Since the first issue of The North West in 1852 to today’s Northwest Signal, the local community newspaper has been owned locally. The first issue of The North West (a weekly Democratic newspaper) was published Sept. 8, 1852. On Sept. 10, 1865, the first issue of the Henry County Signal (a weekly Republican newspaper) was published. On June 1, 1959, Napoleon Northwest-News and the Henry County Signal merged as one business. On Sept. 7, 1960, the first issue of the twice a week Northwest Signal was published. Late in 1961, the Northwest Signal began publishing Monday through Friday. On Feb. 1, 1966, James (Jim) K. Kuser purchased the assets of Napoleon Publishing Co. and formed Napoleon Inc., publishers of the daily Northwest Signal. On Sept. 7, 1966, the Northwest Signal switched from a tabloid format to its current standard size newspaper (broadsheet). For more than 35 years, the Kuser family had published the Northwest Signal as Henry County’s only daily newspaper.

In November of 2003, The Bryan Times Publishing Co. bought the Northwest Signal.

In November of 2022, the Northwest Signal was purchased by the AIM Media Midwest Operating, LLC.

In September of 2026, the Northwest Signal was purchased by HD Media LLC.