State Capital Printing Company
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The Logan County Genealogical Society, Inc.
Established In 1981

The State Capital Printing Company

The State Capital Printing Company was founded by Frank H. Greer on March 30, 1889 and was the editor and manager of the newspaper.
John R. Walker was a Foreman of the news room.
Miss Olds, was a proof-reader. 
The cashier and bookkeeper, Miss Schemerhorn. 
Stenographer, Miss Tipton.

The Leader Printing Company, was founded in 1892 by Frank Dale, R.V. Hoffman and William Blincoe. A year later Leslie G. Niblack became the editor of the paper.
The Leader employed about thirty people; C.S. Brengle, Effie Lovell, Henry Derwin, A.A. Meacham, Ernest McCraken, George Easton, Ezra Shannon, F.B. Lucas, G.I. Miller, C.F. Sutton, and A. Frank Richardson to name a few.


The founder of the State Capital Publishing Company, Frank Hilton Greer, hopped a
freight train in Caldwell, Kansas with several friends and arrived in Guthrie, Indian Territory, in April of 1889 with little formal education, some printing experience and $29 dollars in his pocket. From these modest beginnings, Frank Greer built a business that became one of the largest printing operations west of the Mississippi River.
In 1890, Greer helped found the Oklahoma Press Association. In 1892, he was elected to the Oklahoma Territorial House of Representatives, and in 1895, Greer was designated the official printer of the territory and The State Capital, its official newspaper.


ABOUT THE SITE

The original building burned to the ground on Easter Sunday 1902. Joseph Foucart, a prominent Guthrie architect, designed the current building. On October 14, 1902, the 50,000 square foot building opened for business. The State Capital Company operated in the building until 1911 when the Co-Operative Publishing Company took over operations. The Co-Op closed its doors in 1974.
In 1973, the State Capital Publishing Museum building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. A year later, the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce purchased the property for $50,000 from Myrtle A. Jackson, who owned the Cooperative Publishing Company in that location.
Community groups, including Guthrie Rotary Club, Logan County Extension Homemakers and Guthrie Lions Club, and local businesses contributed to the chamber donation drive to purchase the building. Additionally, 32 state newspapers contributed monetarily or with publishing equipment to complete the museum.
On Oct. 16, 1975, the deed changed hands again – to Oklahoma Historical Society for $10. The state agency was to operate the museum, which featured a working vintage press and a large collection of printing equipment.
The museum opened to nearly 2,000 visitors on Nov. 16, 1982, with a special dedication by Gov. George Nigh.


THE MUSEUM

State Capital Publishing Company buildingThe State Capital Publishing Company Museum houses a large collection of printing machinery including Roe, Chandler & Price, Linotype, and Miehle presses. Countless related artifacts, illustration cuts, and numerous type cases can be found on exhibit. Other exhibits include the history of the State Capital and Co-Operative Publishing Companies, evolving printing technologies, bookbinding and office supplies in addition to books and educational materials that were published at the site. The collection includes one of the largest exhibits of Linotype machines and typewriters in the state of Oklahoma.


Today ( 2017 )

The Museum has been closed, and the building basically abandoned, since 2012 do to the boiler giving out. The Oklahoma Historical Society and the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services are accepting bids to “sell” the property. The Logan County Historical Society, and others, have submitted proposals.
The property is deteriorating rather badly due to neglect and being vacated.

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