 | |
 Frontpage of the first edition, May 7, 1846 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner | Gannett |
| Founded | May 7, 1846 |
| Ceased publication | 2022 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 150 Baker Avenue, Suite 201 ConcordMA 01742  United States |
| OCLC number | 9406292 |
| Website | wickedlocal |
TheCambridge Chronicle was a weekly newspaper that servedCambridge, Massachusetts. The newspaper was founded by Andrew Reid in May 1846. It ceased publication of its print edition in 2022, after being purchased byGannett. It no longer publishes stories of its own, instead re-publishing regional stories from other Gannett papers.[1]
TheCambridge Chronicle was first published on May 7, 1846. A few days before, Cambridge was incorporated as a city, and Scotsman Andrew Reid seized on the opportunity to publish a weekly newspaper. Cambridge was home to the first printing press in the Colonies,[2] and nearby Boston was home to the first newspaper. ThePublick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick was founded in 1690, albeit short-lived. But beginning in the 18th century, Boston developed a vibrant newspaper industry.[2]
Several newspapers were started in Cambridge. In 1775 and 1776. Cambridge was home to theNew England Chronicle, earlier known as theEssex Gazette.[3] In 1840, theCambridge Magnolia started its two years of publication.[4]
Cambridge developed a vibrant newspaper industry. TheCambridge Press was founded by James Cox in 1866. Its city editor, James W. Bean, became co-owner of theChronicle in 1891. He set out on this venture with C. Burnside Seagrave, who had been withThe Cambridge Tribune.The Cambridge Tribune from 1878 to 1966 was a competitor.[5] It had been founded by D. Gilbert Dexter, who had worked for theBoston Journal as the Cambridge correspondent. TheCambridge News was founded by Daniel A. Buckley in 1879, who used it as a medium to promote his personal views. Since 1873, Cambridge's only daily newspaper has beenThe Harvard Crimson.[6]
| Years | Editor[6] |
|---|---|
| 1846–1847 | Andrew Reid |
| 1847–1857 | John Ford |
| 1858–1859 | John S. Baldwin |
| 1859–1873 | George Fisher |
| 1873–1886 | Lynn Boyd Parker |
| 1886–1890 | F. Stanhorpe Hill |
| 1890–1891 | F.H. Buffum |
| 1891–? | James W. Bean |
| 1891–1935 | C. Burnside Seagrave |
| 1935–1939 | ? |
| 1939–1971 | Eliot Spalding |
| 1971–? | ? |
| 1980–1991 | R.David Wiegand |
| ?-1991 | David Boraks |
| 1991–1992 | Amy Miller |
| 1992–1997 | John Breneman |
| 1997–2001 | Ken Maguire[7] |
| 2001–2005 | Deb Eisner[8] |
| 2003–2005 | Michele Babineau[9] |
| 2005–2006 | Deborah Eisner[10] |
| 2006 | Chris Helms[11] |
| 2006–2012 | David Harris[12] |
| 2012 | Scott Wachtler[13][14] |
| Nov. 2012–Oct. 2021 | Amy Saltzman[15] |
The first publisher, Reid, died on January 4, 1847, and John Ford took over his role.[16] Charles Burnside Seagrave served as editor and publisher for over 40 years, up to his retirement in 1935.[17] Another influential editor of the paper was Eliot Spalding. He joined theChronicle in 1926, and in 1939 became its editor, a role he held until 1971.[18]
The Dole family acquired theCambridge Chronicle in the 1930s. They merged it with its rival paper, theCambridge Sun, in 1935.[19] The family sold the newspapers toFidelity Investments in 1991. It was integrated into theCommunity Newspaper Company, another subsidiary of Fidelity Investment, in 1996.
The Community Newspaper Company was sold to theBoston Herald's owner, Herald Media, in 2001. It was again sold toGateHouse Media, in 2006 (GateHouse Media later changed their name to Gannett). In September 2012, theChronicle merged withTab Communications'sCambridge Tab.[20]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The first editions were produced by hand press above the Holmes Grocery Store, on the corner of Magazine and Main Streets in Central Square. The paper is now printed inFramingham.
In 2022, Will Dowd, the only remaining journalist writing for theCambridge Chronicle, moved to work for the siteMarblehead News.[21] Gannett maintains a section of its Wicked Local website for theCambridge Chronicle, but the newspaper exists in name only. TheChronicle no longer publishes any local news stories. Instead, it cross-posts regional New England news from other parts of the Wicked Local website. This follows a broader pattern for Gannett, who announced in April 2022 that it was ended print editions of 19 different local newspapers across Massachusetts.[22]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)By the time you read this, I'll be gone. I'll no longer be the editor of theCambridge Chronicle.