Washington Press, circa 1848

01

Artifact Overview

This peripatetic press was used to print newspapers in the 19th-century American West. Washington hand presses were rugged and extremely popular; this one crossed the Isthmus of Panama on its way from New Orleans to California's gold fields. In 1851, the press's owner, John Judson Ames, started San Diego's first newspaper. The press also printed newspapers in San Bernardino and Independence, California, and in Aurora, Nevada.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Printing press

Date Made

circa 1848

Creator Notes

Made by R. Hoe & Company in New York, New York. Patented by Samuel Rust.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

28.753.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cast iron
Iron (Metal)
Wood (Plant material)

Dimensions

Height: 70 in
Width: 50 in
Length: 84 in

Inscriptions

front: WASHINGTON PRESS / R. HOE & CO. / NEW-YORK / NO. 2327