Burl Bowler began his newspaper career as a child at the family-owned Daniels County Leader, sweeping floors and tending the furnace. Now at 71, Burl remains involved in the operation. However, after a century, the northeast Montana paper will close next month, unable to find a buyer. The final edition will be published on July 30.
Burl, along with his wife Roz, and two other employees, manage the paper’s operations. Burl describes their work as “a variety of drudgery.” The newspaper maintains a modest print circulation of around 900, primarily in Daniels County, a region noted for its wheat and legume production. Only about 100 subscribe to the digital edition.
The Leader has a storied history, surviving three major fires over its century-long existence. The first fire in 1926 was ignited by a communist group. Burl’s father faced a lightning-induced fire, while a 2006 fire saw Burl salvaging and rebuilding the printing press.
Despite his dedication, Burl and Roz have struggled to find a buyer, with family uninterested in taking over. They have been searching for a suitable buyer for years, unwilling to pass on their legacy hastily. The couple cites competition from Facebook as a significant challenge, with Burl noting, “We read it on Facebook, and we find out if it’s true in the Leader.”
After years of effort, they announced the paper’s closure in the latest issue. Burl, emotionally attached to the community, expressed his reluctance to see the newspaper’s end.
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