If the mass of citizens is unenlightened and resourceless, the blind are apt to lead the blind in the direction of unconditional surrender to a force that may furnish leadership but not freedom.
Starting with George D. Hamilton and continuing with Lou and Jack Benshoof, most of the Detroit Lakes newspaper's leaders over the past 150 years were long-haulers. Read on to learn more about some of these leaders, along with other well-remembered editors, columnists and other characters who've worked at the newspaper, in light of the paper's Sesquicentennial on May 18, 2022.
The newspaper is the longest continuously-running business in Detroit Lakes, dating back to May 18, 1872, when the first edition of The Record was published.
Read on to learn more about the paper's long history: How it got its start, who's been instrumental in its success, and what's changed and what hasn't.
The times have changed. The machinery has changed. The reporters have changed. But one thing that has held true over the 150-year history of the Detroit Lakes newspaper are the stories that tie a community together. Here are a few highlights from stories-past to show how far we've come.