James Printer, Indian College
The colony trained him, hunted him, and then could not print without him.
Listen to this place’s story in Peplos.
How the story begins
"By bringing some of the enemies heads." That was how the Massachusetts General Court told Daniel Gookin to have James Printer prove his loyalty, in July of 1676. He was a Nipmuc man, also called Wowaus, and his trade had become his name. He learned to set type at the press in the Indian College, which stood near here, and he helped to produce the Algonquian Bible of 1663, the first Bible printed in British North America.
The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.
Visiting
Matthews Hall, Harvard Yard, by Harvard station. The building he worked in is gone. The Yard is normally open to walkers and free, but its gates close to anyone without a Harvard ID during some protests and events.
Sources
- American Antiquarian Society, James Printer
- Boston Athenaeum, 'We have but one man': A Rare Glimpse into the Life and Work of James (the) Printer (2026)
- Mary Rowlandson, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God, Project Gutenberg
- When and Where in Boston, Moseley's captives, August 1675
- When and Where in Boston, General Court and James Printer, July 1676, citing Lepore
- Mass Moments, Ceremony Honors Early Indian Students
- Wikipedia, James Printer
- Boston Globe, Harvard Yard temporarily closed (2025)
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