Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 12 December 2004

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The printing business was carried on in Lebanon at an earlier period than in any other town of Southwestern Ohio, Cincinnati alone excepted. Not only was a newspaper published and bills and circulars printed, but the type-setting, press work and binding of books were all done in this little village at a very early day. As early as June 15, 1808, John McLean contracted with the Shakers to print on his press a considerable volume, entitled "Christ's Second Appearing," the press work of which was completed by the close of the year, and some of the copies bound. "The Ohio or Western Spelling Book " is believed to have been printed by A. Van Vleet , in Lebanon, about 1814, but I have seen no copy of the work. About 1810, Matthias Corwin, Jr., made the calculations for an almanac, which, it is thought, was printed in Lebanon. In 1821, A. Van Vleet compiled a work entitled "The Justice and Township Officer's Assistant, comprising a great variety of judicial forms and other necessary precedents for the use of Justices of the Peace, Constables and township officers in the State of Ohio, interspersed with useful information for the discharge of their official duties; also, matters relative to the duties of executors and administrators, etc. To which is added an appendix containing a variety of practical forms in conveyancing, by A. Van Vleet." The title page of this book shows that it was printed and published by the author at Lebanon. The. Ohio Miscellaneous Museum was a monthly periodical of forty-eight pages, printed at Lebanon. It was begun in January, 1822, and consisted entirely of selected articles of no great literary value. How long it was continued is not known. The first four numbers were bound into a volume by James Martin, book-binder, Main street, Lebanon, a copy of which is now in the library of the Mechanics' Institute of Lebanon.

For a number of years, all the necessary printing of the towns of Hamilton, Dayton, Urbana, Xenia, Springfield and other places was done either at Cincinnati or Lebanon. Most of the counties adjoining Warren had no newspapers within their limits, and their official advertisements often appeared in the Lebanon paper.

The first printing-press was brought to Lebanon in the summer of 1806. This is the date given by A. H. Dunlevy and William H P. Denny. The latter obtained the date from Justice John McLean himself. The newspaper established by McLean at that time was not, in its earlier years, published every week, as is shown by the fact that a copy of the Western Star, given to Mr. Denny in 1857, was dated December 1, 1808, and numbered 29 of Volume 2. The volume and number of this paper, had it been issued without intermissions, would indicate that it had been established in the summer of 1807. But cold weather, high waters, lack of hands and printing paper, often interrupted the work of the early printer.