Fair Haven Gazette facts for kids
The Fair Haven Gazette was an old newspaper from Vermont. It was printed a long time ago, in the late 1700s. Even though James Lyon was listed as the owner, his father, Matthew Lyon, was really in charge. Matthew Lyon wrote most of the stories and managed the paper.
History of a Vermont Newspaper
Long ago, when Vermont was a new state, there were only two main newspapers. They were the Bennington Gazette and the Windsor Journal.
Matthew Lyon was an important person in early Vermont. He was a leader in politics, the military, and business. He even started the town of Fair Haven in 1783. He built and ran many businesses there, like mills and places to make metal tools.
Matthew Lyon knew a lot about printing. He decided to start his own newspaper in 1793. He wanted to share his ideas with people who voted. He had tried to become a member of the United States House of Representatives a few times before. He planned to try again in 1794.
Matthew Lyon started the newspaper in Fair Haven. His son, James Lyon, was also a printer. James was listed as the owner. But Matthew Lyon managed most of the paper. He also wrote many of the articles. Other stories were written by James Lyon and Alden Spooner.
In 1794, James and Matthew Lyon sold their printing equipment. They sold it to Reverend Samuel Williams and Judge Samuel Williams from Rutland. These men used the equipment to start a new newspaper. It was called the Rutland Herald. This newspaper is still printed today!
Matthew Lyon's Political Journey
Matthew Lyon did not win a seat in the U.S. House in 1794. But he kept trying! He was finally elected on his fourth try in 1796. He wanted to keep sharing his ideas. He was part of the Democratic-Republican Party. He wanted to share his party's views and disagree with the Federalists.
So, Matthew Lyon and James Lyon started a new newspaper. It was called The Scourge Of Aristocracy and Repository of Important Political Truth.
In 1798, Matthew Lyon faced a challenge. He had made strong comments against the government in his new newspaper. He also wrote a letter to Alden Spooner. This letter was printed in Spooner's paper, the Vermont Journal. Because of these writings, Matthew Lyon was jailed. He was held in prison in Vergennes, Vermont. Even while he was in prison, he was re-elected to Congress in 1798! This showed that many people supported him.
Matthew Lyon was released from prison on February 9, 1799. He could not pay the money he owed for his sentence. But his political friends helped him. They raised the money he needed. This allowed him to be released and go back to his job in Congress.
After he finished his time in Congress in 1800, Matthew Lyon moved to Kentucky. There, he started new businesses. He was also elected to Congress again from Kentucky.
