The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-01-06
oLDEsipRiNuNc PRESS


MuJem at Montpelier
The Heni Dunster mentioned be
low rs HaSard's first president and
the eyentuj owner Of the first print
ing press der set up in the United
States. andshich now reposes in the
museum o1 the Vermont Historical
Society in onipelier, was the grand
father, siJ generations removed, Of
the editor u The Journal
The FIRST printing press ever set up
in this cantry, or, for hat matter,
north Of tie city Of Mexico, is still
preserved and in the museum Of the
Vermont Historical Society at Mont
pelier
This PRESS was procured in England
in 1857 of IS by Rev. Jesse Glover, a
pious mar Who intended emigrating TO
Massachusetts,, and who knew that a
printing outfit was the most accept
able presert he could take TO the col
ony and especially to the young Har-
ward cellege, which sorely needed
something OF that kind, The press
may have been built 20 order in Eng
land by some joiner, since there were
no regular press builders in those
days, each printer giving directions
for the construction Of his press ac-
cording to his own ideas. Minor parts
of this old press are missing, and Of
course il has often been replaced; but
its frame and essential parts are the
original timbers and ironworks, so
that the relic is as valuable TO the
mechanic as TO the literary historian,
and il is worthy of reference by every
American for the truth and wisdom;
moral and political, that it has been
the means Of disseminating.
Mr.. Glover died before reaching
America, but Mrs. Glover set up the
press in Cambridge, in the house (at
frsD Of Henry Dunster, Harvard's
first president; and as soon afterward
she married Dunster, the printing of
flee came under his superintendent
The actual work was done by Stephen
Daye. Daye's first job was the print
ing Of the earliest American publica
tion, the "Freemans' Oath March
1889, and this was speedily followed
by .he equally famous "Bay Psalm
Book" Daye was succeeded by young
Samuel Green, the originator Of long
and noted line of colonial printers, for
there was always one of the name in
the business in Boston until the Revo-
luton, and during that time this fam
lily furnished some Of the leading pio-
neer printers in other colonies.
In TIA the press was moved from
Boston to Connecticut and in 177S it |
was bought by Judah p. Spooner who
moved to Vermont TO become public
printer to the new state.
The old press was applied to produc-
ing .he Green Mountain Post Boy, the
first newspaper ever published in Yer
mont. There was much moving about
from place to place at first but finally
a permanent home was found at Wind
sor, where the Spooners kept the old
press at work until 1914, when it was
sold to a man named Eddy, Of Wea.h-
ersfeld. Then it became series of
fittings from one town TO another
which it has been difficult to trace,
until il was laid away in an old barn
at Windsor, where few years ago it
vas found by the editor of the Ncr
mont Standard and presented to the
State Historical Society, by whom it
was sufficiently restored to be properly |
set up, and is now carefully preserved !
under glass.
II is difficult. TO think of anything
that could be considered by American
printers more precious as a national
relic.