Before It Was the Lexington Leader

The Lexington Enterprise newspaper was founded in 1903 by H.F. Schlosshan. The newspaper, changed hands and was later sold in 1920. It ceased operation in 1928. The paper changed hands a few times thereafter, and eventually moved to the present day location of the Lexington Leader.

Before it became the Lexington Leader, the Woodman Building was built on this site by historian Stanley Miller's father, B.A. Miller. It was a cafe' and lodge building. Eventually, the Lexington Enterprise moved in.

From historian Stanley Miller:
Robert Connor bought The Enterprise from Mr. Schlosshan in 1908. When Robert Connor entered A&M College in about 1910, he turned the paper over to his younger brother, Rivers.

In 1916 the Rockdale Reporter said that during the fire that destroyed the west side of the Lexington Square, Rivers Connor, thought the building The Enterprise was in was going to catch on fire, so he threw all of his type into the street to keep it from being destroyed. Fortunately, that building did not catch fire, but Rivers Connor was forced to seek help in Rockdale from the Reporter's editor in getting his next issue out.

Schlosshan was married to Dora Hester, one of the Hester sisters, whose mother’s store was in a building across the street and just north of the section that burned 1916. This suggests to me that The Enterprise’s office was either in the Hester store building or just across the street where the current Masonic Lodge is located on the west side of the Square in Lexington. The newspaper reports of the fire say it started in the Hahn Saloon and proceeded south along that section of the Square.