East Union graduate turns found photos into IPTV documentary

One hundred and twenty five years after E.J. Sidey first started what is now the Adair County Free Press, Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will air “Sidey Report: Life and Times of an Iowa Icon” 8:30 p.m. March 5.

IPTV describes “The Sidey Report” as the story of one family and a journalistic legacy that spans four generations with a glimpse of rural Midwestern living through the eyes of a small town newspaper.

Laurel Burgmaier, producer and director at Iowa Public Television, said this documentary was created to show the impact a small town newspaper has on the community.

“We can get our national news anywhere,” said Burgmaier. “Local news lets people know what is going on with their neighbors and friends. Local news keeps this tie in the community and people thinking about one another.”

Burgmaier said “The Sidey Report” is about the history of the Adair County Free Press, but will focus on the story of two brothers, Ed and Hugh Sidey, who were fourth-generation journalists.

A premiere of “The Sidey Report” is scheduled 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Grand Theatre, 238 Public Square, in Greenfield. For more information about this event, see sidebar on page 2A.

Meet the Sideys

E.J., born in Canada in 1862, moved to the United States in 1876, where he worked in the printing business in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco before moving to Creston, where he became editor and publisher of the weekly newspaper Creston Commonwealth, which is the present day Creston News Advertiser.

After E.J. moved to Greenfield, he started Adair County Democrat with his father John S. Sidey in 1889, changing the name to Adair County Free Press in 1907.

E.J.’s children, Kenneth (K.H.) and John Sidey, who grew up in the print shop of the family’s paper, followed in their father’s footsteps. John became expert printer and K.H. specialized in news and advertising.

K.H. served in WWI and studied journalism at University of Missouri at Columbia, where he learned writing and page layout.  After his father’s death in 1938, K.H. took over as publisher and editor of the newspaper and was later recognized by the Iowa Newspaper Association as master publisher-editor.

In the late 1930s, K.H. took up photography, which replaced sketches previously used in the newspaper. He believed photographs were essential to the newspaper and built the Free Press engraving plant and darkroom in the family’s basement.

Fourth generation

Burgmaier, producer and director of “The Sidey Report,” said K.H.’s sons, Ed and Hugh Sidey, are one focus of the documentary she has worked on since 2010.

Ed and Hugh grew up observing their father’s work and worked at the family’s paper after school, on weekends and during summer breaks.

Both Ed and Hugh joined the service after graduating from high school in Greenfield. Upon returning home after WWII, the brothers studied journalism at Iowa State University, where they worked at Iowa State Daily.

After college, the brothers went to work for Omaha World-Herald. While in Omaha, Hugh was a freelance photographer for Life magazine.

Ed Sidey

In 1955, Ed returned to Greenfield and became editor and publisher of the Free Press after his father’s death in 1976.

At home in Greenfield, Ed was active on the school board for approximately 20 years, chamber of commerce and development corporation, with whom he was instrumental in bringing Siegwerk Inc. and Cardinal Glass Industries to Greenfield.

His wife Linda Sidey remembers him as a creative person who wanted to bring the community together.

“Ed wasn’t into tabloid reporting,” said Linda. “He wasn’t into reporting anyone if they made a mistake. He was always on the positive side.”

Linda said her husband didn’t just cover Greenfield, but the entire county of Adair.

“He didn’t feel comfortable covering agriculture because he didn’t understand all of it,” said Linda. “But, it didn’t stop him from starting an ag page.”

Ed has also served as president of the Iowa News Association and past president of the Iowa News Foundation.

Hugh Sidey

Hugh, who wrote about the American presidency for more than 30 years, began covering Dwight Eisenhower for Life magazine in 1957. He later became a political and White House correspondent for TIME Magazine and the writer of a column titled “The Presidency” for TIME Magazine, which he started in Life magazine in 1966.

During his tenure with TIME, Hugh interviewed the presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush.

