The History of our Newspapers

The Diagonal Progress, the first-mentioned newspaper of our town, is dated May 23, 1892 stating the business was moved to a former lumber office on the east side of south Brodaway.

W.A. Beard, editor and publisher, was engaged in a dispute with the Knowlton Express, which reached the proportions of a feud.
Printing equipment was moved from the defunct Express to Diagonal, stored in the basement of the Dr. H.J.C. Reed building, and returned to Knowlton by the sheriff, with that transfer being made on three different occasions. The main topic was, where will the press be tonight?
All this was brought on by litigation concerning a $250 mortgage held by J.C. Gustin.

The Progress moved, too, from the Chandler office, lower east side, to a frame building south of the present Diagonal Building Products, which was owned by Dr. Reed. This building was moved north when Johnston's Ford Garage was built.
From there the Progress moved to the basement of the Opera House (present bank location).

In March 1896, an Overholser joined editor Beard and the following month found Mr. Beard "fixing his wagon to start for the Rockies as soon as grass and weather permit."
That same year L.E. Deutromont served as editor for a time. O.B. Overholser took over in September and the business suffered a fire in December.
H.J. Everly took over in 1900. George Stafford and Charles Wroughton were owners and Thomas Waffle leased the paper.
Old timers recalled Everly living across Grand River on the south side, carrying copy from the office to be hand-set with type at home, making both trips over the swinging bridge, which spanned the river.

C.F. Quinn leased the paper in 1902, bought it in 1903, leased it to Joel Overholser in 1911 for one year, and sold it in 1915 to Carson Williams. When "Chap" Quinn announced his plans to move to California, the community was shocked, for in those 13 years he had stabilized the paper and won the confidence of the community.

In 1917, Ross Rees (who married Faye Pine) bought the Progress, which was destroyed by fire in December of 1917, consuming the plant and more than 25 years of filed. Arson was suspected.

Closing out his Cash Grocery, Carson Williams purchased equipment in Kansas City, moved into what is now the funeral home, and The Diagonal Reporter was born.
Thomas W. Waffle, Lorimor, bought the Reporter on Januare 29, 1922 with his ownership continuing until his death in 1934.
He was a craftsman, a perfectionist, to the point of requiring that the office broom be held level to the floor, so as to wear evenly.
Mr. Waffle bought the Dr. A. E. Jessup building, a two-story frame, in 1922 as a permanent home for the Reporter and acquired a "permanent" person when he hired Harold Turnbull as an apprentice in 1922.

The following is an account of that beginning written by Mr. Waffle in the style of the time.
"Harold Turnbull has made up his mind that he wishes to learn the art preservative and began work in the Reporter office this week. Harold is a bright boy and we have no doubt will have no trouble in mastering the printer's trade. He graduates from the Diagonal school this year and is barely sixteen. He has the proper make-up for a printer and within a few months will be a wonderful help around the office. It is really encouraging to find a boy at this day and age of the world who is desirous of learning a trade, for they are few and far between and no better trade could be found than that of a printer, for the supply is ever short and the pay good, much better than many others."

The starting salary was $3.00 per week for before and after school and Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
By 1924, wages for a six day week, early to late, was $6 to $8.
In 1924, Mr. Waffle purchased a linotype which produced lines of type cast from molten metal, replacing in part the process of setting and distributing one character at a time.
In 1929, the Reporter became an official county newspaper.

Tom Waffle died suddenly in 1934. The Reporter went into an estate which Harold managed for three years, purchasing it on January 14, 1937.

Tom considered Diagonal's water tower as his monument, and in succeeding years the policy of promoting community improvement continued. Also continued was the omission of incriminating news, and the idea of service took precedence over material gain.
The editor served on the school board, the town council, in church government, and was over the years a willing volunteer. Achievements of succeeding generations of youth were published, and Diagonal young people were followed through three wars:
World War I
World War II
Korean Conflict
and Vietnam,
providing a community network of communication.

The publisher's wife, Mildred, joined the Reporter in 1940, wrote news of minor nature, learned a bit about some of the machinery, wrote "Bird Notes",
a column which grew out of a bird watching hobby,
"The Iowa Scene",
and country philosophy, "Country Side"
a second column with Harold, Mildred, and readers contributing.
(She sometimes swept out, but never learned to hold that broom level.)

After 15 years as an employee, three years as manager, and 32 years as owner, publisher, and editor, a total of 50 years, Harold Turnbull retired, but only because of reasons of health.
He would have liked nothing better than to continue.
"In the 15 years since retirement, we have held the Diagonal community, its people, fondly in memory, cherishing the friendships."

Helen Terry, Mount Ayr, purchased the Reporter continuing its publication for seven years.

After publication ceased, David Pugh, Arispe, began and continued a weekly paper, taking the original name
The Diagonal Progress
until his sudden death in 2005.

Nick and Kerri Carson, bought and ran the Diagonal Progress in good faith and kept our town's news published for all to read, until their family obligations made the time and monetary expense overwhelming.

The new and current owner (taking over in August, 2007) is Patty Newton, with whom the town seems well pleased and in whom we have confidence that the postive Diagonal philosophy of publishing the good and omitting the incriminating is continued.




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