Announcer: Major funding for Idaho Experience provided by the J.A.

and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, making Idaho a place to learn, thrive and prosper.

With additional support from Anne Voillequé and Louise Nelson, and Judy and Steve Meyer, the Friends of Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Public Television Endowment, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

(Actor) Voice of J.H.

Gipson: I do not regard books as articles of mere merchandise to make money on.

They are something rare and apart.

They are the basis of all culture, education and progress.

Without the printed word, any civilization would collapse very soon.

-- J.H.

Gipson Narrator: He was a junior high school dropout in a small Idaho town, with little experience.

But J.H.

Gipson would go on to build a publishing house respected around his state, and the country -- Caxton Printers.

It was a business forged in lead and bound in leather, one that honored a passion for the printed word.

(Actor) Voice of J.H.

Gipson: I've always been a great lover of books.

They're the one true friend that you have through life, no matter what kind of an incredible fool you make out of yourself.

They're always there to encourage and console you.

Narrator: The firm would fall on hard times.

But nearly 120 years after its founding, it's still humming along.

And today, a fifth generation of the same family is at the helm, taking a page from their first chapter.

Scott Gipson, Publisher, Caxton Press: The trust document that my great-grandfather put in place requires that we continue to publish books or we are in violation of the trust document.

That's how important he thought it was.

I take that very seriously.

Narrator: This is a story about stories...more than a thousand of them.

Some would chart new ground.

Others would be lost to time.

And still others are out in the world - informing, entertaining and enlightening.

Sometimes, though, the story we know least is our own.

Gipson: Can I touch these?

Alessandro Meregaglia, Archivist, Boise State University: You absolutely may.

Gipson: That's remarkable.

It's remarkable the history that this represents.

You know my history more than I know my history.

Meregaglia: The history of Caxton Printers is an Idaho story.

And it's a great story for the state, because it shows that this publishing firm in the middle of nowhere not only could survive, but even thrive.

Rick Ardinger, Publisher, Limberlost Press: C'mon, Mooch!

Come on!

Come on, come on!

Narrator: Rick Ardinger only has to walk a few hundred feet from his house to step back in time.

In his studio, he prints books on a century-old letterpress.

It's a rare art.

Ardinger: Everything's by hand -- each sheet fed into the press by hand, each collated by hand, each one sewn by hand.

There's nobody else, really, who prints books like this in Idaho.

Narrator: There was a time, though, when letterpresses all over the country were busy day and night, turning out all types of materials, including thousands of newspapers.

One such paper was the "Gem State Rural," started in 1895 to cover agricultural issues in Idaho.

It was the brainchild of Albert Gipson, who had moved from Colorado to Caldwell, Idaho with his wife and eight children.

In 1904, Albert made a new hire.

Voice : "The new business manager, who is the third son of the editor, will bring to the enterprise not only a considerable knowledge of newspaper work, but a very good business training, for one of his age."

Narrator: That third son was James Herrick Gipson.

"J.H.," as he was known, was barely 20, and had dropped out of school after eighth grade.

Meregaglia: Very young, no formal education, no formal training in business, no formal training in printing, no formal training in marketing.

Learned it all on the job.

But he had a love of books and a natural talent for numbers that would allow him to take the business to the next level...and beyond.

It would be his life for the next 60 years.

By 1906, the company owned several presses, and was advertising its printing services in the Gem State Rural.

Voice: "Your printing should be handled by printers who know - shouldn't it?

Narrator: And the business had a brand new name - Caxton Printers.

Meregaglia: The name comes from William Caxton, who was a 15th century printer in England, widely believed to be the first printer in England.

And the Gipsons respected Caxton.

So they took both his name and colophon, which is essential a printer's symbol - a logo - as their own.

Narrator: Caxton began printing a few books on contract.

But the real money came from providing supplies to the growing counties and schools across the state.

Then in 1925, Caxton was awarded the contract to distribute textbooks to all the schools in the state.

With its main departments in the black, the firm decided to move into the publishing arena, despite the financial risk.

