Given its nickname, the Paper City, Holyoke had no shortage of paper-making and paper-processing companies in the second half of the 19th century and well into the 20th century. One of the notable paper-processing plants in the mid-20th century was the Morart Paper Company.
Maurice J. Moriarty was born in Chicopee on November 27, 1860, the son of Maurice and Helen (Sayers) Moriarty. At the age of five, his family moved to South Hadley Falls, where his father worked as a bricklayer. At age 15, young Maurice graduated from South Hadley High School and entered the workforce.
His first job was as an office boy at Springfield's Bay State Paper Company, where he earned $3 a week. He then worked as a bookkeeper for a meat and provisions store in Holyoke for two years.
For 19 years, he worked as a billing clerk at the Albion Paper Company. After the company merged with the American Writing Paper Company, he became plant superintendent for an additional 10 years.
He left Albion to form his own paper jobbing business, representing International Pulp Co., Illinois Zinc Co., and Thomas Young Co. The latter company produced Irish linen.
At the age of 65, he joined his son, Charles F. Moriarty, to form the Morart Paper Co., interestingly named by dropping the "i" and "y" from the family surname.
The company started out small in a one-room space at 200 Race St., with Charles F. Moriarty and one employee, Harold Jubinville. Mr. Jubinville operated the company's only press and was superintendent, foreman, pressman, and janitor. Mr. Moriarty traveled to various major cities, seeking new business for the fledgling concern.
The business was incorporated in July 1927 with Maurice J. Moriarty as President, Charles H. Barr as Treasurer, and Charles F. Moriarty as Clerk. Mr. Barr had been associated as a sales manager with Chemical Paper Co. and Crocker McElwain Paper Co.
In December 1927, the company leased 6,500 square feet on the first floor of the east wing of the former Hadley Mills. The mill complex had recently been purchased by the Holyoke Gas & Electric department and was made available for rent to commercial enterprises. Within 2 years, business orders had doubled, and the company operated 24 hours a day.
In 1930, Morart purchased the Holyoke Paper Products Corp. of South Hadley. The company would be relocated to Holyoke once Holyoke Gas & Electric completed the building expansion.
In March 1936, extensive flooding from the Connecticut River wreaked havoc on the mills along the river. This included extensive damage to Morart Paper, which saw water levels above its cellar level damage much of its first floor. The building's riverside wall collapsed, and the new office built with WPA funding was leveled by ice, timbers and tank cars. Morart's loss was estimated at $100,000, and the flooding caused $10 million in total damage.
In 1937, Morart leased an additional 7,500 square feet of space when the Philip Hano Company moved to the former Dickinson paper mill.
Morart Rotophot Corporation was formed in 1938. The new company was located at 7 Bridge Street, adjacent to Morart Paper. A 68-foot-long, 70-ton multi-color gravure press was brought in from Germany. A special floor had to be built to support the machinery's weight. Six new departments were added, including photography, etching, and retouching of copper rolls. 12,000 additional feet were leased from the Holyoke G & E, plus an additional 8,000 square feet in the former Hadley Thread Mill.
In September 1938, a second flood occurred within two years. The factory and office were spared significant damage when the river overflowed its banks. The company had survived the Great Depression and two floods, occurring within its first decade in business.
Changes in the business dynamics were forthcoming, paving the way for further growth. This will be explored in the following chapters.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): including Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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