In their Dec. 4, 2025 issues, the Spring Valley & Elmwood Sun-Argus and Woodville Leader both bid farewell to all three communities. Both newspapers will publish their last issues on Dec. 25.
A column in both publications, co-authored by publisher Paul J. Seeling, described the role the newspapers played in their communities and retold their histories.
Sun-Argus
The Spring Valley Sun first began publishing on, coincidentally, Dec. 4, 1892, chronicling early settlers, lumber-era life, and the growth of a tight-knit rural village.
Meanwhile, in Elmwood, the Elmwood Argus rose to serve its community, with historical records tracing its publication back to 1921. Over time, the two publications came together to become the Sun–Argus, a unified weekly newspaper sharing the stories of both villages and their surrounding communities. By 2004, the paper was formally known as the Sun-Argus under Gateway Publishing, Inc.
“For countless residents, the Sun–Argus has been more than a newspaper – it has been a record of life’s milestones,” the column reads. “Births, weddings, local school news, business milestones, and community celebrations all found a home on its pages.”
Over the years, the Sun–Argus produced stories that mattered deeply to the community. Whether it was coverage of Spring Valley’s business milestones, like the 60-year anniversary of Huepfel’s Spring Valley Drug & Hardware or local community theatre productions by the Stagehands, school sports, or obituaries and family histories, the paper gave voice to this community in a way no outside outlet could. “Many of these hyper local pieces about community members and their stories would have gone untold,” the column reads. “Some even garnered awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.”
The column also thanked readers for submitting their news over the years.
“The announcement that the Sun– Argus will cease publication after Dec. 25, 2025, is a moment of real melancholy,” the column reads. “Local newspapers, like ours, are woven into the fabric of small-town life — they don’t just report history, they are history, carrying memory from week to week, generation to generation.”
Woodville Leader
“As we prepare to turn the last page, on our last chapter, we want to pause and celebrate the long journey of the Woodville Leader – and reflect on the legacy that began even earlier with the Woodville Times,” the Woodville farewell reads. “Through decades of community life, this paper has witnessed and chronicled who we are, where we’ve come from, and what matters most in Woodville and the surrounding areas.”
The Woodville Times first published on November 20, 1913, serving the St. Croix County community of Woodville, Wisconsin. By 1929, the Woodville Times gave way to a new voice: the Woodville Leader, which started publishing in January 1929. Gateway Publishing, Inc. continued the tradition when Seeling became the owner/publisher on Nov. 4, 2004.
“More recently, the Woodville Leader has continued to reflect and shape the spirit of Woodville. In the shadow of the Twin Cities where local Woodville-Baldwin news is hard to come by, the Woodville Leader has always been the ‘Gateway’ to Western Wisconsin news – a role defined by chronicling the events and lives of its readers,” the column in the Woodville Leader reads.
“As we say farewell, our message is simple: we loved walking this journey with you. Every Thursday was an opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate the community of Woodville. Here’s to the memories, the milestones, and the moments — and to you, Woodville,” the column concludes. “When you hold that last edition, our last chapter on Dec. 25, 2025, know that it’s more than an ending – it’s a tribute, a farewell, and a celebration of everything we built together. Thanks for the memories, Woodville!”