Meregaglia: This was no well thought-out plan.

There was no business model that they decided to try to pursue.

Instead, it was simply a shift into book publishing.

Narrator: Later in life, J.H.

would reflect back on the choice, calling publishing... Voice of J.H.

Gipson: ...the most hazardous of all business enterprises.

Wildcatting for oil or prospecting for gold is very safe in comparison with publishing.

Narrator: But for Gipson, the enterprise was about more than money.

Voice of J.H.

Gipson: Books with us are not, uh, articles of merchandise like slabs of bacon or sacks of sugar to be sold over the counter.

They're something to endure for the ages.

Meregaglia: So he was never printing books with the idea of turning a profit.

Instead, he wanted to give an outlet, a voice to writers who couldn't get published elsewhere.

Narrator: Alessandro Meregaglia is an archivist at Boise State University.

He's fascinated by Caxton and is writing a book about the company.

Meregaglia has spent a lot of time at the University of Idaho, which holds the most complete collection of books published by Caxton, more than a thousand titles.

Meregaglia: There's great variety here, both in size of books, in color, and then also in content, in subject matter.

This book is "Syringa Blossoms," and it's an early imprint that Caxton did.

And it's also an example of the quality and craftsmanship of their book.

It's bound in suede leather.

Here we have a copy of "Yellow Wolf: His Own Story," by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter.

And this is an important book because it's the first time that the story of the Nez Perce War is told from the perspective of the Native Americans.

Here we have what Caxton called a deluxe edition of "In Tragic Life."

The first collaboration between Vardis Fisher and Gibson.

And this is the title that Fisher was unable to get published by Eastern publishers.

Narrator: Well-known Idahoan writer Vardis Fisher had had two books published by a large Boston firm.

But he couldn't sell this one.

Meregaglia: They felt that it dealt too frankly with the subject of sex.

Narrator: So Fisher asked fellow Idahoan J.H.

Gipson if he would take it on.

Gipson's friends said the book would get him run out of town.

Meregaglia: And Gipson said he didn't care.

He said, "I don't care if I have to walk barefoot through town after the publishing of this book.

Caxton is going to publish it."

He really didn't care about what people thought about any controversial topics.

He thought if the book was worthy of being published, he wanted to publish it.

Narrator: "In Tragic Life" was published in 1932 and did well, even going into a second printing.

Meregaglia: And this developed a two-decade relationship where Caxton became the exclusive publisher for Fisher's books, and were more than just business partners they were friends, too.

Ardinger: Well, let's see.

Here's a number of Fisher volumes here.

Narrator: Rick Ardinger collects first editions of Fisher's books.

Ardinger: This, "Passions Spin the Plot," is my favorite cover of Fisher's books, but also my favorite Caxton because of the artwork.

Narrator: Ardinger also owns a first edition of fisher's most well-known collaboration with Gipson, "Idaho: A Guide in Word and Picture."

Ardinger: For a book collector with an interest in Idaho literature and everything like that, that is kind of one of the gemstones.

Narrator: Published in 1937, it was one of 48 state guides commissioned by the Federal Writers Project.

The project was designed to give writers work during the depression, and to promote tourism.

Fisher's take on the assignment, though, was unique.

Ardinger: He really describes these remote inaccessible places -- some caves and mountain peaks and wilderness excursions.

The WPA director wanted to see more of a, kind of a tourist book, you know.

but Vardis' book was much more literary.

Narrator: The D.C. office asked for thousands of changes.

Fisher refused.

Not only that, but he and Gipson had their guide ready faster than any other state.

The powers-that-be didn't like that, either.

Meregaglia: The Washington, D.C. office really were concerned with the image of the Federal Writers Project if a small western state like Idaho was the first book published.

Narrator: So they sent an employee to try and stop the presses.

Meregaglia: They got him drunk and sent him back on a train without agreeing to any of this assistant director's demands to not publish the book and to make all these changes.

And "Idaho: A Guide in Word and Picture" became the first statewide guide book published by the Federal Writers Project.

