[Illustration: (_The Annual Register of Indian Affairs Within the
Indian (or Western) Territory. Published by Isaac M'Coy. Shawanoe
Baptist Mission House, Ind. Ter. January 1, 1835_)]
By introducing printing at the Shawanoe mission station in the Indian
Territory in March 1834, Jotham Meeker became the first printer of
what is now Kansas. He had learned his trade at Cincinnati and for
some years had served as a Baptist missionary and printer among
various Indian tribes.
The Library of Congress' earliest example of Kansas printing is the
first number of _The Annual Register of Indian Affairs Within the
Indian (or Western) Territory. Published by Isaac M'Coy. Shawanoe
Baptist Mission House, Ind. Ter. January 1, 1835_. Isaac McCoy
(1784-1846), publisher of four numbers of the _Annual Register_
between 1835 and 1838, was a prominent Baptist missionary, who also
served as an Indian agent and strongly advocated the colonization of
western Indians in a separate state. In this work he gives an account
of the several mission stations operated by various denominations in
the Indian Territory.
The following passage from the first number of the _Annual Register_
deals with the printer:
At the Shawanoe station is a printing press in operation,
under the management of Jotham Meeker, Missionary for the
Ottawas.
Mr. Meeker has invented a plan of writing (not like that of
Mr. Guess, the Cherokee), by which, Indians of any tribe
may learn to read in their own language in a few days. The
first experiment was made with a sprightly Chippewa boy,
wholly ignorant of letters, and of the English language.
He studied three hours each day for nine days; at the
expiration of which time there was put into his hands a
writing of about twenty lines, of the contents of which
he had no knowledge. After looking over it a few minutes,
without the aid of an instructer, the boy read off the
writing, to the unspeakable satisfaction of the teacher.
Upon this plan elementary school books have been prepared,
and printed, viz.--In Delaware, two; in Shawanoe, two; in
Putawatomie, one; and two in Otoe, besides a considerable
number of Hymns, &c. The design succeeds well.[87]
Jotham Meeker's surviving journal, from which extracts have been
published,[88] affords an interesting view of his work from December
15, 1834, when McCoy brought him the manuscript, until January 17,
1835, when he wrote, "Finish Br. M'Coy's Ann. Reg. a work of 52 pages,
including the Cover. 1000 copies."
Another source of information about the _Annual Register_ is Isaac
McCoy's book, _History of Baptist Indian Missions_ (Washington, New
York, and Utica, 1840), wherein he states,
I published it [the first number] at my own cost, and
circulated it gratuitously. One was sent to each member
of Congress, and to each principal man in the executive
departments of Government.[89]
Under the circumstances it is not surprising that three copies have
made their way into the Library of Congress collections. On their
respective title pages they are addressed in manuscript to "Hon
Nathaniel Silsbee U.S. Sen," "Hon Jno. Cramer H. Reprs. U S," and "Hon
Lucius Lyon H.R.U.S."
[Footnote 87: P. 24.]
[Footnote 88: In Douglas C. McMurtrie and Albert H. Allen, _Jotham
Meeker Pioneer Printer of Kansas_ (Chicago, 1930), p. 45-126.]
[Footnote 89: P. 481.]