The Japanese Tissue Mills was a corporation formed in 1899 by Benjamin F. and J. Lewis Perkins to separate B. F. Perkins & Son's production of paper napkins and crepe paper from the manufacturing of calendar rolls, Mullen paper testers and other machinery and equipment. The latter items fell under the direction of B. F. Perkins & Son. Tissues and napkins had been produced since 1891 at its South Hadley Stony Brook plant.
The officers of the corporation were Benjamin Franklin “B. F.” Perkins, as President; his son, John Lewis Perkins, as Treasurer; and C. E. Pope, as Director, along with the two Perkins officers.
Over its history, the conversation about the Japanese Tissue Mills included two mills in Holyoke, two in South Hadley, and one in Amherst. The Holyoke mills were at 10 Crescent Street and at 38 Winter Street, opposite Deane Steam Pump.
Japanese tissue was the name given to napkins featuring floral images in vibrant, natural colors. Most napkins had been made showing images or figures of people. The company was the first to produce this style of napkin in the East, as all production to date was confined to the Western states.
The company began producing the napkins at the beginning of 1899. The factories in South Hadley included the Stony Brook Mill, now a condominium association on Newton Street, and the Japanese Tissue Company, located off the eastern side of Woodbridge Street near its intersection with Pearl Street. The latter mill was a former woolen mill along the Batchelor Brook near the Pearl City Pond.
The company initially believed it had reached full production, producing 400,000 napkins daily. However, demand for the product continued to increase in the late 1890s.
In 1900, B.F. Perkins died, leaving his son, J. Lewis Perkins, and C. E. Pope to continue the business.
In 1901, the two remaining principals were awarded for an improvement to crepe paper. Crystal minerals were added to the paper to provide a shimmering view when seen from different angles. This would add to the look of lampshades, wrapping paper, and other decorative uses.
On December 4, 1904, the wooden mill of the Japanese paper company at Pearl City was struck by fire. W. B. Reid drew plans for a new brick factory, 100 by 80 feet, one-half one story and the other half two stories. Excavation for the new mill started three days after the fire. Lynch Brothers Brick Co. was awarded the brickwork contract.
In 1907, local industrialist W.H. Bullard abandoned plans to build a factory at the corner of Appleton and Crescent streets on land he owned. J. Lewis Perkins purchased this property and planned to extend his mills. At the time, the Japanese Tissue Mills were producing 1.5 million napkins daily.
The company was continuing to grow in 1908. Mr. Perkins planned a major expansion of the Stony Brook Mill on South Hadley Center Road (now College Street). In 1891, the company produced 2,400 rolls of tissue in its Holyoke and two South Hadley plants. That number had risen to 37,000 rolls daily in 1908.
In 1911, the company benefited from legislation prohibiting the use of cloth towels in public restrooms. This led to increased demand for the high-quality paper towels produced by Japanese Tissue Mills.
To produce enough paper towels to meet demand, a new factory building was constructed on North Winter Street opposite the Deane Steam Pump Company in 1912. The building contract was awarded to the Casper Ranger Construction Company. The factory would be four stories, 60 by 125 feet. David McCormick performed the stonework, and the E.H. Friedrich Company was contracted for the roofing and metal work. The factory site was leased from the Holyoke Water Power Company.
The Japanese Paper Mill at Pearl City was expanded in 1915 by the Casper Ranger Construction Company. This was a brick building with a tar-and-gravel roof.
In August 1917, J. Lewis Perkins acquired 8.25 acres of land on Chicopee Street in Willimansett. The property was known as the Towne Farm. Plans for the property were not revealed.
In late 1919, the Japanese Tissue Mills acquired the Winter Street factory from the Holyoke Water Power Company. By this time, the company had production facilities at 12 Crescent Street, Winter Street, and in South Hadley at Stony Brook and Pearl City.
In November 1920, the Japanese Tissue Mills changed its name tothe American Tissue Mills. More will be shared about this growing business in the following installment.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Massachusetts Industries, Holyoke, The Paper City of the World, Orrah Stone, Volume II, Chapter XXVII, 1929.
No comments:
Post a Comment