The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-02-05
BOTH CLAIM HONOR
Dispute Over Location of First
Press in Northwest.
Minnesota and South Dakota Each
Firm in the Belief That They Are
in Possession of Historic
Old Relic.

The location of the first printing
press in the Northwest is being dis
puted by two states, Minnesota and
South Dakota, says dispatch to the
Minneapolis Journal.
The historic printing press, an ola
Washington hand-press, which, 1t is
claimed, printed the first newspaper IN
the Northwest, is now in the hands OF
the Minnesota Historical society. The
Minnesota contention as to the history
of the press is substantially as fol-
lows:
"Its active career began back in 1885,
when John King of Dubuque pur-
chased it in Cincinnati. He arrived IN
Dubuque with the new press on May
/, 1886. after a tedious trip on river
steamboat. The first issue of this pa
per, the Dubuque Visitor, appeared on
Nav II. It is said that the Visitor was
the only paper north of st. Louis and
west of the Mississippi river at that
time
'eThe press, in 1S43, for some reason
or other, was sold to three representa-
tives of stock concern, J. Allen Bar
Der, Daniel Benfill and Nelson Derby,
who latter was to become Wisconsin's
first governor. These men took the
press across the river to Lancaster,
Wis, to print the Grant County Her
aid, of which L. 0. Schrader was the
first editor.
''The. Herald passed finally into the
hands of James NJ Goodhue, lawyer
by profession and a fighting editor Of
the old school. Goodhue in the spring
of 1S49 shipped his press up the river
to St. Paul, Mimi. where he founded
the Pioneer, which years afterward be-
came the Pioneer Press.
'sIn 1855 the press passed into the
hands of Jeremiah Russell, who took 1t
to Sauk Rapids to use in printing an
other pioneer venture, the Frontiers
man. After that it changed hands fire.
quently. 1t printed among other pub
Ecations the Sauk Valley Press con-
Quoted by Herman Muhlenberg, state
adjutant general. The material of this
publication was later sold to the Lind
strom Citizen, a Swedish newspaper.
Shortly after this old press found it's
last home in the state museum in st.
Paul.
"Gov. Samuel J. Albright, associate
editor of the ST. Paul paper, purchased
the press in 1853. carried it 400 miles
across the prairies to Sioux Falls, Da-
kota Territory, where July 3. 1859, he
established and printed the Dakota
Democrat
During the Indian hostilities OF
1862, Sioux Falls was abandoned and
the Indians took possession Of the
place. They found the old press and
broke it to pieces. The settlers found
the fragments but could not put it to-
gether again. Senator R. F. Pettigrew
of Sioux Falls is understood to have
secured the plate and made from it q
doorstep.
''The South Dakota story has been
verified satisfactorily so far as the
South Dakota department is con-
cerned, by Governor Albright, who
wrote in regard to it that it was so
stated, so understood and, I believe, so
published upon it's removal to Dakota
sBut, on the other hand, in the Min
nesota museum stands press which
IS claimed to be the one in dispute.
This one is simply constructed and
from it's appearance might have print
ed every pioneer newspaper in the
Northwest. Whatever the true story
Of the identity of the press may be, 1t
Is we'll worth contention"