The Caledonian-Record

The paper is distributed in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the western portion of Coos County, New Hampshire. It maintains a New Hampshire office located at 263 Main Street in Littleton, New Hampshire.[http://www.discoverourtown.com/NH/Littleton/Publications/74268.html Littleton, NH], Discover Our Town. Accessed online: July 14, 2007 It is published daily except Sunday and some holidays.[http://www.highschooljournalism.org/Content.cfm?id=117 ASNE Partnership profile: Lyndon Institute/Caledonian-Record], High School Journalism. Accessed online: July 14, 2007[http://www.nh.gov/nhnews/CaledonianRecord.html Resources for New Hampshire Residents - Caledonian Record], NH.gov. Accessed online: July 14, 2007

The Caledonian has focused on local news from 50 communities, which are located in three Vermont counties and two New Hampshire ones.Alexander, Mary Jane, (Winter 1998) [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3677/is_199801/ai_n8779338/pg_3 Civic journalism as rationale for aggressive coverage of domestic assault], Newspaper Research Journal. The average daily net paid circulation has dipped from a peak of about 12,500 about 1999 to the six months ending March 2013 at 10,204.{{cite web |url=http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |title=Archived copy |accessdate=October 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027085243/http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }}

Penetration of the primary market area of St. Johnsbury and Lyndonville was under 93%. For the area immediately surrounding St. Johnsbury the Caledonian provided coverage of 80% of the occupied households.[http://www.caledonianrecord.com/pages/about_us/About Us]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}, The Caledonian Record Online. Accessed online: July 14, 2007

Albert G. Chadwick began publishing the paper as a weekly in August, 1837. It is the oldest paper in the county. It started as a four-page, twenty-four column paper.Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887

It was a Whig paper when it started.{{Cite news|title = Chronicling America: The Caledonian-record|url = http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90005351/|access-date = 2016-01-22}} At the time, Vermont was strongly Whig.{{cite book|author=John Joseph Lalor|title=Cyclopaedia of Political Science, Political Economy, and of the Political History of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6g9AAAAYAAJ|volume=3|year=1890|publisher=C. E. Merrill & Company|pages=1061–1063|chapter=Vermont}} The paper advocated the principles of the Free Soil element and became an early adherent and unswerving supporter of the principles of the Republican Party. It was edited and published by its founder for 18 years. George D. Rand and Charles M. Stone bought it in July 1855. Stone became the sole owner, editor and publisher in April 1857.

In 1875 it was still a weekly newspaper. Subscribers paid $1.50 a year. In 1909, Walter J. Bigelow, a former mayor of Burlington, Vermont, purchased the St. Johnsbury Caledonian, which he turned into a daily newspaper.{{cite news |date=May 3, 1935 |title=Former Mayor of Burlington Dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67242832/obituary-for-walter-j-bigelow/ |work=St. Albans Daily Messenger |location=St. Albans, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}

In the 20th century, the paper was bought by a former Hearst reporter from Boston, Herb Smith. His son, Gordon Smith, Class of 1941 at Yale, joined the paper on the business side upon graduation and went on to own and publish the paper. Gordon brought with him as a writer who stayed a year; a classmate, Barry Zorthian.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100327012857/http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/star/images/oh/OH0540/OH0540.pdf Oral history], conducted by Richard B. Verrone, Ph.D., The Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University, 2006. Pp 27-8. Retrieved 2011-02-11.

The Caledonian garnered attention in 2003 over a court case entitled Caledonian-Record Pub. Co., Inc. v. VT State College. The Caledonian wanted to have access to student disciplinary records and hearings from Lyndon State College. Lyndon state claimed that it was exempt from making the requested information public per the Vermont Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Law. The local court sided with Lyndon State College, and an appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court followed. The Vermont Supreme Court upheld the verdict.(September 12, 2003) [http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=659 Newspaper loses bid to access student disciplinary records, But newspaper can access 'final results' of hearings, Vermont Supreme Court rules] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928055627/http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=659 |date=2007-09-28 }} Student Press Law Center. Accessed online: July 14, 2007[http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/2003/september/nw0926-8.htm LEGAL WATCH: STUDENT DISCIPLINARY RECORDS EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE IN VERMONT] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154533/http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/2003/september/nw0926-8.htm |date=2007-09-30 }} Gannett. Accessed online: July 14, 2007{{cite web|url=http://www.hackneypublications.com/lica/sample.html|title=Legal Issues in College Athletics|website=www.hackneypublications.com}} Julie Fothergill, an attorney with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, stated that the ruling "is important for all public bodies because it indicates how the Court may interpret other exceptions to the Public Records Law."Fothergill, Julie (September 2003) [http://resources.vlct.org/u/lc_03_09a.pdf STUDENT DISCIPLINARY RECORDS ARE EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928223140/http://resources.vlct.org/u/lc_03_09a.pdf |date=2007-09-28 }} VLCT News. Accessed online: July 14, 2007(September 8, 2003) [http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11902 Newspaper loses bid to access student-discipline files] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155101/http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11902 |date=2007-09-30 }}, First Amendment Center. Accessed online: July 14, 2007.

Besides the Caledonian, the paper also published the Orleans County Record and the Littleton Record.{{Cite news | first=Joseph | last=Gresser | title=Wells responds to Cal-Rec suit | newspaper=The Chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | pages= 1A | date=December 13, 2017 }}

In 2007 the paper employed a staff of 40. Sales ranged from $1 to $5 million annually.

In 2007 the paper partnered with the American Society of News Editors at Lyndon Institute to publish a school newspaper, the first at the school, entitled The Campus News.

In 2008 the paper outsourced the printing of the paper to Upper Valley Press in Haverhill, New Hampshire, citing equipment, quality control and personnel problems.{{cite web|url=http://caledonianrecord.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=38218&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1|title=Denied:1up! Software|website=caledonianrecord.com}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}

In 2017, the paper was family owned.

In its coverage of the 2017 fire that destroyed the home of singer-songwriter Neko Case, the paper included Case's name despite her ongoing issues with stalkers and threats to her and her family. The paper maintains that it followed its typical public safety reporting standards.{{cite web |last1=Cush |first1=Andy |date=May 18, 2018 |title=Neko Case Talks 'Hell-On,' House Fire, Stalker in New Interview |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/05/neko-case-house-fire-stalker-news/ |website=Spin |access-date=September 22, 2024}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.caledonianrecord.com/ Official site]
• [http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90005351/ Newspaper Pages (1920-1922) on Chronicling America]

{{VT daily papers}}

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Category:Newspapers published in Vermont

Category:Caledonia County, Vermont

Category:St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Category:Newspapers established in 1837

Category:Whig newspapers (United States)

Category:1837 establishments in Vermont