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The Pittsfield Advertiser

Pittsfield Historical Society’s
History of Pittsfield

The Pittsfield Advertiser Page

An archive of most of Pittsfield’s newspapers 1882-1987 can be found at pittsfield.advantage-preservation.com/
Helpful tips on searching that site are here.

Also view issues below.
Also see “1882-1969 Our History is One of Service“, a history of The Pittsfield Advertiser.
The Pittsfield Advertiser was Pittsfield’s major and longest lived newspaper, publishing from April 1882 until March 1987. Published under the name “Pittsfield Advertiser” from Vol. 1, no. 1 (Apr., 1882) to Vol. 85, no. 38 (Sept. 20, 1967) at which time it became the “Valley Times”. It was published weekly from Jan. 3, 1884 until Sept. 20, 1967. Microfilm archives exist at the Pittsfield Public Library (which also has a bound collection), the Maine State Library, and the Folger Library at the University of Maine. A list of libraries with originals or microfilm copies can be found at this Library of Congress website: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026891/holdings/. One can occasionally find original issues of the newspaper—often in rather poor condition—available on eBay or other auction sites.

The Pittsfield Advertiser started publication as a four page monthly in April, 1882 by Charles B. Haskell and Orin S. Haskell. It’s banner read “DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY”. L.O. Haskell took over editorship in 1896. The paper was sold to J.R. Cianchette in 1945. The name was changed from Pittsfield Advertiser to Valley Times in September, 1967. The paper was sold to Cianbro Corp in 1972. In 1986 it was merged with Newport Times and Sharon Mack became editor. In 1987 it was sold to Dexter’s Eastern Gazette and soon closed. The last issue, long since having ceased using the Advertiser banner, was on March 18, 1987.

The paper was originally published in the Park St. building (upper photo, which was previously a stable at the Going Hathorn Estate when that building was in what is now Hathorn Park) from founding until 1918. The building on Hunnewell Ave. which had housed the paper since 1918 (lower photo) was torn down in 1981 during urban renewal.

Today the Pittsfield Advertiser allows us the best glimpse of daily life in Pittsfield during its years of publication. The links below allow the reader to display photographs of pages from selected issues. These photos are jpegs in the range of 3 Mb each.
 

1882, April.   This was the first issue, Vol. 1, No. 1. We have its four pages photographed here, taken from Sanger Cook’s book Pittsfield On The Sebasticook. The second issue came out in May; it would not publish weekly for another two years. When the images load, click on them to enlarge for readability.

Advertiser Banner, 1882.
page 1.   |   page 2.   |   page 3.   |   page 4.
1886,Thursday, December 30. Vol. 5, No. 40. Full text of Juniper’s “Then and Now”, which was partially quoted in Sanger Cook’s “Pittsfield on the Sebasticook”, can be found there.

1905, Thursday, March 2.   Vol. 25, No 9. When the images load, click on them to enlarge for readability.

Advertiser Banner, 1905.
page 1   |   page 2   |   page 3   |   page 4
page 5   |   page 7   |   page 6   |   page 8

 

Pittsfield Advertiser and Valley Times Staff and Officers
Last Name First/Initals Title Years
Haskell Charles B. Editor 1882-1895
Haskell L. O. Editor 1895-1911
Murray Caro Editor 1911-1915
Horne Garfield Editor 1915-1920
Whitman Irving Editor 1920-1950s
Huff George Publisher -1945
Cianchette J. R. President 1945-
Hammond Marshal Editor
Kendal Richard Editor
Sinclair Roy U. Editor and
Treasurer
Long Ralph Editor
Whitman Irving
Production Manager
and Publisher
Willoughby William Editor
Hinckley Donald, Rev Editor (part time)
Stanley Edward Editor (part time)
Hackett Gerald Editor
Lewis Norval Interim Editor
Olson David Publisher
Pittsfield Publishers, Inc. Owner
Mitchell Gerald Managing Editor
Valley Times Owner 1968

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