Narrator: But it very nearly didn't happen.

Just two months after publication, Caxton went up in flames, along with the plates for the book.

Meregaglia: And this fire destroyed almost the entire plant.

It caused millions of dollars-worth of damage; their machinery was all destroyed.

But J.H.

Gipson, right after the fire got put out, said that they would rebuild.

And rebuild they did.

They were back up and running within two months able to print and produce books after the fire devastated the company.

Scott Gipson, President/Publisher, Caxton: This is the original corporate record from 1907 with the establishment of Caxton Printers.

There are the signatories right there, J.H.

Gipson on top.

Narrator: Scott Gipson is the great-grandson of J.H., and part of the fifth generation of the family to run the company.

Gipson: You can see that these pages on this record book are charred.

They rescued this from the fire in 1937.

Narrator: Gipson is surrounded by history.

His office used to be his great-grandfather's.

Every day, he walks across a floor still charred by the fire.

And the company boardroom is full of books owned by J.H.

Gipson: Maybe the most interesting one here is this, which is a first edition of "Idaho: A Guide in Word and Picture."

And there is an inscription in it, um, from Vardis to my great-grandfather and his wife.

"To Jim and to Esther.

Gee whiz, this book -- it is hers, it is his.

Vardis Fisher, Caldwell, January 17th, 1937."

Narrator: Despite being steeped in the family business - or perhaps because of it - Gipson had no desire to follow his father, grandfather and great-grandfather into it.

Gipson: No, that was the last thing I was going to do.

Narrator: Instead, he went to law school.

But it wasn't fulfilling.

Gipson: And so I started thinking about, "Well, what is it you really want to do?"

And I've always collected books and I've always been a voracious reader.

And so I put my tail between my legs and came back to my father and said, "Will you talk to your dad?

I think I'd like to come back."

And that was probably either the worst day or the best day of my father's life.

I'm not sure which one.

Narrator: Today, Scott oversees Caxton's finances, while his brother Ron is in charge of production.

His father, who still comes in several days a week, couldn't be happier.

Dave Gipson, Chairman of the Board, Caxton: I'm one of the luckiest people, I tell the employees.

I got to work with my dad and my uncle for 20 to 30 years.

And now I've got to work with my sons for 20 plus years.

It's just unbelievable that I was lucky enough to get to do that.

Narrator: Scott's love of books meant that he also fell naturally into his great-grandfather's role as publisher.

And while the technology has changed, the guiding principles put in place by J.H.

are still the same.

Gipson: The trust document that my great-grandfather put in place requires that we continue to publish books.

That's how important he thought it was.

I take that very seriously.

Narrator: Gipson no longer accepts the plethora of manuscripts his great-grandfather did.

But he moves quickly when he believes a book will be a good fit.

Rod Gramer, Author: I was starting to sell him on the book, and he stopped me and said, "Time out."

And he said, "You had me at hello."

Narrator: When author Rod Gramer approached Scott to publish a book of essays about former Idaho governor Phil Batt, Gipson didn't blink.

Gipson: I think it's an important piece of Idaho history, and we should have our name on every important piece of Idaho history that's published.

Narrator: For Gramer, choosing Caxton as his publisher was also easy.

Gramer: Caxton is the quintessential iconic Idaho publishing house, and they've published so many wonderful books about Idaho.

Narrator: Today, Caxton is printing the cover of the book, called "Lucky."

Gone is the laborious process of hand picking and setting lead type.

Gone, too, are the massive linotype machines.

Now, everything is laid out on a computer, and then transferred to lightweight plates.

But the process still requires finesse.

Jerrad Bright, Lead Press Operator: When I first started doing this, I destroyed my first car's interior by going home all covered in ink.

You learn real quick how to handle it without getting it all over yourself.

Narrator: And attention to detail is just as critical as in days gone by.

Bright: I'm looking at registration, how all four colors are fitting together.

Narrator: And once the printing begins...it's done in a flash.

Bright: That's it!

That was 3,000 covers for the Phil Batt book.

