Founded in 1876 by Charles N. Davenport, the Brattleboro Reformer came into being to bring a new political voice to southern Vermont. The idea sparked when Davenport, a lawyer with strong opinions, decided to launch a weekly newspaper originally called the Windham County Reformer to advocate for government reform and challenge the dominant political parties of the day. He started the paper to ensure that different viewpoints were heard in the region. Today, the newspaper is owned by Vermont News and Media, a locally-focused publishing group. Today, the Brattleboro Reformer is run by a dedicated team of local journalists and is mainly focused on local town government, community events, Vermont state politics, and high school sports. They are based in Brattleboro, Vermont, and serve as the primary source of news for the residents of Windham County. One interesting fact: A unique fact about the Brattleboro Reformer is its connection to the famous author Rudyard Kipling. When the author of The Jungle Book lived in Brattleboro in the 1890s, he was close friends with the newspaper's editor and reportedly even wrote some anonymous pieces for the paper, giving this small-town publication a surprising link to literary history.