Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1919 — Historic Printing Press. [ARTICLE]

Historic Printing Press.

A printing press with .a remarkable history li preserved "by the University jtf Oregon. On it was printed, 73 years ago, the first number of the Oregon Spectator at Oregon City. This was the first: press to be used west of the Rocky mountains, and it was transported to Oregon City by George Abernathy, the first provisional governor of Oregon. The old Washington hand press was in use in Oregon City until the late sixties, when it was removed to Eugene. While being transported up the Willamette river the press was shipwrecked, but after a time it was raised and continued its > journey. For nearly half a century it < was in use at Eugene, where It was presented to the state university. The University of Washington at Seattle 'also has a famous old handpress, which was used in 1847 to print the California Star, the first paper in San Francisco, and later was used in printing the first number of the Portland Oregonian in 1850, and the first paper in Seattle in 1863.