- Nate Medsker, a Spanish Fork resident, will display over 100 rare newspapers.
- The exhibit, held June 6, features historical events like the moon landing and Civil War news.
- Medsker aims to preserve history and educate the community through his collection.
SPANISH FORK — Nate Medsker has loved newspapers since he was a kid. Every morning, he would wake up, go grab the newspaper and read the comics.
As he got older, he started reading the sports section and news that interested him. So when he decided in his 20s to start collecting something, he eventually settled on newspapers.
But after looking into the market for reselling famous newspapers, he decided he'd wait until his wife was on board, as it could get pricey quickly. A few months later, for Christmas, his wife gave him a reprint of a news article about the moon landing, giving him the green light to start collecting.
"So I went online and looked up rare newspapers for sale. ... Since then, I started buying more newspapers and finding more dealers," he said. "It's just something I have continued to do now for 3½ years."
From a news report about Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton's famous duel in 1804 to a 1666 article about a Black Plague resurgence in Europe to an original 1978 advertisement for "The Lord of the Rings," Medsker has built quite a collection.
As a final send-off before he and his family move to the East Coast, Medsker is hosting an open-house exhibit featuring about 100 papers on display and 50 more available to touch and read.
"I've always loved sharing my collection," he said. "I just want this collection to be for people to learn. I don't want to accept money for this; I just want it to be for the community."
On June 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., people can go to 989 S. Spanish Fork Parkway to peruse the newspapers. Volunteers will also be available to handle and give attendees a closer look at the more delicate pieces.
Among Medsker's collection are reports on the Civil War, the end of World War II, moon landings and a collection of death announcements of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint prophets. He also tracks down copies of modern-day historical events when they occur, such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
"The reason I continue to collect newspapers is to preserve history," Medsker said. "Everyone knows history, but not enough people learn lessons from history. It's not enough to just know the events."
In his mind, he is a steward of history through his collection. The newspapers help people see the reactions and feel the emotions of those who lived through historical events, such as the end of World War I or the collapse of the twin towers on 9/11.
"You only see that from reading the newspapers. Those are the things that you're going to carry with you — the things that bring history to life. The things that help you to actually learn lessons from history," he said.
Medsker hopes anyone who comes to see his newspapers will find something that either fascinates them or sparks a fire in them.
"That's the way history works. When you can see those things you already know about, but learn more. I can guarantee if people were to come to this, they will learn something and enjoy it. And that's the thing, I just do this for the community for whoever wants to come," he said.
At his new job on the East Coast, his office shares a building with a newspaper company, and he is excited to get to work so close to where they print and deliver the newspapers he loves.
"I plan on doing this for probably the rest of my life. There's just plenty of stuff out there to collect. I don't think there's ever an end," he said.
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Cassidy Wixom
