Des Moines Register 400 Locust St., Suite 500, Des Moines, IA 50309 515-284-8000 http://www.DesMoinesRegister.com President: David Chivers Executive editor: Carol Hunter Founded: 1849 Joined Gannett: 1985 Milestones: The Register was first published as The Iowa Star in 1849, from a log cabin near the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. In 1903, Gardner Cowles, a banker from Algona, purchased the newspaper, which was renamed the Des Moines Register in 1915. Gannett purchased The Register in 1985. The Register has won 15 Pulitzer Prizes. The Register began using a state-of-the-art, $51 million production and distribution facility in 2000. Since its beginning in the 1970s, RAGBRAI (The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) has grown to become the biggest and best touring bike ride in the country. The Register, a statewide newspaper, offers home delivery to most of its 99 counties.