Historic CT Newspapers Read Aloud

Audio recordings of articles from the Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project’s digitized World War I-era newspapers have been read aloud by volunteers at CRIS Radio as part of a project called Voices of World War I. The project was funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission and makes use of newspapers available online at Chronicling America https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

Thirteen articles from the Norwich Bulletin and the Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer and Republican Farmer were selected from newspapers digitized for the National Digital Newspaper Program.

Republican Farmer (Bridgeport, Conn.), February 15, 1918, . http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015536/1918-02-15/ed-1/seq-1/

New Audio Version:  Republican Farmer, Feb. 15, 1918, “Will Prosecute Coal Hoarders in Connecticut”  Listen  View Original

The coal shortage in the first winter of the U.S. involvement in the war came about during an attempt to centralize fuel distribution in the midst of war mobilization and an especially cold winter. This article hints at the impact of the shortage. To deal with the crisis, the railroads were finally nationalized in March 1918.

The Voices project was conducted by CRIS Radio, the IDEAL Group and the Connecticut STate Library. It seeks to improve access to archival records and historical documents for individuals who are “blind or have a range of print disabilities”. The audio recordings feature the Connecticut State Library’s World War I collections “including: letters to home; diaries; servicemen’s war record questionnaires; state-produced pamphlets and; front page newspaper accounts during the war. [WWI Archives Made Accessible with Audio Recordings” blog entry [est. date: Feb. 2017] from CRIS Radio https://crisradio.org/?page_id=1084 ]

Other Chronicling America newspapers (as of 12/28/17):

• Bridgeport Times & Evening Farmer, Sept.16, 1918 “To Erect One Hundred Temporary Houses Here: Housing Situation So Acute Government Adopts Expedient to Relieve Situation” Listen  View Original
• Norwich Bulletin, Sept. 9, 1918 “6,000 Make Pilgrimage to Lebanon” Listen View Original
• Norwich Bulletin, Apr. 19, 1917 “Mobilize Home Garden Forces” Listen View Original
• Republican Farmer, Feb. 8, 1918 “State Schools May Be Closed For One Week” “Boys Steal Two Tons of Coal” Listen View Original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Sept. 20, 1917 “Suffragist Officers Consent to Co-operate with Organizations; Won’t Withdraw Resignations” Listen  View Original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Apr. 14, 1917 “Wealthy to Give Lawns for Tilling” “Home Guards May Become Farmhands” Listen View Original:  Page 1  |  Page 2
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Apr. 13, 1917 “Military Training in BHS,” “Boy Scouts Armed with Big Pistols” Listen View Original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Apr. 7, 1917 “Waterburian Held for Reviling Flag; Another Tries to Kill Soldier” Listen   View Original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Mar. 20, 1917 “The Irish Rebels” Listen   View original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Aug. 19, 1915 “Opposition to Bill to Stop Newsgirls Selling in Street” Listen View Original
• Norwich Bulletin, Dec. 19, 1916 “Basketball as Played Among the Colleges” Listen View Original
• Bridgeport Evening Farmer, Aug. 19, 1915 “Women Who Pose as Men” Listen   View Original

The audio recordings also feature articles from other newspapers: Hartford Courant, Litchfield Enquirer, New Haven Evening Register, New Haven Sunday Register, Shore Line Times, and, from the State Library’s other digital newspaper collection: State Guard News, and Thompsonville Press. All the recorded newspapers are listed at Category Archives: Newspapers; Connecticut Newspapers of World War I at https://crisradio.org/?cat=453

For Further Research:

CRIS : Audio Access for People who are Blind or Print-Challenged https://crisradio.org/

“History Speaks! An Introduction” blog entry [est. date Nov. 2017] from CRIS Radio is a fifteen minute audio show to introduce teachers and students to this project. https://crisradio.org/?p=18375

“Police Canvass Homes for Coal; 50 Carloads for Shops Enroute; 1,000 Beseige Local Fuel Office” The Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer, Jan.  5, 1918. Persistent link: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn92051227/1918-01-05/ed-1/seq-1/

To see the full issue of these newspapers, use the calendar view from the list of Connecticut newspapers in Chronicling America:  https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/?state=Connecticut&ethnicity=&language=