A circa 1890’s photograph of the home of E. O. Painter in west DeLand, Florida. The origin of E. O. Painter Printing Company began with the newspaper Florida Agriculturalist. Organized in 1873 the Agriculturalist began publication in Jacksonville, Florida under the guidance of Charles Walton. Through the next thirteen years the Agriculturalist progressed by acquiring other newspapers as well as ownership changes. In 1877 Edward Painter began working for the Agriculturalist then owned by Christopher Codrington and located in DeLand, Florida. Painter’s enthusiasm and work effort became instrumental in the continued success of the Agriculturalist and in 1886 with the decline of Codrington’s health Painter at the age of twenty-six was able to purchase the Agriculturalist. Painter continued to publish the Agriculturalist under the company name E. O. Painter & Proprietors. In 1886 Painter hired Sydney Johnston to be an editor. Johnston had moved to Orange City, Florida in 1881 to work for the South Florida Times newspaper. In 1883 Johnston moved to DeLand, Florida to begin his own newspaper the Orange Ridge Echo. Johnston’s managerial skills became increasingly significant to Painter who had begun other interests in Agricultural Fertilizer. In 1904 the business formally incorporated under the name E. O. Painter Printing Company and today is located in De Leon Springs, Florida. Since 1904 Sydney Johnston and his descendants have been both owners and managers of E. O. Painter Printing Company. Today the business is guided by Johnston’s grandson Sidney Dick Johnston and two of his great grandsons Jeffrey and Mark Johnston as well as Jeffrey’s wife Donna.