Greenfield — The Press

Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.


      In 1792 a newspaper was started in Greenfield by Thomas Dickman, called The Impartial Intelligencer. The name was soon changed to Greenfield Gazette. In 1798 the name was again changed by adding A Register of Genuine Federalism. In 1802 the paper passed into the hands of John Denio, who dropped the party suffix, and it was again the Greenfield Gazette. Mr. Denio sold out to Ansel Phelps in 1811, who changed the name to The Traveller. On the establishment of Franklin County* the paper appeared as the Franklin Herald. In 1823, Jonathan A. Saxton was associated with Mr. Phelps. Gen. Alanson Clark was also associated with Mr. Phelps for several years.
      In 1823 another paper was started under the title of Greenfield Gazette, which was united with the Franklin Herald in 1827.
      In 1833, Geo. T. Davis started the Franklin Mercury, and carried it on with ability till 1837, when it was united with the Gazette and Herald; Charles J. J. Ingersoll becoming a partner with Mr. Phelps.
      A new competitor for public favor appeared in 1838, under the title of the Greenfield Courier, established by J. C. Kneeland, who soon sold out to S. S. Eastman. In 1841 this paper was united with its older rival under the name of Gazette and Courier. Mr. Geo. T. Davis, D. W. Alvord, Henry L. Dawes, and others, aided in the editorship for a few years. Phelps and Ingersoll were joint owners and editors till the nomination of Gen. Taylor to the Presidency, whom Mr. Phelps sustained and Mr. Ingersoll did not. Mr. Ingersoll left the firm and started a Free-Soil paper under the title of the American Republic, which he sustained for several years. In 1849, Mr. Phelps entered into partnership with Mr. Eastman in the publication of the Gazette and Courier, which continued till Col. Phelps' death, in 1868. In 1869, Mr. Eastman entered into partnership with E. A. Hall, which continued till Mr. Eastman's death, in 1876. Mr. Hall is now publishing the eighty-seventh volume of the Gazette, and the forty-second of the Courier.
      The Franklin Democrat was established in 1840, and was edited for short periods by Whiting Griswold, R. R. Taylor, S. O. Lamb, Joseph H. Sprague, Charles A. Merrick, and others. It was discontinued in 1863. Several other newspapers have started here, but have been short-lived and unsuccessful.

* June 24, 1811.



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