06/07/2026
Tucked away in a closet of the old building sat this machine, hidden from view for decades.
After some research, we discovered it was built by the Mergenthaler Linotype Company and is estimated to be 120–130 years old.
At first glance, it’s just a heavy piece of iron (estimated 2500-3000 pounds). But in its day, machines like this changed the world.
Before computers, before the internet, and long before anyone could print from a phone or laptop, information was spread through hot metal type. Newspapers, catalogs, advertisements, books, and local news all depended on machines like this. It helped communities stay connected, share ideas, and preserve their stories.
For more than a century, this machine survived while businesses came and went around it. Somehow, it remained hidden in this building long enough for us to find it.
What we still don’t know is how it got here.
But there’s something fitting about discovering it during the creation of The Outpost.
More than a hundred years ago, this machine helped connect communities through the printed word. Today, our hope is that The Outpost can do something similar—bringing people together to share stories, music, ideas, and local history so they aren’t forgotten.
The technology may have changed, but the need for connection never has.
Now the question is: does anyone know how a 120+ year-old Linotype machine ended up hidden in a closet in downtown Woodville?
