In time, the Journal Printing Office occupied the upper floor of the building, probably before the Benton County Democrat was here. In 1886, the Benton County Democrat was started by D. W. Hammon and John Corley. One photo from this year shows a flag the width of the building draped on the front of the Benton County Democrat, showing support for Grover Cleveland for a second term. Later that year, the newspaper was sold to J. B. Thompson, and in 1887 he in turn sold the business to Henry A. Cook. In 1888, it was sold to Joe Stevenson and Gus Hurley. After a few years, Gus Hurley left the newspaper and Mr. Stevenson ran it for a long period.
During the People's Bank robbery of 1893, this building was close enough to the action that its occupants quickly realized what was happening. One might think that it was a reporter's dream to witness a local bank robbery firsthand from the upper windows of the news office. When the local citizens got their own guns and started firing at the robbers, things got interesting! One of the bullets whizzed past the observers' heads and hit the far wall in the building. They instantly took cover.
The newspaper was sold in in 1912 to Ben Terry who ran the paper for 11 years. and in 1923 he sold it to O.D. Stiles. Then in 1925, Mr. Stiles sold the paper to W. H. Plank and son. They had purchased the Benton County Record in 1916 and consolidated the two newspapers, renaming the paper as The Democrat and Record.
Dave Peel recalls that McReynold's Bank and Goodspeed Bank occupied the lower floor at one time.
Ralph Overstreet acquired the building in in about 1967.