Register's new owners have a rich history

SANDUSKY — A new chapter in the history of the Register and the Norwalk Reflector begins today.Ogden Newspapers officially took over control of the the papers, which had previously been owned by the Rau-White family for many decades.But just like with the Rau and White families — whose ancestor bought the Register in 1869 — the newspaper business is a family tradition for Ogden. The company was founded by H.C. Ogden in Wheeling, West Virginia.Ogden began his career as a reporter at The Wheeling Register in 1887 after one of his professors from West Virginia University recommended him saying he was an "exceptionally able and progressive young man," according to OhioCountyLibrary.org.In 1890, while still in his early 20s, he launched Wheeling News starting what would become Ogden Newspapers. By 1904, his company purchased the Wheeling Intelligencer and became one of the most influential news sources in West Virginia.H.C. Ogden was inducted into the the Wheeling Hall of Fame in 1982 for his accomplishments in business and his philanthropy. The company Ogden founded continues to be run by his descendants, the Nutting family.The Nutting family continues to publish the Intelligencer weekday and Saturday mornings and the Wheeling News Register weekday and Sunday afternoons. Several members of the Nutting family occupy leadership roles at the company.Under the Nutting family's guidance, the company has expanded beyond West Virginia. It now owns 49 daily newspapers across the country with publications stretching from Hawaii to New Hampshire.Despite its increasing size, Ogden Newspapers has continued to keep the emphasis on serving the communities of the papers it owns."We are proud of the support our newspapers are able to provide their communities and local businesses," CEO and president Robert Nutting said on the company's website. "We constantly strive to preserve the best our newspaper's century old traditions while adapting to the modern innovations that will help carry them into the future."The Nutting family also owns ski resorts and is the principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterRobert Nutting, center, CEO of Ogden Newspapers, and Ron Waite, left, publisher of the Sandusky Register, talk on July 17 to a group of Register editors discussing news stories for the July 18 edition. H.C. Ogden founded Ogden Newspapers in 1890 in Wheeling, West Virginia.