Harry Rubin and brother Ike, formerly printers at the Elmira Star Gazette, the first Gannett newspaper, open Rubin’s Newsstand.  A wholesale distribution operation, known as Rubin Brothers News, begins in the basement on East Water St. in Elmira,  New York. Most wholesale business is newspapers. Few magazines published for distribution at this time. New York Times and other newspapers arrive on trains.

The distributorship purchases the Corning news distributor.

Harry Rubin acquires the wholesale business, now known as Elmira News, and moves to a larger location.  Deliveries are made by hand, bicycle and cart, horse and wagon, and trolley car.

Harry’s son Marvin Rubin, Cornell graduate and 1st Lieutenant having served with General Mark Clarke in WWII in Europe, joins Elmira News after being discharged from the US Army. 

Elmira News acquires Ithaca, New York newspaper distribution company.

Elmira News acquires periodicals business from the regional American News Company.

The New York Times and other out of town papers start arriving by truck instead of by train.

Marvin’s son Jeff Rubin, University of Virginia Economics graduate, returns at the time of the 100 year flood caused by Hurricane Agnes. Company changes name to Southern Tier News to reflect expanding service area, in Central and Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania.
   
Over time, old gives way to new

Southern Tier News purchases Mayer’s News Agency of Ithaca, New York and its retail store Mayer’s, established in 1897.

Southern Tier News purchases and reopens the original Rubins News after Ike Rubin’s successors close the store due to ill health.

Massive consolidation of wholesale magazine distributors begins. In about a year independent full service wholesaler locations in North America will shrink from nearly 400 to less than 50.

 
With expansion, older offices are also modernized.

Southern Tier News starts expansion of Elmira facility for super efficiency and future growth as it enters its second century of business.