Countdown to 100 Years
"Few persons who have not been through a disastrous fire can imagine what a shattering impact it can register on the emotions."
Those were the words penned by Exchange publisher Lawrence E. Yeater in a front-page article about a Jan. 11, 1981 fire that destroyed the company offices.
The blaze, caused by defective heat tape in the attic, destroyed the newspaper's building and contents, including a five-unit offset press, computerized equipment, records and offices. It took several weeks for the paper to get back on its feet, and it did thanks to the determination of its second-generation owners, Lawrence E. Yeater and his wife Melba.
In a front-page article a few weeks later, Yeater said he and Melba briefly considered selling the assets and retiring. "However, our children, who are actively involved in the business, as well as staff and employees, urged us to try and rebuild. So, with their help, we shall struggle hard to make a comeback," Yeater wrote.
The Farmer's Exchange, founded in 1926, had found its way to subscribers' mailboxes every week without fail for 54 years—until the fire. The paper resumed publication on Feb. 6, 1981 after a three-week hiatus. In the first issue after the fire, editor Paul Hershberger wrote, "We're back. Not with a bang, however. But it's not a whimper either. More like a limp."
Now approaching its 100th year in business, the Exchange has fully recovered from that devastating fire and is now walking full-stride—without a limp. After Lawrence retired, ownership of Michiana's Popular Farm Paper was passed to his son, Steve and his wife, Peggy, who have retired, and now to his grandson, Matt and his wife, Rebecca, the fourth generation.