Boston Public Library
Springfield Weekly Republican
Detail from:
Springfield Weekly Republican. March 24, 1855
The Springfield Republican debuted in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 8, 1824 as an independent weekly rural newspaper. At the beginning it had a local focus and a politically conservative viewpoint. In the mid-nineteenth century, it grew to become the most widely circulated newspaper in New England, known for its well-written articles with significant literary merit. Its coverage gradually expanded from Springfield to the wider Connecticut River Valley, western Massachusetts, and eventually the entire country.
The paper was founded by Hartford printer Samuel Bowles II and owned, published, and edited by four generations of his family. His son, Samuel Bowles III, began working there as a teenager. He spearheaded the creation of a new daily edition of the paper, which began publication in 1844 as the Daily Evening Republican and later became the Daily Republican in 1845.
The paper thrived under Bowles III’s leadership and became a respected and influential publication aligned with progressive politics of the day. Bowles was an abolitionist, and he promoted the creation of a new political party with the stated goal of ending slavery. The paper became a leading voice for the nascent Republican Party, founded in 1854 to in large part to oppose the expansion of slavery into western territories. Bowles was also a close friend of Emily Dickinson and became one of the primary recipients of her poems.
After the death of Bowles III, the paper was run by his son Samuel Bowles IV and then his grandson Sherman Bowles. The Springfield Daily Republican and Springfield Weekly Republican ceased publication in 1946 due to a newspaper strike and were not revived after the strike was resolved.
Following the strike, the Springfield Union became the morning paper, the Springfield Daily News became the evening paper, and on Sundays both were published as the Springfield Sunday Republican. All newspapers were owned by Bowles. The papers continued to employ some of the best writers and staff available, launching the careers of Wall Street Journal co-founder Charles Dow, sportswriter Sy Sanborn, and novelist Tom Wolfe.
In 2003, the Springfield Union-News (a result of the 1987 merger of the remaining daily newspapers) was renamed the Springfield Republican. As of 2023 it is owned by Newhouse Newspapers, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. While it is no longer the most widely read newspaper in New England, it remains one of the most well-respected. In 2019 it was named the best weekday and Sunday newspaper in the 35,000+ circulation class by the New England Newspaper Association.
The paper was founded by Hartford printer Samuel Bowles II and owned, published, and edited by four generations of his family. His son, Samuel Bowles III, began working there as a teenager. He spearheaded the creation of a new daily edition of the paper, which began publication in 1844 as the Daily Evening Republican and later became the Daily Republican in 1845.
The paper thrived under Bowles III’s leadership and became a respected and influential publication aligned with progressive politics of the day. Bowles was an abolitionist, and he promoted the creation of a new political party with the stated goal of ending slavery. The paper became a leading voice for the nascent Republican Party, founded in 1854 to in large part to oppose the expansion of slavery into western territories. Bowles was also a close friend of Emily Dickinson and became one of the primary recipients of her poems.
After the death of Bowles III, the paper was run by his son Samuel Bowles IV and then his grandson Sherman Bowles. The Springfield Daily Republican and Springfield Weekly Republican ceased publication in 1946 due to a newspaper strike and were not revived after the strike was resolved.
Following the strike, the Springfield Union became the morning paper, the Springfield Daily News became the evening paper, and on Sundays both were published as the Springfield Sunday Republican. All newspapers were owned by Bowles. The papers continued to employ some of the best writers and staff available, launching the careers of Wall Street Journal co-founder Charles Dow, sportswriter Sy Sanborn, and novelist Tom Wolfe.
In 2003, the Springfield Union-News (a result of the 1987 merger of the remaining daily newspapers) was renamed the Springfield Republican. As of 2023 it is owned by Newhouse Newspapers, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. While it is no longer the most widely read newspaper in New England, it remains one of the most well-respected. In 2019 it was named the best weekday and Sunday newspaper in the 35,000+ circulation class by the New England Newspaper Association.