Some mills were short-lived in the area of present-day I-391. One of these was the Holyoke Manilla Mill, located just to the north of South Street's Germania Mills and situated on the west side of the Second Level Canal.
The Holyoke Manila Mill was established by J. C. Parsons, Whiting Street, and Aaron Bagg. The factory was built in 1865 and started operations the following year.
The company had several owners, all of whom ended without success. In 1868, production of Manila products ceased and was converted to producing color and envelope papers. J. J. Merwin & Company operated the plant and failed in 1873.
C. E. Robertson and Mr. Black purchased the business in 1875. For a time, it was known as Robertson, Black & Company. The company had a second location in Putney, VT.
After Mr. Robertson's retirement in early 1878, the company underwent a slight name change to Robertson & Black Company. The mill produced both manila paper and tissue.
The mill building was identified as being two stories high, with an attic and two wings. The upper story of the main building housed a rope cutter, while the ground level featured three 500-pound engines. The west portion of the mill contained a 62-inch cylinder machine, while the second wing contained a three-ton rotary bleach machine and steam boilers.
In 1881, the company changed its name to Robertson Brothers. Four brothers from the Hinsdale, NH area were operating the firm.
In May 1882, the brothers initiated the process of relocating the company to Hinsdale, New Hampshire. The plan was to build a large paper mill on the Ashelot River at the Fuller Dam, which would provide significant water power. Rail service was available at the plant to transport and receive goods, saving money on cartage.
The buildings in Holyoke were placed for auction on December 16, 1882. The plant in Hinsdale, NH, was completed in March 1883.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily Republican; Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts); The Recorder (Greenfield, Massachusetts); Pittsburg (Pennsylvania) Commercial; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.
History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Louis H. Everts, 1879
Holyoke Today, Penned and Pictured, J. Eveleth Griffith, Publisher, 1887
Bird's Eye View of Holyoke (1877) 
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