Roy Chatters Newspaper Museum

The Roy Chatters Museum takes visitors back in time, to the life of a printer. Visitors can handset type, see the 1887 "finger snapper" press in operation, and appreciate the technological advancements in printing.

The museum was started in 1976, at a time when hot-lead equipment was being phased out and relegated to scrap iron heaps. The museum operated until 1996 when a city flood caused damage to the wooden floor. The museum reopened in 2003 after a massive volunteer effort repaired the building and restored its contents.

While all of the equipment used by early-day printers is still operational, it is obsolete or unsuited to modern printing practices. This equipment and the extensive collection of county newspapers provide a unique opportunity for research in letter-press printing technology and in local history.