Vineyard Gazette
Encyclopedia
The Vineyard Gazette is the only paid circulation newspaper on the island of Martha's Vineyard
. Founded in 1846, it also circulates in many other states and countries to seasonal residents of the resort island. Since 1984, it has competed, and has an often heated rivalry, with a free tabloid, the Martha's Vineyard Times.
The Gazette was founded by editor Edgar Marchant and first published on Thursday, May 14, 1846. In the pages of the Gazette, Marchant advocated that to supplement native industries the island should market itself as a "Watering-Place in the Summer Season" and the island later became a summer resort destination. Charles Marchant, the son of Edgar Marchant's cousin Charles, assumed editorship in 1888 and retired in 1920. The newspaper remained in the Marchant family, save for two short interruptions, until 1920.
The newspaper was purchased in 1920 by George A. Hough of the New Bedford Standard, as a wedding president for his son Henry Beetle Hough and Henry's new wife Elizabeth Bowie Hough. Henry Hough had won a special Pulitzer Prize
for historical research as a Columbia University
student in 1918. Hough spent the rest of his life at the Gazette, becoming a celebrated "country editor", and his wife was his co-editor and collaborator at the Gazette until her death in 1965. By Henry Hough's death, the circulation of the newspaper had increased from 600 to 13,000. The Houghs and the Gazette were strong advocates against development and the Houghs donated land they owned for preservation, founding the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation to preserve it and other natural areas on the island.
In 1968, Henry Hough sold the newspaper to James Reston
, two-time Pulitzer winner and long-time journalist and editor at the New York Times, who managed it with his wife Sally Reston. Hough sought out Reston, telling him "I want it to go into a newspaper family and you have writing sons." Hough continued to write for the newspaper until his death in 1985. In 1975, one of Reston's writing sons, Richard Reston, an experienced foreign correspondent and bureau chief with the Los Angeles Times
, took over operations of the paper in conjunction with his wife Mary Jo Reston, and they assumed the title of publisher from the senior Restons in 1988. Under the Restons, circulation increased to 18,000, profits increased drastically, and the newspaper was named Newspaper of the Year eight times by the New England Press Association. The newspaper was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting for their coverage of 1991's Hurricane Bob
. Like Henry Hough, Richard Reston was a strong editorial advocate against development and for environmental preservation, and is credited with many victories in those areas. These stances prompted five local business owners to start a competing newspaper, the Martha's Vineyard Times, in 1984.
Mary Jo Reston retired in 1999, Richard Reston in 2003. Richard Reston was succeeded by John W. Walter, an editor of USAToday and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2011, the newspaper was purchased by businessman Jerome Kohlberg, Jr.
and his wife Nancy Kohlberg. They appointed Jane Seagrave, a former Associated Press
executive, publisher in April 2011.
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
. Founded in 1846, it also circulates in many other states and countries to seasonal residents of the resort island. Since 1984, it has competed, and has an often heated rivalry, with a free tabloid, the Martha's Vineyard Times.
The Gazette was founded by editor Edgar Marchant and first published on Thursday, May 14, 1846. In the pages of the Gazette, Marchant advocated that to supplement native industries the island should market itself as a "Watering-Place in the Summer Season" and the island later became a summer resort destination. Charles Marchant, the son of Edgar Marchant's cousin Charles, assumed editorship in 1888 and retired in 1920. The newspaper remained in the Marchant family, save for two short interruptions, until 1920.
The newspaper was purchased in 1920 by George A. Hough of the New Bedford Standard, as a wedding president for his son Henry Beetle Hough and Henry's new wife Elizabeth Bowie Hough. Henry Hough had won a special Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for historical research as a Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
student in 1918. Hough spent the rest of his life at the Gazette, becoming a celebrated "country editor", and his wife was his co-editor and collaborator at the Gazette until her death in 1965. By Henry Hough's death, the circulation of the newspaper had increased from 600 to 13,000. The Houghs and the Gazette were strong advocates against development and the Houghs donated land they owned for preservation, founding the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation to preserve it and other natural areas on the island.
In 1968, Henry Hough sold the newspaper to James Reston
James Reston
James Barrett Reston , nicknamed "Scotty," was an American journalist whose career spanned the mid 1930s to the early 1990s. He was associated for many years with the New York Times.-Life:...
, two-time Pulitzer winner and long-time journalist and editor at the New York Times, who managed it with his wife Sally Reston. Hough sought out Reston, telling him "I want it to go into a newspaper family and you have writing sons." Hough continued to write for the newspaper until his death in 1985. In 1975, one of Reston's writing sons, Richard Reston, an experienced foreign correspondent and bureau chief with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, took over operations of the paper in conjunction with his wife Mary Jo Reston, and they assumed the title of publisher from the senior Restons in 1988. Under the Restons, circulation increased to 18,000, profits increased drastically, and the newspaper was named Newspaper of the Year eight times by the New England Press Association. The newspaper was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting for their coverage of 1991's Hurricane Bob
Hurricane Bob
Hurricane Bob was one of the costliest hurricanes in New England history. The second named storm and first hurricane of the 1991 Atlantic hurricane season, Bob developed from an area of low pressure near The Bahamas on August 16. The depression steadily intensified, and became Tropical Storm Bob...
. Like Henry Hough, Richard Reston was a strong editorial advocate against development and for environmental preservation, and is credited with many victories in those areas. These stances prompted five local business owners to start a competing newspaper, the Martha's Vineyard Times, in 1984.
Mary Jo Reston retired in 1999, Richard Reston in 2003. Richard Reston was succeeded by John W. Walter, an editor of USAToday and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2011, the newspaper was purchased by businessman Jerome Kohlberg, Jr.
Jerome Kohlberg, Jr.
Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. is an American businessman and early pioneer in the private equity and leveraged buyout industries founding private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and later Kohlberg & Company....
and his wife Nancy Kohlberg. They appointed Jane Seagrave, a former Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
executive, publisher in April 2011.