It took maybe 10 minutes, something like that.

Narrator: But just as a century ago, there's still a lot of manual labor.

Cutting pages....folding them...and gathering the sections to be bound.

Many of the employees have been with Caxton for decades.

Dave Gipson: We have had some and still have some unbelievably loyal and good employees.

I cannot stress that enough, that that's what has made this company.

Gramer: Wow, perfect.

Boy, what a beautiful book.

Look at that cover.

Narrator: A few weeks later, the book is ready.

Gipson: So now the fun starts.

Now we can start trying to... Gramer: We can start selling it.

Gipson: Yep.

Narrator: This is Gramer's third book.

But he never gets over the excitement of seeing the first copies.

Gramer: It's the best feeling, other than my kids being born, of having those books in my hand for the first time.

You know, it's just something I'll never forget.

Narrator: Caxton is no stranger to printing books with political themes like "Lucky."

In fact, J.H.

Gipson made them a priority - especially those about his political philosophy of choice: libertarianism.

Meregaglia: The theme of freedom ran through his entire life and the books he published, especially the library of libertarian thought that he started in the 1930s.

Perhaps the best-selling book that Caxton has published is "Anthem" by Ayn Rand.

Narrator: Gipson also published the works of Isabel Patterson and Rose Wilder Lane, two other prominent female libertarians.

A veteran of World War I, Gipson was attracted to the anti-war platform of libertarianism.

He was against interventionism of any kind, including entering World War II, which he saw as emboldening the Soviet Union.

By 1953, Gipson had become a staunch anti-Communist.

Meregaglia: Gipson really viewed Communism as a large and real threat to Americanism, to the American way of life as he understood it.

Radio announcer: "Tonight, Mr. James Herrick Gipson from Caldwell, Idaho -- renowned printer, publisher, politician and patriot."

Narrator: J.H.

started making the rounds of civic clubs and radio shows to express his views.

Voice of J.H.

Gipson: We understand that there can be no freedom and no security for any country until communism has been destroyed in Russia and in every other country.

Narrator: Ultimately, though, his rigid beliefs destroyed one of his closest friendships.

When Vardis Fisher asked Gipson to print a book that criticized the Catholic Church, Gipson balked.

He thought any criticism of religion would aid Communism.

Narrator: Gipson asked Fisher to tone it down.

But he refused.

(Actor) Vardis Fisher: It is amazing to me when a man who says he stands for freedom of the human mind should expect me to defer to religious dogmas.

Narrator: Gipson wouldn't budge.

Ardinger: When Caxton refused to publish that book, that broke their friendship.

Narrator: Even before his move to libertarianism, Gipson was mesmerized by politics - and politicians.

Meregaglia: Almost any Republican politician in Idaho you can name, and Gipson would have corresponded with them.

Gipson also corresponded with Teddy Roosevelt, who he came to know during the 1912 presidential election when Gipson ran Roosevelt's presidential campaign in Idaho.

Narrator: It's a legacy that's framed on the wall of his great-grandson's office.

But it's not one that he had ever really explored.

Gipson: Alex.

How's it going?

Meregaglia: Good, Scott; how are you?

Gipson: Good.

Glad to be here.

Alex: Good to see you.

Gipson: Thank you for inviting me.

Narrator: Today, though, Gipson will learn more.

He's at Washington State University, where Alessandro Meregaglia has been doing research for his book on Caxton.

In the 1980s, Gipson's great-uncle donated thousands of records to the university.

The files include correspondence between J.H.

and prominent Americans, including President Theodore Roosevelt.

Gipson has never seen the letters.

Meregaglia: So we have a great selection of the 300 boxes of the company records that are here.

Gipson: That's why this is so exciting to me, is there's nobody alive in our family that one, knew why they were here, or two, has seen these letters.

This is awesome.

Meregaglia: Yeah.

So an original Theodore Roosevelt signature.

Gipson: From May 7, 1913.

Meregaglia: Right.

Gipson: Can I touch these?

Meregaglia: You absolutely may.

