The Downsville News began publication in January of 1875 and quickly became a main newspaper for the East Branch Valley. The Peck family lived on the Williams farm and had their printing press in a small outbuilding on that property. As the business expanded they moved their press to the village and the business was continued by Amos until his death in 1920. Amos’s sons, George and Edward continued publication of the paper highlighting local happenings and adding their “Downsville Jottings” column which gave satirical comments on the local news and humorous poetry under the heading of “a fellow at the Saturday night stove session.” The brothers continued publication of the Downsville News until May of 1946 when they closed the publication due to age and mechanical difficulties. The brothers did continue their small printing business until Edward’s death in 1947.
Downsville was without a newspaper until the Hancock Herald began publication of the Downsville Herald, a four page weekly, but this too ceased publication in 1949. The Herald did publish a two page Downsville Happenings section until 1950 when publication costs and personnel problems were cited as reasons for the elimination of that part of the Herald.
In July of 1950, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Scofield began publication of the Downsville Progress, a weekly paper that they wrote and had printed in the Hancock Herald shop and they continued this paper until 1953 when they purchased the St. Johnsville Enterprise and this ended weekly newspapers in Downsville.
Colchester Historical Society 