The Keene Sentinel is an independently owned daily newspaper published in Keene, New Hampshire. It currently publishes six days a week. The Sentinel is the fifth oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States, having operated under the Sentinel name since its founding, by John Prentiss, in March 1799 as the New Hampshire Sentinel. It was preceded in Keene by a number of much shorter ventures. including The New Hampshire Recorder, The Cheshire Advertiser, The Columbian Informer, and The Rising Sun. History On March 23, 1799, first issue of the New Hampshire Sentinel, a weekly paper was published by the owner, John Prentiss. He was just 21 years old when he began the paper. The newspaper would stay under the Prentiss family guidance until 1954. From 1799 through 1847, John Prentiss published the weekly himself, until 1819, when his brother joined him for a period of two years. His son, John William Prentiss worked with him from 1828 until leaving in 1834, however, he returned in 1838 and they named their enterprise, J & J.W. Prentiss. In 1847, John Prentiss retired and his son, John William Prentiss hired Albert Godfrey as a partner. John William retired in 1850, due to poor health. Godfrey, George S. Woodward and Samuel Woodward took ownership of the paper until 1856, when Samuel Woodward sold his ownership to Thomas Hale and Thomas C. Rand, with the stipulation that they merge American News with the Keene Sentinel, Woodward having ownership of American. During the period between 1865 and 1872, there were some questions about ownership of the Sentinel and Clement J. Woodward purchased the holdings of O.I. French and George Ticknor, sometime around 1860. A large interest in the paper had been purchased by George Ticknor, who edited it until his death in 1866. In 1880, the founders grandson, William H. Prentiss, became part owner and worked as city editor. In 1893, they incorporated, and Bertram Ellis, William Prentiss, Thomas Rand and Samuel Woodward became stockholders. In 1897, the Sentinel became a member of the Associated Press. Rand and Ellis sold their shares in 1912 and 1918, respectively. In 1923, when William H. Prentiss died, he and Samuel Woodward had equal shares in the company. His wife, inherited the shares. In 1930, they built a brick building located at 60 West Street, where they published the Keene Evening Sentinel, a daily newspaper; the first issue was