Ralph D. Goldsmith, a well-known newspaperman in his region of Wisconsin, died December 23, 2005. The former Boscobel Dial publisher/editor retired in 1992 after a career that spanned over 70 years.
His career began when he went to work for the Ladysmith News in 1932.
From the beginning, his eye was always on the newsroom. He eventually worked his way up to the editor position in 1943 and served in that role until 1956, also putting in time as a news reporter on the local radio station.
In 1956, Goldsmith and his wife, Lois, sold their home in Ladysmith and put their life’s savings down on a small weekly newspaper with a circulation of 1,500 in Boscobel. As the Grant County Herald Independent reported, “With confidence both in himself and in Boscobel’s vitality as a growing community, he soon build a reputation both for his dedication to his new home and this expertise in the newspaper business.”
Eventually his newspaper’s circulation grew to 6,500 and, along the way, he purchased other area newspapers including the Gays Mills Independent, the Soldiers Grove Kickapoo Scout and, together with the Courier Press, acquired the Wauzeka Chief. In 1992, Goldsmith and his wife, who worked side-by-side with him, sold the newspaper and retired. Although, he continued to contribute his witty insights and personal observations to the paper through his “Under the Bridge column until 2000.
Goldmith was an avid reader, enjoyed movies, was well-known for his ability at the pool table and oni the golf course, and he was an amateur musician, playing the mandolin.
