The Hartford Times was founded in 1817 by Frederick D. Bolles and John M. Niles. Staunchly anti-Federalist, they opposed the creation of a stronger federal government — preferring state government’s to have more authority — and whose agitations led to the addition of a Bill of Rights. The first in the long line of states’ rights advocates, they feared the authority of a single national government, upper-class dominance, inadequate separation of powers, and loss of immediate control over local affairs.1
The Hartford Times provided metropolitan coverage of civic issues and the city’s stories, styling itself as“as champion of the party of the Constitution and reform in the State of Connecticut…” The Times prided itself on its’ “…promotion of the public welfare as a zealous advocate of democracy and toleration. Guided by devotion to principle and service to the people, regardless of class.”
In 1920, at the height of its success, the paper built a new headquarters, The Hartford Times Building in downtown Hartford.
The Hartford Times was positioned as the competitor to The Hartford Courant, advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the country, producing an evening newspaper while the Courant produced the morning paper.
But on October 20, 1976, The Hartford Times closed ending a 159 year run. According to the New York Times, “..in many ways it is evident that the demise of The Times is similar to that of evening papers around the country, which have found themselves going out of business as living habits and reading habits have changed and the evening news on television has replaced the evening paper.”
In the decades since, Hartford became a one paper town.In 2000, The Hartford Courant was sold to Tribune Company, a multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, and in 2021 acquired by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund based in New York City. Without local ownership of our media, coverage of Connecticut’s capital city was hampered and the voice of the people suppressed. Meanwhile, the Hartford Times headquarters fell into ruin and disrepair with periodic attempts to restore the building’s former glory all failing.
Without a champion of the city, Hartford’s narrative took a gloomy turn and residents became increasingly disillusioned, disengaged, and isolated by corporate media’s pessimistic coverage of their community.
The Revival
The turn of the century brought a renewed interest in the legacy of The Hartford Times.
In 1996, the Hartford Times’ archives of stories, clippings, and photographs found a permanent home at the Hartford Public Library.
In 2013, the University of Connecticut announced an ambitious plan to restore and renovate the iconic Hartford Times building as a new campus offering academic programs in public policy, social work, and urban and community studies to thousands of undergraduate and graduate students.
In 2017, the University of Connecticut opened the downtown campus to great fanfare. “UConn Hartford is not only brick, mortar, and steel. It is a living, breathing institution at the core of this city,” UConn President Susan Herbst said at the event. “It will be part of the backbone of Hartford: a place of learning, engagement, and discovery, and a vibrant part of this neighborhood and the capital city as a whole.”2
UConn’s investment resurrected public interest in The Hartford Times and highlighted its role in local, state, and national history.
The Future
In 2015, Civic Mind, a Hartford based social impact agency, began the work to revive the paper’s legacy masthead and honor its history as the champion of the city. After six years of research, soul-searching interviews, and community collaboration, The Hartford Times was relaunched on January 17, 2022.
The Hartford Times revival is envisioned as a civic engagement platform designed to create greater access and connectivity to Connecticut’s information infrastructure and to challenge our assumptions about access, privilege, and the status quo.
We believe the lack of inclusive, purposeful, and actionable information has resulted in a fundamental decline in citizen participation, civic virtue, and a loss of our shared identity. As a result, Connecticut has earned the nickname of “Corrupticut” and a reputation as “The Land of Steady Habits”, “…ironic shorthand for aristocratic rule, cronyism, inequitable taxation, entrenched corruption, and backward thinking.”3
To solve these problems, The Hartford Times is established as a non-profit to encapsulate our journalism, investigative reporting, and editorial content and ensure its integrity and independence. Our non-profit structure also serves to shield our organization from partisanship and special interests. We believe local ownership of the news untangles complicated truths, holds power accountable, and delivers answers to difficult questions.
Our goal is for The Hartford Times to improve Connecticut’s information and connectivity to provide our communities consistent solutions, inspiration, and purpose. Our solutions-oriented content cultivates a common regional identity and promotes civic participation to build an enlightened, assembled democracy working to achieve intergenerational healing, multigenerational prosperity, and cultural growth.
The Hartford Times represents an exciting new era of community collaboration. We hope you join us.
Acknowledgements
The design of The Hartford Times is inspired by the research, investments, best practices, and bold work of the people at The Aspen Institute, Solutions Journalism Network, LION Publishers, The Institute for Nonprofit News, The Philadelphia Citizen, City Bureau, Shelterforce, The Indiegraf Network, NextCity, and many more thought leaders who shared their wisdom and insights along the way.
