Newspaper Carrier Day

We at the library would like to salute our two news carriers Riley Swartz & and Sam Eisenbeis for their daily delivery of our paper.

This day commemorates the hiring of the very first newspaper carrier. Newspaper carriers date back to the early 1800s. On September 10, 1833, 10 year old Barney Flaherty became the first newspaper carrier. Benjamin Day, publisher of The New York Sun, hired Barney Flaherty to sell papers for his penny press. The only job requirement, was that he had to show that he could throw a newspaper into the bushes.

Newspaper Carrier Day, September 4th, honors everyone who is now, or once was, a newspaper carrier. The list includes thousands, if not millions, of people. Years ago, this job was primarily populated by kids, from pre-teen through approximately sixteen.

Now, few kids deliver papers anymore except in small towns. But, but the "Carrier Day" tradition lives. This job is now largely held by adults, many of them delivering the paper from their cars.