It has been reported Hugh was the only reporter Bush allowed on his plane when he left Washington in 1993. Hugh was also was traveling with Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas, was on board a jet with Richard Nixon to China in 1972 and reported on Nixon’s resignation two years later. Hugh, who grew up listening to Big Ten football game broadcasts by WHO Radio’s sportcaster “Dutch” Reagan, was also considered a close confidant of Ronald Reagan during his eight years as president.

According to Burgmaier, while Hugh interacted with some of the most powerful people in the country, he never forgot about his home in Iowa and often visited home and wrote about Adair County in his publications.

The Sidey Project

Linda Sidey, who became publisher and editor of Adair County Free Press after her husband Ed Sidey’s death in 2008, said she was in the process of moving the business from Iowa Street in Greenfield to its current location on Public Square when she found boxes of old photographs — many of which were taken by K.H. Sidey prior to 1950.

With the photographs, Linda compiled them into what is now known into The Sidey Collection LLC and published a calendar.

In 2010, Burgmaier was shopping for Christmas gifts at Country Hearts in Crestonwhen she stumbled upon the calendar.

“The Sidey family were really good at taking photographs,” said Burgmaier. “They were not only artistic, but represented small town America. I just knew they had to be in a project.”

Shortly after her find, Burgmaier walked into Adair County Free Press and talked to Linda about a project.

“At first they approached me about a book,” said Linda.

The book, titled, “The Sidey Project,” written by June Bower, designed by Kiki Scarberry and edited by Sarah Bingaman Schwartz was published this year.

Busy with the newspaper, Linda said she gave Bower, Scarberry and Schwartz quite a bit of freedom.

“Looking at the proofs, I just started crying,” said Linda.

When it comes time to viewing the documentary, Linda said she is a little uncertain how she is going to react.

The story of the Sidey family and Adair County Free Press will be told through interviews and photographs in IPTV’s documentary “The Sidey Report: he Life and Times of an Iowa Icon.” The documentary will air 8:30 p.m. March 5 during IPTV’s annual drive.

See sidebar for information on the public premiere of “The Sidey Project: Life and Times of an Iowa Icon.”

———————

About Laurel Burgmaier

Laurel Burgmaier, producer and director for Iowa Public Television, is a 1991 East Union High School graduate.

Burgmaier started working for Iowa Public Television in 1995 and has produced documentaries including, The People in the Pictures: Stories from the Wettach Farm Photos; More than a Game: 6-on-6 Basketball in Iowa; The Farm Crisis and periodically works on IPTV's weekly series Market to Market — the longest running agribusiness program in the nation.

In 2005, Burgmaier was one of 20 producers nationwide selected to attend the prestigious Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) producers' workshop at television station WGBH in Boston, Mass.

Burgmaier, who grew up on a farm south of Thayer, currently lives on a farm northeast of Creston with her husband Jeromy and 4-year-old daughter Halle. Together, they raise cattle, corn and soy beans.

———————

Public premiere in Greenfield

The story of the Sidey family and Adair County Free Press will be told through interviews and photographs in IPTV's documentary "The Sidey Report: Life and Times of an Iowa Icon." The documentary will air 8:30 p.m. March 5 during IPTV's annual drive.

The public is invited to IPTV's premiere of "The Sidey Report: Life and Times of an Iowa Icon" 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Grand Theatre, 238 Public Square, in Greenfield.

Events during the afternoon include:

• A display of Hugh Sidey's work and talk with Gary Porter about his memories of growing up in Adair County at the Greenfield Public Library, 202 S. First St., in Greenfield.

• Display of photographs from The Sidey Collection and Adair County Free Press archives at the E.E. Warren Cultural Center Gallery, 154 Public Square, in Greenfield.

• Post premiere party at Hotel Greenfield, 110 E. Iowa St. The party will include a sing-along with Rick Morain on piano, showing of photographs from The Sidey Collection from 1920s to 1950s in the Mary Wise Room and a release of The Sidey Collection book.

"The Sidey Report" premiere is open to all ages. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.adaircountyfreepress.com.