Among the publishers of Sac county’s eight newspapers, the present (1938) publishers of The Chronicle now have the second longest record of continuous service.

Mr and Mrs. Paul Wagner came to Odebolt in 1926.  The Chronicle was purchased on Feb. 13 of that year by the Chronicle Publishing Co., a corporation in which E. F. Kieffer, publisher of the Remsen Bell-Enterprise; C.W. Brotherton, now owner of the Wall Lake Lumber Co., and Mr. Wagner were stockholders.  In October, 1927, Mr. Wagner purchased the outstanding stock of the corporation and became the sole owner.

At that time there were two papers in Odebolt, The Chronicle and the Odebolt News.  In order to give the community one better newspaper, a consolidation was effected whereby The Chronicle took over the circulation of the News.

…Mr. Wagner was born in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1902, and came to this country in December, 1919.  He worked for his brother in a machine shop at Norfolk, Neb., for nearly a year, and then was employed in a restaurant at Remsen for a similar period.  It was not until December, 1921, that he took up the printer’s trade as an employee in the mechanical department of the Remsen Bell-Enterprise.  He worked for the Bell-Enterprise for five years before coming to Odebolt.

Mrs. Wagner, formerly Viola M. Duster, was born in Remsen, where she was graduated from St. Mary’s high school in 1919.  Mr. And Mrs. Wagner were married in October 1924.  They have two children, Jean and Richard, nine and eight years old respectively.

Whereas early newspapers in Odebolt were either definitely Republican or definitely Democratic, the present publishers of The Chronicle have adopted a more modern policy – that of service to the community rather than to any party or factions

transcribed by B. Horak

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