Taylor Press subscribers receive their newspaper by email on Wednesday and by mail on Saturday. However, there was a time when the newspaper was thrown into your yard by kids on bikes, better known as paperboys.
According to Wikipedia, a paperboy is someone – often an older child or adolescent – who distributes printed newspapers to homes or offices on a regular route, usually by bicycle or automobile. Many people still remember their role as a paperboy and the experiences that came with it. “I had a paper route (#3) from fifth grade until I graduated high school,” said Scott Allen, who still lives in Taylor. “My route ran in the area within Sloan, Prather, Victoria and Cecelia Streets, right at 105 customers back then.”
Allen was a paperboy in the late 70s until 1987 after graduation. He started on his bicycle then graduated to a moped and eventually delivered by car. In 1996, three brothers, Matthew, Patrick and Jacob Richter delivered papers for the Taylor Daily Press. They all did the downtown route, mostly businesses, some residential. They rode bikes from school, walked and rode bikes to deliver. They were young, did a good job, earned some money, and met nice people at the Press, and customers.
According to their mother, Jacob remembers making $90 a month. Papers were not only delivered by the boys. Christi Davidson remembers being the first paper girl when she was in the sixth grade.
Kenny Schneider and his brother Russell were paperboys. In 1976, Kenny had a route of Lake Drive, Meadow Lane and all the way up to the loop. At age 11, Russell had a route of McLain and Cecilia.
Kenny later had to give his route, which had excellent payers, to his younger brother because Kenny was getting a bigger route.
Delivering the newspaper was always about making sure the readers received the news. The difference in appearance, nationality, religion or anything else did not change the role of a paper boy.
“It was a job,” Michael Carter, who is now an attorney at law in Aurora, Colorado said. “During those times, that was one of those jobs that didn’t care if you were black or if you were white.”
Tim Crow, communications and community liaison for Taylor ISD, remembers working as a paper boy. He was named Carrier of the Year twice, and still has the two $50 savings bonds he received with the award.
“I doubt many people realize we were independent businessmen, buying newspapers and supplies from the Press, keeping books, collecting payments from customers and then writing a check to pay my bill at the end of each month at the press,” he said. “Longer months we made less, shorter months we made more. And developing customer service skills. What great prep for the adult world.”
“ Rain or shine you delivered on the bicycle. You rolled your own papers every day, and when it rained you paid for the plastic sleeves out of your own money and put the papers in it. Parents raised them to work hard for their money. Loved the job and still hardworking good guys.”
- Kenny Schneider
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My time as a Taylor Daily Press paper boy most certainly shaped my life in a positive way.”
- Scott Allen
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Not only did I get to deliver the paper, but as a young man, I also got to read the paper, which is something people just don’t do anymore ... I got to read the news on a regular basis.”
- Michael Carter
Eric Moehnke once delivered papers knowing that a large storm was headed to Taylor. He was on the front page of the Taylor Daily Press for his efforts in delivery.
FORMER PAPER BOYS WHO CONTACTED THE TAYLOR PRESS
• Eric Moehnk
• Frank Blomquist
• Mark Weber
• Randy Bohls
• Jack Tinsley
• Michael Carter
• Christi Davidson (paper girl)
• Coty Balusek
• Robert Orta
• George Orta
• Matthew Richter
• Patrick Richter
• Jacob Richter
• Tim Crow
• Daryl Kruse
• Roland Kruse
• Robert Kovar
• Steven Kovar
• Jay Harkins
• Terry Czimskey
• Roy Czimskey
• Mike Czimskey
• Bernie Hill
• Ronald Hesekmeyer
• Jeffery Hesemeyer
• Steven Heselmeyer
• Brian Hesemeyer
