The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-17
EARLY NEWSPAPERS
OF BRATTLEBORO
Federal Galaxy Started in 1797-Fay-
etteville Free Press Issued in New
fame in 1884.


In the Moore free library at New
fame is a complete file of the Fayette
Vile Free Press, weekly newspaper
published in Newfane in 1888. but dis
continued in 1884 says the Brattleboro
correspondence in the Springfield sun
day Republican. 1t was devoted TO an
tiMasonie doctrine, but had very little
support either in advertising or sub:
scriptions. Windham county seems to
have been a favorite field in which to
cultivate a number of freak publiea-
tions in days gone by satisfying some
particular and peculiar caprice for. a
brief period only to drop ont with
debts fer their promoters to settle.
Away back nearly four score years
an enthusiast in the little hamlet Of
Huntington, VT, printed wholly by
hand, an entire edition Of an interest
ing four-sheet paper devoted to the
cause Of temperance Not only one
edition hat several were thus printed
and generously circulated about the
state. The printing, the work of the
editor himself, was all done With a pen
SO perfectly did the letters resemble
/ type work as to attract WIDE attention
and most favorable ~eemfnent.A Wind
/ ham county resident has remarkably
/ well preserved copy of this little pub
lieation Brattleboro. - Wilmington
Newfane and Londonderry each ha6
their turn at freak journalism.
AS early rs 177S the art Of printing
was introduced into Vermont iron
Dresden, now part of Hanover, n. ii.
then III union and sympathy with th'
state of Vermont. Two years later con
siderable printing, one way or another
was done at Westminster and III IT'S
the Vermont Gazette, or Green Noun
tain Post Boy, was established Their
by Spooner & Green, which lived bu
a little more than u months. This wa
followed the same year hy the Vernon
Gazette or Frcemcn's Depository, a
Bennington, by Haswcll & Russell, win
continued the publication under diff
ferent titles for q number of years witt
more or less success. During thi
period Mr.. Haswell served as tn
popular postmaster general of the indie
pendent state or colony of Vermont an
acquired considerable prominence an
popularity as the promoter of the oil
stage routes throughout the state. 70
about three months Gen. Haswell con
Quoted the Herald of Vermont, or Rut
land Courier, at Rutland, and this wa
succeeded by the Farmers Library, q
Vermont Political and Historic;
Register, at the same place, edited b
James Lyon. This survived but a shoi
time when it was succeeded by the Ru
land Herald, or Vermont Mereur,
which s. Williams 6 Co with conside
allie push and ability piloted throug
years of uncertainty until its final SUI
cess. was assured.
Dickinson & Smead launched II
Federal Galaxy at Brattleboro III 179
which suspended five years later
1897 Sturtevant 6 Co. got ambition
and launched the Argus at Putney, b,
this too shared the fate of many al
other such venture and the end can
the following year.
The Reporter, afterward merged int
the Brattleboro Messenger began pul
LEGATION in 1903 with William Fcsse1
den at the helm. This was succeeded /
: the Phoenix, September u, 1884, whiC
crowded eff the track the old Messei
ger and Independent Inquirer and tn
weekly is still published here in Bra
u tleboro, having had continuous AT