Gipson: Here's a long one.

Two pages from Roosevelt to J.H.

"As you doubtless know, I'm very proud of the Rough Riders, the first volunteer cavalry with whom I served in the Spanish-American War.

"If the president had permitted me to raise the four divisions, I am certain that they would have equaled this record only on a hundredfold larger scale."

Meregaglia: It shows a personal relationship... Gipson: Yes.

Meregaglia: ...and an appreciation that Roosevelt had for, for J.H.

Gipson: That's remarkable.

I love this.

This is from my great-grandfather, J.H.

"Dear Colonel Roosevelt.

I want to call your attention to an unusual sacrifice made for the sake of the party, and incidentally to give you a line on a situation in Idaho."

Gipson: And I love like, some of this, this message is written to Teddy Roosevelt.

And the back of it are Superintendent of Waterworks work orders for the city of Caldwell that we obviously had printed for him.

So he just used the paper to type a letter to Teddy Roosevelt.

That sounds like my family.

(Laughter) Gipson: I'd always wanted to see them.

And I had told myself numerous times over the years, you know, "I'm going to go up there and just ask if I can sit down and start going through the letters."

Gipson: So you've got some letters from Rand, too, from Ayn Rand.

Meregaglia: Yeah.

Gipson: This is where she obviously had requested that we put on the jacket of Anthem that "Atlas Shrugged" was one of the greatest books of all time.

(Laughs) The fact that he's having this correspondence with her is of great interest to me.

I mean, the book that we have in our library at Caxton that I'm most protective of is a first edition hardcover of "Atlas Shrugged" signed by Rand to my great-grandfather.

That's a treasure.

It's remarkable the history that this represents.

You know my history more than I know my history.

I think it's very interesting that an academic has taken this interest in this history of J.H.

I'm really glad, because the type of research it would take for me to find this stuff out, I probably would never have the time to do.

Gipson: So you've done all the hard work.

Thank you.

Meregaglia: You're welcome.

It's been a lot of fun.

Gipson: It was a great experience.

And I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

"I'm giving this letter of introduction to an old friend, J.H.

Gipson."

Narrator: In January, 1941, Gipson received another kind of letter, one of the many he got from aspiring authors.

(Actor) Voice of Toshio Mori: "I am informed that you have a particular interest in promising young writers.

I am a young American Japanese writer with over 57 sketches and stories on the lives of Japanese living in the United States.

There are many of us with our stories untold."

Narrator: The letter was written by a 31-year old Japanese-American nurseryman from San Leandro, California, named Toshio Mori.

Mori grew flowers during the day.

But at night, he nurtured his true passion - writing.

Steven Mori, Toshio Mori's Son: Writing was kind of his lifeblood.

It was just a calling for him.

He was a very quiet, gentle kind of person.

He had a kind of Zen-like quality about him.

Narrator: Mori's stories were unique.

Instead of pandering to typical stereotypes of Japanese, his characters were drawn from real-life people, especially first-generation immigrants from Japan.

Voice of Toshio Mori: I tried to show the Japanese are human.

I wanted to show that Japanese characters are no better or no different from any other nationalities.

Steven Mori: There was nobody really writing about people like us at that point, at that time in history.

So I think they are definitely kind of landmark stories.

Narrator: J.H.

Gipson read Mori's manuscript, and saw its promise.

(Actor) Voice of J.H.

Gipson: "It is rather important, as it is the first writing that has come to the attention of this reader dealing with Americans born of Japanese parents.

There is every reason why this should be published, because it fits into our traditional plan of bringing out the unusual, and recognizing struggling writers."

Narrator: Gipson decided to publish the book.

But less than six months later, the world would change forever.

(Bombing sounds) Narrator: The bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan not only saw the U.S. enter World War II, but also brought out underlying racism against Japanese-Americans.

By May, 1942, J.H.

had to write a difficult letter.

(Actor) Voice of J.H.

Gipson: "Toshio, I'm of the opinion that it would be far wiser for you and for us if we'd set the date of the publication of your book forward to some time in the future.

