About The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855
Bath, Me. (1847-1855)

Daily Northern Tribune and The Northern Tribune

The Northern Tribune was published in the city of Bath, Maine, from 1847 to 1855. It was preceded by the Lincoln Telegraph and Northern Tribune, a title that the publication only briefly went by during a transition period upon the sale of the Lincoln Telegraph to Chamberlain, Haines, and Plummer, who also published the Daily Northern Tribune. The newspaper's offices were located on Front Street.

Though the masthead cites the paper as the Daily Northern Tribune, it is referred to as the Daily Tribune or the Northern Tribune in ads and notices throughout the paper.

The Daily Northern Tribune was four pages long and initially published every day except Sundays. Its subscription cost was three dollars per year. The paper also advertised the option to purchase "A Cheap Newspaper!" It was issued only on Fridays and cost $1.25 per year.

As described in the first edition available, from April 27, 1847 the Northern Tribune aimed to "contain all the latest news from the South and West, together with the latest Foreign and Domestic Shipping Intelligence, Commercial Reports, state of Trade &c.; &.c." The paper also ran an announcement stating that it was "published immediately after the arrival of the Southern and Western mail."

A marine journal, an almanac, local announcements of life events such as marriages, literary compositions, a travelers' directory, a business directory, and advertisements were all published alongside political items and other news of the day. Apart from the business directory, advertisements were largely reserved for the inside and back pages of the publication.

The newspaper proudly stated its allegiance to Whig politics: "It will ever be found faithfully maintaining the principles embodied in the Whig creed." The December 1, 1847 edition had the text of a speech by Senator Henry Clay, a leader of the Whig Party, on its front page. Several editions of the paper in April 1848 include announcements about the upcoming Whig Congressional Conventions and the Whig State Conventions.

As evidenced by a list of agents published on its front page in 1848, the Daily Northern Tribune had a widespread presence in the state, as well as a presence further afield in the northeast. Agents for the paper were assigned to Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore. In Maine, agents were located in towns close to Bath as well as those further away, such as Bangor.

According to History of the Press of Maine, the Daily Northern Tribune ceased to be a daily publication after Haines and Chamberlain left the firm in 1849. It then moved to a tri-weekly publication schedule while under the ownership of George Ross and Benjamin Meder. By 1852, Ross was the sole owner of the publication. Numerous editors were employed under his tenure as publisher.

In 1855, Ross sold the Tribune to Charles Cobb and George Kimball, and the paper merged with the Weekly Mirror, a weekly publication that had been founded by Rufus Haines and was also recently sold to Cobb and Kimball. In 1857, the papers again changed hands and became known as the Eastern Times and Northern Tribune.

Provided by: Maine State Library