MOVING HISTORY FORWARD: The Culp Family Story — The Tribune Years
The Culps and the Washington Printing Press – The Culps siblings, Jennie, Joseph, and Charles, pose next to the rare 1895 Washington hand press that had been used to print the first edition of the Rathdrum Tribune on May 8, 1903. Manufactured by R. Hoe of New York, it is believed to have been the last hand press used to print an Idaho newspaper. MONI Photo -- PEO-1-818
Hand Setting the Type: Joseph Culp is shown hand setting a line of type using a composing stick. All of the Culps set type for the printing of the Tribune, and it required arranging individual metal letters (or sorts) upside down and in reverse into a text block. MONI Photo -- RAT-03-011
Together In Life and Together in Passing: Joseph RM, Charles, and Jessie Culp were rarely apart throughout their lives, living together and unmarried in a house near downtown Rathdrum. When they passed, they were buried together in Plots 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Block 2, Lot 161 of Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens as seen in the photo of the three grave markers. -- Stephen Shepperd Photo
Part Two of the Culp Family Story Concluded with David and Mary Jane Culp selling off their farm near Thompson Falls and preparing to make one last move, this time about 105 miles to the northwest to Rathdrum.
The record shows that Mary Jane visited friends in Rathdrum on May 3, 1902, mentioning the family’s plans to buy property there. Sixty-two days later, on July 4, W.N. Miller, editor of Rathdrum’s Silver Blade, announced the newspaper’s printing plant and fixtures had been purchased by David W. Culp. And two Fridays later, it was revealed that David Culp bought the paper for his sons to operate.
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