Restored press to be unveiled at Fall Festival

WAITSBURG - An essential part of Waitsburg's history will be reintroduced to the community at the Pioneer Fall Festival this Sunday by the Waitsburg Historical Society. The Miehle No. 3 flatbed press, used by the "The Times" for decades, has found a permanent home at the Wilson-Philips House in Waitsburg.

The press was first assembled in 1912 and later bought by Emerson Wheeler, who published "The Times" until he died in 1942. The paper used the flatbed press until December 1975, when publishers Tom and Anita Baker transitioned to offset printing. Instead of selling the press for scrap metal, Tom Baker chose to dismantle and store it with help from brothers Ron and Roger Miller.

Larry Broom, owner of Blue Mountain Insurance, offered to store the Miehle, which took four feet of floor space at his building on Main Street.

Submitted photo

Tom Land, Waitsburg Historical Society president, began the job of moving "The Times" press to its new home. Land's brother-in-law, Ron Miller, and Miller's brother Roger, dismantled the press for Publisher Tom Baker in 1975.

Tom Baker's widow, Anita, and his son, Loyal, helped complete the effort to save the historic press by working with the historical society to find it a permanent location. Due to the sale of Broom's building, the deconstructed press was relocated to its new home in July 2020. Re-assembly began with the help of Ed Haight, Haight Brothers, Inc., Spokane.

Submitted photo

In October 2023, Ed Haight, left, and Loyal Baker brought the work to a point where the remaining components could be re-installed with Haight providing support from Spokane. Baker will give a brief presentation about the press after the Pioneers of the Year ceremony on Sunday.

Baker said that Haight, 82, made four two-day visits to Waitsburg since 2020; the last was in October 2023, when the press cylinder was set in place and adjusted to print properly. He is one of the few press mechanics remaining in the U.S. with direct knowledge of Miehle presses.

"Bruce Himko of Waitsburg has been that "burst of energy" the project needed in the final months to get the last details wrapped up. He is a retired pressman and has been instrumental in the last phases of the Miehle, helping me with the tinker-toy puzzle of the Mentges folder," said Loyal Baker.

The Mentges newspaper folder used by "The Times" has also been reassembled and will be displayed with the press.

Several critical parts were lost during the 45 years the letterpress was in storage, and some were damaged during installation. Bob Gemmell of Gemmell's Machine Works, Inc. in Dayton fabricated and replaced parts and a company in New York state custom-made missing springs.

Submitted photo

The bottom half of the Bob Gemmell-fabricated pillow block opposite its original counterpart on the opposite side frame of the press.

The historical society and restorers received technical assistance from the Printer's Hall at the Midwest Old Thresher Museum, in Iowa, and found replacements for missing parts from Triangle Printing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Many community members contributed to the project over the four-year journey. The following people offered their help in a variety of ways:

Anita Baker

Loyal Baker

Tom Land

John Lindsey

Bruce Himko

Kyle Terry

Kevin House, McGregor Co.

Charlie Baker

Cole Lindsey

Morgan Baker

Duane Moore

Tom Herres, Farm and Home Supply

Doug Biolo

Dominic Truesdale

Dimitry Truesdale

Brian Richards