Excerpts from the "History of Eau Claire County", 1914: "...he continued in the business in the name of Free Press Company until---impelled by the handicap of impaired sight---he sold the plant and paper to H. C. Ashbaugh, March 9, 1880." (Although, this date is still used by Ashbaugh Printing and was published in the Eau Claire newspapers 20 years ago during their "100th Anniversary", I believe that it is actually a misprint and the year was actually 1890. As you can see below, Henry Ashbaugh sold his paper in Kansas in 1887 and was living in Rock Island until 1890. Fred Ashbaugh was also listed separately in the Rock Island city directory before 1890, but wasn't born until 1873.) ...next page: "Mr. Ashbaugh came to the Free Press with experience in the publication of a daily in a small city, and his ownership of a dozen years may well express a compliment to him. He christened the daily issue the Evening Free Press, continued both issues until 1902, when he sold the lists and good will to C. W. Fiske, then court reporter, who merged his purchase with the Evening Telegram. The equipment of the Free Press was converted into a job printing outfit, successfully developed by the Ashbaugh Printing Company. Mr. Ashbaugh lives in comfortable retirement at Denver, Colorado." ...and later on page 503: "In December 1901, the Free Press was purchased by the Telegram Publishing Company from H. C. Ashbaugh and consolidated with the Telegram. The Free Press was an old established paper, history of which has already been given." For more see: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/d/o/w/Timothy-M-Dowling/FILE/0001page.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/