry Housholder, is president and publisher.
Business Service Co. of America
Having only a part-time job in the midst of the Great Depression, Thurlow M. Cazier began selling office
supplies out of the trunk of his car. A few years later, his business, Business Service Company of America, found a new home in the center block of Main Street. By this time, Thurlow had begun to service typewriters. During World War II, the military shipped in typewriters in wooden crates for reconditioning and cleaning. In 1947, Thurlow’s father, Irvin Cazier, bought the building at 107 N. Main St., for his son’s business. The building was originally set up to be a restaurant or bar, and they worked around the long counter and large mirror until removing them in 1952. In the early 1970s, Thurlow acquired the building next door and completed a major remodeling project to combine 107 and 109 North Main. The biggest challenge in completing one large
showroom was installing a 30-foot, 6-ton beam so the wall between the two buildings could be removed. The building and three others on the 100 block of North Main Street were added to the National Register of Historic Places after the construction project was completed. Business Service has maintained the same facing on the building that existed in 1893. The company has gone through many changes over the years and is now managed by Thurlow’s son, John, and grandson, Joe.
Dairy Queen The Kendallville Dairy Queen is owned by Doug and Tammy Woodward and is located at 840 W. North St. in Kendallville. SEE BUSINESS HONOR ROLL, PAGE B6
Over 80 Years of Ser vice to Local Businesses Dependable Office Products
• Machine Service • Printer Cartridges • Awards • Advertising Specialties
• Office Supplies • Signs • Engraving • Rubber Stamps • UPS Shipping
• Copies • Fax Service • Indoor & Outdoor Custom Signage
107 N. Main St., Kendallville • 260-347-0150 • 800-875-2722 • www.BusinessServiceCompany.com Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Family
Restaurant
Northern Indiana’s Oldest Restaurant • Est. 1878
Top of the Town Lounge St. James Restaurant welcomes each guest to our family to enjoy quality foods, excellent service and an atmosphere of total satisfaction. Call For Reservations • 204 E. Albion St., Avilla • 897-2114 • www.stjamesavilla.com Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. • Friday & Saturday 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. • Breakfast 7-11 a.m.