NPR: How Dixville Notch Got to Vote First

How Dixville Notch Got to Vote First

In Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the local residents take their status as the first community in the U.S. to vote on election day quite seriously. (The community is also the first to vote on the state's primary day.) But did you know that they achieved this honor because of a competitive news wire photographer?

Boston.com has a great video piece on the "Legend of Dixville Notch" that tells the story of how in this small community of less than a dozen people became famous in 1960. United Press International chief photographer Don Robinson convinced the owner of the local hotel, Neil Tillotson, to hold the first vote in the nation.

And in order to make sure that Dixville Notch voted first and beat his journalist competitor, The Associated Press (whose photographers were gathered at the previous first-in-the nation site Hart's Location, New Hampshire) Robinson moved the hands on the clock in the hotel where the voting took place five minutes ahead.

"Those were the kind of things you did back in the golden days of journalism," says retired UPI photographer Dan Wolfe. "It was just a great scam."

8:17 PM ET | 01- 7-2008 | permalink

Send a Comment

Comments are reviewed and edited by NPR prior to display. All comments will be read, but not all will be posted.

NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:	» List of local stations (PDF)
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
May we contact you with information about NPR programming and services? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Tom Regan

Blogger

About Us

This year's election cycle has been one of the most exciting in memory. At the NPR News Blog we'll do our best to bring you interesting, informative -- and controversial -- stories from our own reporters and bloggers, as well as the rest of the best of the Internet and blogosphere. And we hope you'll let us know what you think as well.

Want to learn more? Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions and our discussion guidelines.