I'm awfully sorry to be obliged to communicate this to you, as the few Japanese of American parentage whom I know I believe to be just as good Americans as any in the whole United States, but there seems to be such bitterness the country over.

Yours Truly, J.H.

Gipson" Narrator: His decision couldn't have come at a worse time for Mori.

Like more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent, he had been forced to leave his home.

He was living in a converted horse stall at a so-called "assembly center" near San Francisco.

From there, he would be incarcerated in the Topaz relocation center in Utah.

Always an optimist, though, he sent Gipson a proposal.

(Actor) Voice of Mori: "I already have in mind agents in each camp for the book.

I believe the book will still sell among the Japanese, perhaps more so, because we can and must spend the earned wages inside of the centers.

Already, I have a few interested buyers."

Steven Mori: So he had kind of a good point that if they were all together in one place, that they can, it would be easier to promote the book and market it to the people that he was writing about.

Narrator: Gipson declined the offer.

But in an audiotape never before broadcast, Mori shares an intriguing story.

Voice of Toshio Mori: My publisher invited me to move to Idaho, you know, but I thought still that I'd rather experience the evacuation.

I don't regret the choice, either, because it was an unusual experience.

Narrator: Despite his upbeat words, Toshio was devastated.

Voice of Toshio Mori: And I was never sick in my life, but at one time, I felt as if my heart would burst.

Narrator: Mori was incarcerated in Topaz for nearly three years.

But he continued to write, contributing to the camp newspaper and magazine, as well as penning a novel.

Toshio came home in 1945.

Four years later, Gipson finally kept his promise, and Toshio's book, "Yokohama, California," was published by Caxton.

Mori was over the moon, and wrote Gipson.

Steven Mori reading: "Looking over my first copy of Yokohama California, I was thrilled as only a new writer could feel over his first book.

Touching it it felt like a book like any other book.

Until then I was afraid for the book.

I was still tied by the cord.

Now I am released.

And as a member of the large book family it has, I hope, life of its own."

Narrator: "Yokohama, California" got good reviews.

But it didn't sell well.

Steven Mori: Total earned was 111 and 99 cents.

That's amazing.

For nine years?

Narrator: In 1959, 10 years after publication, the book was remaindered.

Mori would publish two more books with other companies.

But he never had the career he had hoped for.

Then in the 1970s, "Yokohama, California" was rediscovered by the next generation of Japanese-American writers, and Mori was honored for his craft.

Steven Mori: I don't think he really even imagined or thought about how important, you know, the stories were until probably much later in his life.

Narrator: Toshio Mori died in 1980.

But there's still interest in his slim but powerful book of short stories, more than 70 years after it was published.

Scott Gipson: It is the book that I get the most request for permissions to reprint stories from.

Voice of Toshio Mori: When I first started, I questioned myself, "Why write?"

Then you question yourself again and say, "Why do you live?"

And then you begin to see the value of living or value of writing.

And the more deeply you think, you begin to maybe contribute something worthwhile.

Narrator: Today, just behind the Caxton warehouses, is a small garden dedicated to the Japanese-Americans who've lived in the area for well over a century.

Teresa Tamura's parents and grandparents are among them.

Unlike Toshio, Teresa's family wasn't forced into camps, because they lived inland, in Idaho.

And growing up in the 1960s, she never learned about the camps - including the one just 150 miles away - Minidoka.

At its peak in 1943, more than 9,000 people were incarcerated there.

Teresa Tamura: I didn't know about the camps.

I maybe heard reference to camp, but you don't really think about it or don't question what it was or what happened.

Narrator: During her career as a photojournalist, though, Tamura kept hearing about Minidoka.

So she finally decided to visit what was left of it.

Tamura: I thought, "Gosh, Minidoka is right here."

And I'm so close and I've never been there.

Narrator: After she did, she became determined to find as many of the survivors of the camp as she could, to document their lives in Minidoka and afterwards.

Tamura: To me, it's not that they were victims, but they stood up and they became stronger afterwards.

