Topics Suburban Newspapers

The Noblesville Daily Ledger (also Republican Ledger, Hamilton County Ledger, and Daily Ledger) made its weekly debut in 1871 under the direction of William Bodenhamer and Oscar Miles. In 1914, 43 years and 18 owners later, the Ledger Company sold the newspapers to the Enterprise Publishing Company headed by Edward E. and Charles S. Neal, who merged their Enterprise into the Ledger. They started a daily edition, the Daily Ledger, in 1887, changing the name of the weekly edition to Hamilton County Ledger in 1888. The Neal brothers changed the name of the corporation to the Noblesville Daily Ledger, Inc. and dropped the weekly Hamilton County Ledger around 1916. Three generations later, John R. and James T. Neal continued to operate the Ledger through 1985 when they sold the business to LeRoy W. Stauffer, a publishing executive from Ohio.

Phoebe E. Hudler started North Side Topics in 1922. When she retired in 1969, William Pace, who had been the editor since 1958, became publisher and general manager of the four Topics papers: North Side Topics (1922), Nora Newsdispatch (formerly Nora Topics, Washington Patriot) (1961), Castleton Banner (formerly Northeast Topics) (1966), and North Meridian Observer (1961). When Topics Suburban Newspapers bought the Sheridan News (est. 1882) in 1980, Pace had already added five other papers to the chain: Carmel News-Tribune (formerly Carmel Topics) (1969), Lawrence Times (formerly Lawrence Topics) (1970), Pike Register (formerly Northwest Topics) (1972), Westfield Enterprise (formerly Westfield Topics) (1978), and Fisher Sun-Herald (1980). The Heights Herald was started in 1981.

In 1986, Stauffer bought the Topics newspapers and merged them with the Noblesville Daily Ledger, Inc. He closed the Noblesville Telegraph (est. 1980s) and Southeastern Adnews (est. 1980s) and added three others: Geist Gazette (1988), Carmel Daily Ledger (1989), and the Ledger Leader (1991). Zionsville Eagle, which was started in the 1980s, was discontinued in 1991.

The Noblesville Daily Ledger and Carmel Daily Ledger were published Monday-Saturday and delivered to approximately 10,000 homes. Sheridan News, the only paid weekly of the Topics papers, and the other 12 Topics newspapers had a combined controlled circulation of 87,000. The weekly papers were typically distributed at no subscription cost every Wednesday to approximately 91 percent of all households in Clinton, Tipton, Boone, Hamilton, and Marion counties. A focus on community events, school news, and other important information highlighting the positive aspects of each community made the Topics papers popular in their respective areas.

Central Newspapers, Inc. purchased the chain of 15 suburban newspapers that comprised the Topics Suburban Newspapers in 1992. At the time, Central Newsppaers, Inc. published the Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News.

*Note: This entry is from the original print edition of the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (1994). We are currently seeking an individual with knowledge of this topic to update this entry.