The Herman Review --   providing local news for 102 years    by Olivia Richards,  Herman Review    The Herman Review has been a weekly source of information and advertisements to the community for 102 years. The first issue of the Grant County Review was published on October 11, 1900. The very first issue has been lost to posterity, but the third issue published October 25, 1900, is on file at the State Historical Society in St. Paul. The paper was eight pages long, using larger pages that it is today, and each page contained six columns. It was published for distribution every Thursday as it is today, and it cost $1 a year to subscribe.    J.S. Arneson was the first editor and publisher of the Grant County Review. Herman had another newspaper that began publication in May, 1887. Nellie Jacobs, a former school teacher, was its outspoken editor. Less than a decade later, the Enterprise ceased publication.    The Grant County Review became the Herman Review when Irv Townsend was editor from 1918 until 1923.    V. W. (Dutch) Brenner bought the Review in 1923 and began what turned out to be 40 years of Brenner management of Herman's newspaper. He published the paper in a frame building now known as Fifth Street Square. The paper was composed on a linograph, an earlier version of the linotype. The type for the earliest newspapers was probably "hand-set." The newspaper was composed by picking out individual letters from a drawer and fitting them together into lines ‹ an extremely time-consuming process.    In 1937 Dutch's wife, Alice, assumed the editor's position. She sold the paper to Jack West of Hancock in 1939. In 1948 West leased the paper to J. V. (Vin) Brenner. In 1950 Dean Brenner took over the reins of the newspaper. He was the only Herman-born editor the newspaper has had. The present building was built by Dean when the old one at this location burned down in 1955. Dean switched the printing of the paper from letterpress to offset.    An icon at the Herman Review is Willis Klason. His printing career started in the early '50s. He helped print the newspaper along with in-house printing. When Dean decided to take the newspaper to Ortonville for printing, Willis went on to operate an offset press for printing job work such as business forms, posters, letterheads, and envelopes. Willis still operates the offset press to complete the same types of jobs.    In 1972 Dean sold the newspaper to Owen and Michelle Heiberg. Twenty-five years later, in July, 1997, Anne and Nick Ripperger bought the Herman Review and the Chokio Review, which had been a sister publication since Dean bought it in 1968. The Rippergers also own and publish the Grant County Herald in Elbow Lake.    Computers make the job of putting out a newspaper much easier than in the days of hand-setting letters from a drawer, and fitting them together into lines. Working together, Nick is the editor, Olivia Richards is the assistant editor, and Karen Tolifson handles the advertising and graphics. Ruth Vipond takes the newspaper ready for printing to Quinco in Lowry on Wednesday mornings, and brings back the finished paper. Our circulation is about 1,000 newspaper sales per week.    The staff is open to photo opportunities, story ideas, printing opportunities, advertising needs, and we stock office supplies for sale. We are located on the corner of Berlin Avenue and 5th Street. Our telephone and fax number is 320-677-2229; e-mail at hcreview.runestone.net, and our website is at www.hermanreview.com.    Back to top of page     Home   Location   Agriculture   Business   Education   Recreation   Churches   City of Herman   Development  History   Keep in Touch   Got Photos?   Herman, USA   Area Links