And that's what I wanted to focus on, was that strength.

Narrator: Her moving black-and-white portraits were published by Caxton in a book called "Minidoka: an American Concentration Camp."

Tamura: Caxton was the logical and best place, because they were in Idaho.

They published books that were important to Idaho history.

It was the perfect place.

Gipson: It's just, It's a really important history, I think, for the State of Idaho.

Gipson: Well, it's great to see you again.

Tamura: You, too.

Gipson: It's been way too long.

Tamura: It has been a while.

Narrator: 80 years after his great-grandfather initially rejected Toshio's book, Scott has just finished the second printing of Teresa's book.

Gipson: You can see, this is one of the new editions.

And it's got the new material that you provided inside the book, but the dust jacket is printed on a different stock.

Tamura: Scott was a wonderful person to work with because, I just had a strong idea of how I wanted the book to look, and he respected and honored that.

Kurt Ikeda, Acting Director, Minidoka National Historic Site: And then right in front of that, is your book.

Tamura: Aw.

That's a good spot.

Narrator: Tamura's book and photos are now being used to educate visitors at the Minidoka National Historic Site.

Ikeda: Having your book here really highlights that it is not just ancient history; it's continuous work.

And that's why we appreciate it so much here.

Narrator: For Tamura, it's a moving experience to see her photos keeping the stories of her subjects alive.

She also hopes the images provide a cautionary tale for those who see them.

Tamura: I hope that they recognize that they're individual people that were here, and they were, could have been their neighbors, their kids' classmates, or someone that they knew.

And that this history is part of American history.

And it's important to, I think, recognize that it happened and that it was wrong.

Gipson: I've heard from many people that it was an important book to them.

That's as important as the sales numbers.

And the book itself is beautiful, and I'm very proud of that book.

Narrator: Just as in J.H.

Gipson's time, the company can only afford to print books because its other departments do so well.

For instance, Caxton still holds the contract to distribute textbooks to all the public schools in Idaho.

Darin Alvaro, Textbook Manager, Caxton Printers, Ltd.: The volume is amazing.

I mean there'll be days where there'll be a couple semis sitting out front with 26, 28 pallets of what we call re-order workbooks.

Narrator: And the production floor is in constant motion, with all types of material being printed...cut...shrink wrapped...and shipped.

Ron Gipson, Vice President, Caxton: We print everything.

We print point-of-sale sheets, we print brochures.

We do, uh, the little booklets that you find on the back of pesticide bottles.

We're a full service commercial printer.

Narrator: Another legacy project is printing ballots, which Caxton has been doing for decades.

It's all hands on deck when that happens.

Dave Gipson: Nobody goes on vacation, and we work whatever we've got to.

If we've got to work six days a week we work six.

If we've got to work seven, we work seven.

Narrator: Scott's father Dave ran the operation for decades.

But a few years ago, he realized something.

Gipson: That was the only thing that no one else knew how to do.

Bad move.

Narrator: So now he's training his granddaughter Megan to run that side of the business.

Megan Gipson, Production and Elections Manager, Caxton: OK. Dana L. Jacobsen.

Capital D-A-N-A, capital L, period.

Narrator: For the counties that still use paper ballots, they meticulously proof the candidates' names.

Megan Gipson: He taught me from the very beginning.

I've been here 13 years, so that roughly equals out to 60-some elections.

I still call him every, at least every day.

I think working with family is truly time we'll never get back.

Narrator: Megan's part of the sixth generation of Gipsons to work at Caxton, which includes her sister, Hannah.

One day, they may run the company.

Hannah Gipson, Asst.

Production Manager, Caxton: It's a lot right now for me to kind of process.

But um, it feels great.

It feels really cool.

Ron Gipson: What do you want to talk about, girls?

Megan Gipson: I want to talk about how you thought we were going to get 9600 sheets through the press before we started elections.

Ron Gipson: I'm really enjoying watching my kids, kind of grow into it.

Although sometimes I have a little problem letting go, which I'm sure they told you -- or if you ask them, they will tell you.

