Charlie Walsh’s newspaper delivery route in Badger comes to an end

For twenty-five years Charlie Walsh has delivered the Grand Forks Herald newspaper to the residents of Badger on a daily basis. What began with 25 patrons had dwindled down to 10 and with the Herald going to publishing just two days a week, the home delivery service ended on June 1. (photo by Mavis Gonshorowski)

Over the past 25 years, Charlie Walsh has delivered the Grand Forks Herald daily newspapers to the homes of subscribers in Badger, Minn.

“Our oldest son, Arich, started going on the route in about 1993,” Charlie stated. “After he graduated, our number two son, Brent, took the route over and after he graduated, our number three son, Shawn, did the route until his graduation in 2003. The Herald expected their parents to manage the business side of it, so I was a permanent sub after that. The three boys and their sister, Stephanie, helped as subs.

“Every year in June the Grand Forks Herald would send a contract; I would sign it and everything kept working.”

He explained that the Herald, which is printed in Fargo, was brought from there by truck to the distribution center in Thief River Falls. It then would be picked up and between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m., dropped off at the Walsh home address, along with one bundle to each local business, the Roseau County Co-op Assn., and KC’s Country Market, to be sold at their newsstands.

“At one time the Herald newspaper was delivered to approximately 25 subscribers in Badger, seven days a week. There was a lot of patrons who also received the newspaper by mail,” said Charlie.

“If we were going to be gone away from home, I left a courtesy note saying ‘please pick up your papers at the collection box at our house’.”

Prior to the installation of the blue mail boxes used specifically as a drop off for the Herald, Charlie commented that he delivered the newspaper right to the customers’ front door.

“When the route ended on June 1, the list of patrons had declined down to 10. The Grand  Forks Herald has since been reduced to being published two days a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays.”

Because of the Covid-19 epidemic Charlie spent the week of April 12th on “furlough from Polaris”. On Wednesday afternoon, June 10, and now on his second furlough from Polaris, great uncle Charlie was taking a well-earned break sitting in his easy chair with his great nephew, Briggs, comfortably asleep in his arms.

Besides having four grown children, Charlie and his wife, Julie, are the proud grandparents of 15 grandchildren.

To see the complete story, read the June 17 issue of The Tribune in print or online.