The Village Sampler was a monthly newspaper that served the Broad Ripple Village community, a neighborhood located at the bend of the White River on the north side of

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. The community was named after a poem by Hoosier poet

James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...

titled "Broad Ripple". Publisher and journalist Lillian Rose Barcio founded The Village Sampler, served as the newspaper's

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

, and along with her husband, Bernard F. Barcio, was a founding partner of its publishing company, BLB Enterprises, Inc. The Village Sampler Newspaper Issue 1

History

Lillian Rose Barcio worked as a publications assistant at

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

, where she received free tuition as part of her employment. Barcio utilized this benefit to return to school at age 50 and earn her journalism degree. After graduating, utilizing her degree and her previous publishing experience, Barcio founded the Village Sampler Newspaper and became its editor in chief. The first issue of the Village Sampler was published in June 1987. The newspaper continued operating until December 1998, when it ceased publication due to Barcio's declining health. Throughout its run, The Village Sampler took special care to document the history of Indianapolis, publishing hundreds of articles and interviews on the subject with a special focus on the Broad Ripple community, where the paper was published out of Barcio's basement in a house at 6026 Indianola Avenue. A complete set of back issues is in the permanent collection of the central branch of the

Indianapolis Public Library The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The li ...

References

{{Reflist Defunct newspapers published in Indiana Mass media in Indianapolis