Looking For Copies Of The “Brattleboro Independent,” From The 1870’s

by Rolf | History | 2347 Views

I am looking for copies of the short lived newspaper, The Brattleboro Independent, which was published by T. P. James in the 1870’s.

The only reason we know that this paper even existed is that a newspaper article in the St Johnsbury Caledonian in the year 1878 makes mention of it. Please see this.

This Brattleboro Independent does not occur on any list of old newspapers in Vermont. Copies of it are either rare or non existent, as are copies of the Summerland Messenger, another publication that T. P. James created in Brattleboro.

So, please be on the look out for these items. When doing remodelling, or if you are cleaning out an old basement, be sure to be on the look out for these and other old printed material. Brattleboro used to be a hub for printing, and there are doubtless old treasures out there. 

Feel free to contact me at rolf.parkerhoughton at gmail if you have or know of any such publications.

Rolf

Comments | 4

  • Submitted by Rolf on January 6, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    Probably ceased publication by 1880

    The Independent probably ceased publication by 1880, as T. P. James left town by that year.

    • Submitted by cgrotke on January 6, 2014 at 6:45 pm

      Definition of paper

      I’m wondering if his “paper” wasn’t so much a newspaper as maybe a journal or some sort? Maybe search around other printed publications beyond newspapers, if possible.

      • Submitted by Rolf on January 6, 2014 at 7:19 pm

        Weekly paper, seems most likely to have been a newspaper

        You could be correct, but “a weekly paper” with the name, “The Independent” seems very likely to have been a newspaper.

        The Phoenix and the Reformer were staking their claims as Republican and Democratic newspapers. The Indepent seems like a name designed to compete with his former employer at the Reformer, Chas Davenport.

        Also, T. P. James went on to start up other newspapers, after he left Brattleboro. It seems that he learned enough working as Davenport’s assistant, that he was able to take on the newspaper trade.

        But, until we get our hands on a copy, we will never know.

  • Submitted by cgrotke on January 7, 2014 at 12:24 pm

    Library of Congress says

    I write off to my sister and her friends at the Library of Congress to see if they had any ideas. Deb, at the
    National Digital Newspaper Program said:

    “… that title doesn’t appear in most of the likely reference sources for Vermont newspapers in the 1870s (WorldCat, Vermont Newspaper Project or Chronicling America…) , including LC’s own collections. This suggests no copies are known to exist. However, to verify its existence, I did find it described in the Rowell’s American Newspaper Directory for 1878, entry below. It does not appear in the 1877 volume or the 1879 volume, so it must have been very short-lived. But it’s something. See below.

    http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b2927066 , p.304

    < < BRATTLEBORO….INDEPENDENT; Saturdays; independent; four pages; size 22x31; subscription $1.25; established 1877; T.P. James, editor and publisher. >>”

    ….

    LOC suggests getting in touch with Vermont Dept of Libraries and/or the Blair Library at UVM to see if they know anything, and letting UVM know if you do find a copy.

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