Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-02-13
BOTH Claim HONOR
Dispute Over Location of First
Press in Northwest.
Minnesota ard South Dakota Each
Firm m the Belief That They Are
In Possession Of Historic
Old Relic.

The location of the first printing
press in the Northwest is being dis
putcd by two states. Minnesota and
South Dakota, says Il dispatch To the
Minneapolis Journal.
The historic printing press. an old
Washington hand-prcsS. which. it 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
l0AS y 81
7'Its actire career began back in 1886.
when John King of Dubuque pur-
chased it In Cincinnati. He arrived in
Dubuque with the new press on May
!, 1896. after :. tedious trip on 4 river
steamboat. The first issue Of this pa
per. the Dubuque Visitor appeared on
May II. 1t * said that the Visitor was
The only paper north Of ST. Louis and
west OF The Mississippi river ut that
time
The press. in 1913. for some reason
or other. was sold TO three representa-
her, Daniel Bcntill 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.. q. Schrader was the
first editor.
THE Herald passed finally into the
hands Of James NJ. GoOdhue, Il lawyer
by profession and Il fighting editor Of
The old school. Goodhue in the spring
Of 1S40 shipped his press up the river
to st. Paul. Mimi, where he founded
the Pioneer. which years afterward be-
came the Pioneer Press.
''In 1855 the press passed into the
bands of Jeremiah Russell. who took 1t
TO Sank Rapids to use in printin" an
other pioneer venture. tho Frontiers
man. After that ii changed hands fire.
qucntly. II printed among other pub
LEGATIONS the Sank Valley Press con-
Quoted By Herman MuhlcnbcrE. state
adjuani general. The material Of this
publication was later sold to the Lind
StrOm Citizen. II Swedish newspaper.
Shortly after this old press found its
last home in The stale museum in st.
Paul.
Gov. Samuel j. Albright. associate
editor of the st. Paul paper, purchased
the press in 1873, carried il 400 miles
across the prarlcS Ia Sioux Falls. Da-
kota Territory. where. July = 1859, he
established ana printed the Dakota
Democrat
During the indian hostilitics of
1862, Sioux Falls was abandoned and
the indians took possession Of the
place. They found the old press and
broke ii to pieces. The settlers found
the fragments but could not put ii to-
geiher again. Senator X. +. Pettigrew
of Sioux Falls is understood 10 have
secured the plate and made from it IL
doorstep.
"Tlc 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 il that 1T was so
stated. so understood and, believe, so
published upon its removal TO Dakota
"But. on the other hand. in the Min.
nesotn museum stands 81 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 tie
Northwest. Whatever the true story
of the identity Of til" press may he. It
is we'll worth cOntentiOn."