This building was originally a saloon and then a one-room schoolhouse in Lake George, Colorado. It was the first building to be moved to South Park City. It was hauled 45 miles over Wilkerson Pass sometime between 1957 and 1958.
A Washington Hand Press that used handset type is displayed for public viewing. A high stool sits next to a table, suggesting that the typesetter may not be far away. A Linotype machine signifies a significant advance in typesetting; with it, an entire line of type can be cast at one time. A large, foot-operated stapler, type fonts, ink roller, early mimeograph machine, and a G.P. Gordon Press with a patent date of 1861 are some of the items one can see and touch. The Washington Press was hauled across the plains by oxen in the early 1860s. The day's events were logged on paper on this type of equipment. All kinds of printing were done at the newspaper office. This establishment also printed handbills, campaign notices, and wedding announcements.
The South Park Sentinel represents a typical newspaper office of the gold mining era. Journalism was not an easy profession. Delays of printing material due to storms and equipment breakdowns caused many sleepless nights for editors. Sometimes it was necessary to print on the back of old handbills or brown wrapping paper. The town newspaper was one of the essential elements of frontier life. No radio or television gave out the news as it was happening. Besides the town newspaper, the only communication with the outside world was talking to travelers that came into town.
