The newspaper's history stretches back nearly 200 years with the entry of German immigrants into Fairfield County. The Ohio Eagle, originally German named "Der Deutsche Adler," appeared in Lancaster around 1809. It was established by Jacob Dietrick, a Staunton, Va., newspaper publisher, especially for local German farmers.

By 1812, Edward Shaeffer owned the Eagle; it was printed in German and English. It was sold a few years later to John Herman who continued printing both editions through the early 1820s. He was owner until his death in 1833 when Thomas White, an Eagle editor, took over, publishing the Eagle in addition to the local Fairfield Advertiser. In November 1833, White sold the Eagle to brothers John and Charles Brough, founders of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Charles Brough became the Eagle's editor and managed the newspaper until 1842 when it was sold to Edwin Wright. The paper continued with several new owners until 1870 when it was purchased by former Lancaster Gazette printer Thomas Wetzler. When he died in 1899, his son, Edward, took over until his death in 1935. The Eagle was owned by Charles Wetzler until it merged with the Lancaster Gazette.

The Lancaster Gazette was founded in April 1826 by early local pioneer and War of 1812 veteran Gen. George Sanderson and Benjamin Oswald. By 1836, it wad owned by William Reese and Charles Borland. Samuel Griswold took over in 1866 and formed the newspaper into a more hometown-oriented publication. After a few more owners, the paper was purchased by C.J. Beach and H.J. Danker who owned it until 1936, when it merged with the Eagle and got a new owner, Charles Sawyer. In 1966 Sawyer sold the paper to Thomson Newspapers, who in 2000 sold it to Gannett.

Lancaster is the county seat of Fairfield County, 30 minutes south of the state capital, Columbus. Fairfield County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. The growth is moving south along the U.S. 33 corridor that runs between Lancaster and Columbus. The Violet Township portion of the county is experiencing growth rates of 7 percent to 10 percent per year. The city of Lancaster and surrounding area is growing between 1 percent and 2 percent per year.

Lancaster is a shopping hub for most of the area. The exception is the northern portion of the county, which finds it easier to travel to Columbus to shop. Lancaster is home to the annual Lancaster Festival, a 12-day cultural arts and music festival that draws thousands from across the state and artists from across the nation. It's also home to the Ohio Decorative Arts Center and a number of art galleries.

The market is slightly upscale. However, it is still best described as a middle class, blue-collar/service market.

Population: 151,639
Median family household income: $45,716
Median age: 37.4
Largest employers:Fairfield Medical Center, Anchor Hocking, Lancaster City Schools, Diamond Power, Lancaster Glass, Mid-West Fabricating, National Meter
Key colleges: Ohio University at Lancaster