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Baumgartners have been in printing business in Milford for over 70 years

The late Arch Baumgartner bought The Milford Mail Aug. 5, 1939, and the Baumgartner family has been in the printing business for over 70 years.

“It’s hard to believe my family has been involved in the community newspaper business for 70 years,” said current The Mail-Journal publisher Ron Baumgartner. Ron is the son of Arch and his wife, Della. “My father took the step only youth would consider, stepping into a business he knew very little about. But when you are that age, little seems impossible.

“Later my mother, Della, joined and managed the business end until her retirement several years ago. They made a team that carried the business through the ’50s and ’60s with — by today’s standards — slow, antiquated equipment.

“I joined the company in 1966 and my wife, Gloria, a couple years later,” Ron further explained. “Gloria’s responsibilities ranged from child rearing through payroll, human resources and eventually business manager.”

Today the newspaper is a result of a combination of The Milford Mail (established 1888) with the Syracuse-Wawasee Journal (established 1907) in 1962. The latter newspaper was purchased by Arch and Della in 1961.

“The four of us, along with an ever-growing team of dedicated co-workers, continued to push the business forward. Advanced technology and the growth of computers became a real vanguard in our printing and publication growth from the ’70s through today,” explained Ron.

The Mail-Journal now has 27 sister publications under parent company The Papers Inc. These include ‘the PAPER,’ Senior Life, Auto and RV, House and Home, Pets and Livestock, Trader Wheels and Deals and the latest additions: The Shopping Guide News of Fulton County, glo, a publication for women 20-40 plus, named in honor of Gloria Baumgartner and Indiana Gardener, featuring articles on gardening, landscaping and the like.