A small greenhouse was built in Roland by Harry Evenson in 1929. With the years, it was enlarged and was operated by him until 1962, growing only plants for Spring sales--so-called bedding plants.
In 1962, Mr. Evenson retired and sold the business to Elmars Dzenitis, who came to Roland from Nevada where he was in the wholesale business of growing potted plants and cut flowers. Mr. Dzenitis, continuing with the wholesale trade and including year-around retail business, built more growing space. There are now six greenhouses under glass and one under plastic. As the retail business grows from year to year, the wholesale business is declining because of limited space. From exotic plants, the greenhouse has orchids--cathloas, cymbidiums, phaelenopsises--and through their blooming season there are more than 1,000 blooms. As a sideline, Mr. Dzenitis also keeps some nursery stock.
While the town of Roland celebrates its Centennial, its newspaper observes its 75th birthday, the first issue having been published February 28, 1895 by W. E. Armstrong and son, Charles E. Armstrong. Two years later, the elder Mr. Armstrong retired, leaving his son at the helm.
Subsequent owners or part owners of the newspaper included H. E. Myrah, John M. Mason, W. H. Sciple, M. J. Hegland, M. A. Cromwell, and the present owner's late uncle, M. O. Rod, who purchased the business in 1905.
After eight years as publisher, Mr. Rod sold the Record to Anenson & Eggland who transferred title to O. M. Thompson and Iver J. Iverson. Iverson dropped his interest in the paper the following year, leaving Mr. Thompson as sole owner for almost five years, when Iverson bought out Thompson's interest.
Mr. Iverson continued as owner and publisher until March 2, 1922, when he sold the business to M. O., C. E., and Arthur J. Rod. M. O. and C. E. Rod eventually sold their shares in the partnership to Arthur J. Rod, who sold the business to his nephew, Willard B. Rod, the present owner, in 1954. The newspaper thus has been in the Rod family a total of 56 years of its 75 year life, including the last 48 years.
Major changes in the operation occurred in 1906 and 1920 when new presses were purchased, and 1923 when a typesetting machine was added. The Record plant was converted to the offset-lithographic process in 1964 when nearly all the equipment was replaced. It was the first offset newspaper in Story County, and one of the first in the state, while today more than half the state's newspapers are printed by this method.
Under the present ownership, the Record has received an award for Community Service and several typography citations in state-wide competition.
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