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
