This working Washington Printing Press from the 1840s currently sits in the Strehly House in Hermann. The Strehly House was built in the 1840s and owned by the same family for more than 100 years. It acted as the publication site of the first German newspaper west of the Mississippi River in 1843. The newspaper industry saw a large amount of growth following statehood and presses like this one were vital to printing operations across Missouri. German-language printing, like the operations happening at the Strehly House, was especially important in the mid 1800s as German immigrants flooded into the state. The Strehly House is now part of the Deutschheim State Historic Site and managed by the Missouri State Parks System.