The Golden Age of paper-making, which gave rise to Holyoke's moniker as the Paper City, began with the mills that predate the Civil War. The first mill was formed by Joseph C. Parsons, located near the bank of the Connecticut River and the Canal System spillway. Much has been written about this long-lived business. Today's topic is Holyoke's second paper-making company, the Holyoke Paper Company.
The Holyoke Paper Company was incorporated on May 2, 1857. The business purpose was to manufacture paper and related items. The capital stock was initially limited to $50,000, issued in increments of $500 per share. The incorporators were:
D. M. Butterfield, Director
Jonas Kendall, Treasurer & Director
Samuel B. Allyn, Director
J. R. Wilbur, Director
By September 1857, the corporation had raised the entire $50,000 of its initial offering. By the conclusion of its first full fiscal year, the company's net income was $9,000, and it had four months of orders to fulfill. By 1863, the company was producing 2,200 pounds of paper daily.
William Whiting, who had joined the firm and was the corporation's clerk, left the company in 1865 to join the Hampden Paper Company of Holyoke.
In 1865, the capital stock offering was doubled, and after a series of transactions, Orrick Hermon (also known as O.H.) Greenleaf of Springfield became the majority owner.
Between 1865 and 1966, the company undertook plant expansion. A two-and-a-half-story addition, 200 feet by 40 feet, was built. New machinery was installed with the capacity to produce 4,000 pounds of paper per day. A new 110-horsepower turbine was installed in June 1866, with another turbine in the process of installation. With access to pure spring water for washing the pulp, the factory produced outstanding-quality stationery.
In 1867, the company employed 160 people and was capable of producing five tons of paper per day. O. H. Greenleaf completed the expansion plans of his predecessor, Stephen Holman, and subsequently doubled the plant's size. In one week, the company had shipped out 35 tons of paper in October 1869. Access to the Connecticut River Railroad was critical to its success. The company also paid for a horse-car line for its women workers.
In 1870, a fundraiser was held to support the construction of a new public library in Holyoke. Subscriptions totaling $2,000 were raised, and Holyoke Paper Company, at the request of O. H. Greenleaf, contributed an additional $3,000. Mr. Greenleaf, several years later, was the initial donor of 60 acres of land that would eventually become part of the 450-acre Forest Park.
By 1873, the Holyoke Paper Company was the largest producer of fine writing paper in the country. Coupled with the company's excellent workforce of 220 women and 60 men, O. H. Greenleaf's vision, experience, and business acumen were integral to the company's growth and success.
In 1878, the company sold vacant land it owned on Appleton Street, situated between the first and second-level canals. Five mill powers were also sold.
The company received a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition in 1979 for its fine parchment and linen papers.
A fire struck several employee tenements the company owned on Main Street in 1882, causing $5,000 in damages.
Further expansion continued in 1884 and 1885 with the construction of a four-story stock house and a three-story ruling department.
On April 10, 1886, a major fire occurred at the mill, causing between $25,000 and $40,000 in damage. Paper on poles fueled the flames, and water from firefighters' hoses soaked much of the 30 tons of paper in cases that were ready for shipment. Thomas Howard, the 15-year night watchman, perished in the blaze.
The company continued to expand its plant capacity and upgrade its machinery throughout the remainder of the 1880s. The product line expanded to include high-quality writing, linen, bond, and envelope paper.
In the 1890s, two significant events occurred that, in retrospect, significantly shaped the company's future. The first was the 1893 stroke suffered by Mr. Greenleaf, the company's guiding force, and in 1896, his death. O.H. Greenleaf's brother, O.S. Greenleaf, was voted President and Treasurer of the company.
The second was the company's acquisition by the newly formed American Writing Paper Company (AWP Co.) in 1899. Sixteen Holyoke paper companies joined the combine, which had its struggles during its business life.
AWP Co. experienced significant financial difficulties, which ultimately led to a bankruptcy filing in 1924. A reorganization plan was approved by the U.S. District Court in Boston in 1927. As part of the business restructuring, the George Gill Paper Company, Norman Paper Company, and Holyoke Paper Company would be shut down. News accounts indicated that employees of the Holyoke Paper Company would be relocated to other Holyoke AWP Co. plants.
On June 30, 1936, AWP Co. sold portions of its real estate holdings to the city of Holyoke, specifically the Holyoke Gas & Electric, for $55,000. One of the parcels was the former Holyoke Paper Company property, bounded by Race, Jackson, and Main Streets, and extending to the third-level canal. Details of other properties conveyed are shown below in the deed.
On October 10, 1936, the city of Holyoke received approval to demolish the entire plant for $66,835, with 191 workers required for the anticipated one-week project. Demolition work commenced in late October 1936.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; Fall River (Massachusetts) Daily News; Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine); Boston (Massachusetts) Globe; Berkshire County Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts); Boston (Massachusetts) Evening Transcript; Boston (Massachusetts) Post; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.
History of Massachusetts Industries, Orra Stone, Chapter XXVII, Holyoke, Massachusetts, 1930
Holyoke-Chicopee, A Perspective, Ella Merkel DiCarlo, Published by Transcript-Telegram, Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040, 1982
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
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