Felton Paper Company (1870-1874)

During the 1860s and 1970s, there were several ownership transitions at the former grist mill site north of the Parson’s Paper Company plant, between the First Level Canal and the Connecticut River. The preceding blog entry told the story of the Mt. Tom Paper Company. We move on to its successor at the plant site, the Felton Paper Company. 

The Mount Tom Paper Company (1866-1870) sold its plant and real estate for $45,000 to Messrs. Welcome Felton and Henry A. Chase in April 1870. Both principals had a previous ownership interest in the Mt. Tom Paper Company. The company was renamed Felton & Company, manufacturers of Manila paper. The production of tissues in many colors was discontinued by the newly formed enterprise. 

In 1871, the business was incorporated as the Felton Paper Company with Mr. Felton as President and Mr. Chase as its agent and Treasurer. The real estate was also transferred from Messrs/ Felton and Chase to the corporation in that year.

The Holyoke Water Power Company (HWPCo) initiated legal action against the Felton firm in August 1872, and the case reached the state supreme court. HWPCo was seeking the repair of Felton Paper Company’s penstock at the latter’s expense. The Felton concern asserted that the penstock did not require repair and would accept responsibility for any resulting damages or injuries. 

Two months later, in November 1872, Felton Paper shut down for a week to replace the old penstock with a new one, made of iron, manufactured by Coghlan and Mullin in Holyoke.

Felton Paper rented out portions of its mill to D. Mackintosh for its dye house and Applin & Company, which made finished paper collar boards.

On February 12, 1874, the Felton Paper Company was sold to a newly formed corporation, the Hadley Falls Paper Company. The sales price for the real estate, equipment, mill powers, etc., was $60,000.

The initial two paper companies at this location each operated for 4 years. The account of the Hadley Falls Paper Company follows in the next installment.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.

Combined Map of Holyoke & Chicopee, 1870, Beers, Ellis & Soule, New York City, New York

Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts

An 1870 View shows the Mt. Tom Paper Co.’s mill location 

purchased by Messrs. W. Felton and Henry Chase in April 1870.

Plan of Land (1866) - Site of the Felton & Company Paper Company, 

the former Mt. Tom Paper Company factory

Felton & Company plant, formerly Mt. Tom Paper Company

March 22, 1870, Deed conveying the Mt. Tom Paper Company real estate to 

Henry A. Chase, of Holyoke and W. Felton, of Brattleboro, VT.

The following is the Deed conveying real estate owned by the  

Felton Paper Company to the Hadley Falls Paper Company. 

This was executed on February 12, 1874.