Hannah Gipson: We're always talking about, you know, "Oh, when we're in charge, we're going to do this differently," and stuff like that.

And Megan has to say, "Yeah, in like 40 years when they finally retire or if they finally die in their desks."

Megan Gipson: So Hud, I put this together when I was in college.

Hudson Pena, Megan's son: Oh, my God.

Megan Gipson: Yeah.

So this is all the people who started Caxton.

See all their last names.

Gipson, Gipson, Gipson.

Narrator: Megan's already trying to convince the seventh generation of Gipsons to join her.

Megan Gipson: I tell him all the time, "Come down to Caxton, come work with your mom.

It's a great business."

Pena: And I think it would be good to keep on the family tradition, and I think it would be fun to work with my mom and my aunt.

Pena: Turn.

Megan Gipson: Which way?

Pena: This way.

Megan Gipson.

Oh, left, left.

Narrator: But for now, he's just a kid, enjoying a cart ride around the plant, or playing in the scrap paper, just as his mother did when she was his age.

Megan Gipson: I've always known that I was going to come here, always.

What I love about it is the smell of the ink.

The sound of the presses running.

Seeing the product from start to finish.

And honestly, seeing our books on Amazon, or you know, seeing our product out at bookstores.

I mean, it's a proud moment when you see what you've done out in the community as well.

I'll never leave this place.

Everyone knows that!

Gramer: Hey, Governor, how are you?

Don't get up.

You just be relaxed.

How are you?

Former Idaho Governor Phil Batt: I'm great.

Rod Gramer: Good to see you.

Batt: Thank you so much.

Narrator: Author Rod Gramer is delivering his book to its subject, former Idaho Governor Phil Batt.

Gramer: Well, listen, here is the product of our work together.

Batt: Wonderful, thank you.

Gramer: Yeah, yeah.

You like that cover?

Batt: Oh, I love it.

Gramer: This is a photo of you and Governor Andrus.

You know why I like this photo so much?

Because it says what politics can be.

Batt: That describes it, all right.

Gramer: It was such a gift for me to work on this book with you.

Batt: Well, I'm so flattered.

Gramer: I really appreciate it.

Gramer: That was a tender moment for me.

And I think it was a tender moment for him, too.

I could see that it really moved him to have that book in his hand.

Batt: How are you?

Person: OK, how are you?

Batt: Good, thank you.

Narrator: J.H.

Gipson would surely have been delighted to see this line of people waiting to buy a book printed by his company.

He'd also likely be pleased the book is about Governor Batt, who started his political life representing the area around Caxton in the legislature.

Brad Little, Governor of Idaho: I remember when we used to just work like hell on a million dollars!

Narrator: J.H.

certainly would have followed his career.

But in February, 1965, during Phil Batt's first term as a representative, Gipson died.

He was 79.

To the end, he was a company man.

Meregaglia: Gipson never retired.

He was managing director up until the day that he died.

It's such a unique story in many ways.

The location, the quality of the books that they produced, and also their longevity, speaks to the importance of Caxton's history as a story for Idaho.

Voice of J.H.

Gipson: We hope and believe and feel that probably among the titles that we have published will be some that will be sources of genuine pleasure and inspiration to generations yet unborn.

We hope so.

Gipson: I take seriously my great-grandfather's belief that it's important that there are books published independently in the western United States.

All I can do is hope to maintain as best I can the tradition that we have.

Narrator: Ultimately, though, J.H.

Gipson didn't want to be remembered only for publishing books.

Meregaglia: Above all, Jim Gipson wanted to be known as an American.

And in fact, he talked about it multiple times that he wanted on his headstone, "Jim Gipson, American."

And that's exactly what his headstone says.

[Music] Announcer: Major funding for Idaho Experience provided by the J.A.

and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, making Idaho a place to learn, thrive and prosper.

With additional support from Anne Voillequé and Louise Nelson, and Judy and Steve Meyer, the Friends of Idaho Public Television, the Idaho Public Television Endowment, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.