Several papermaking companies formed in Holyoke during a period of rapid expansion in the 1870s and 1880s. The lure of inexpensive water power to operate machinery and a ready supply of factory labor drew investment to Holyoke. Not all papermaking concerns achieved long-term success, due either to adverse economic factors or questionable management decisions. This is the story of one of the companies that operated for just over a decade, the Winona Paper Company.
The Winona Paper Company was founded in 1880, one of seven new papermaking or paper-finishing companies formed that year. Others included the Chemical Paper Company, Nonotuck Paper Company, Dickinson & Clark Paper Company, Holyoke Envelope Company, and Syms & Dudley.
The land for the mill site was purchased in segments from Holt from the Holyoke Water Power Company (HWPCo), the first of which was acquired on July 1, 1880. The land was located along the Connecticut River, and at the time, at the northern terminus of the Second Level Canal, which was later extended. The site was described as below the county bridge.
The principals in the formation of the company included H. C. Hurlburt from New York, as President and B. F. Hosford, a newcomer to Holyoke, as its Treasurer. The corporation was initially capitalized at $100,000. As with other paper companies, the business established a niche in manufacturing certain types of paper. For Winona Paper, this included Engine-sized flats, envelope papers, and super calendared book papers, both white and tinted.
A July 1880 excerpt from the Fitchburg Sentinel indicated the plant construction had not been completed at that time. Another entry in the Boston Evening Transcript in November of that year indicated that bales of rags for paper production were on hand.
In 1882, R. F. Pulsifer of the Boston Herald became the new company President when he purchased the interest of H.C. Hurlburt.
The company expanded several times during the 1880s, including 1882 and 1883. G. L. Bosworth was awarded the contract for the 1882 addition, with Landers Bros. contracted to perform the brickwork. In 1883, Casper Ranger Construction Co. constructed an addition. The latter job was extensive, adding several buildings. This included buildings to house an engine room, a boiler room, and a dyeing house, as well as increased plant floor space.
A news account published in February 1883 indicated that the country had reached a saturation point for its paper needs and forecast few new paper mill-building ventures would take place.
In 1883, Mr. Hosford and several investors purchased 3 acres of land in Haverhill, MA to build the Bradford Paper Mill. D. H. and A. B. Tower of Holyoke designed the 200-foot, one-story mill. The plant would supply the Boston Globe with its print paper needs.
In 1884, building construction continued. A 60-foot-by-40-foot wooden stock house was built. In 1885, Daniel O'Connell Sons were awarded a contract to build a 143-foot-by-60-foot stockhouse.
In 1885, B. F. Hosford placed his residence at 203 Pine Street for sale. This included a stable at the corner of Essex and Beech Streets. Mr. Hosford was noted for having the finest horse-drawn carriage in Holyoke. His horses were furnished with gold-mounted harnesses, and the driver dressed in full livery.
Mr. Hosford, in the following year, had a controlling interest in a wood pulp mill in Berlin Falls, N. H., became manager of a paper mill in Bridgeport, CT, and chartered a 250-foot schooner to transport the pulp from Portland, ME to Bridgeport. Paper would be produced at both the NH and CT mills in sufficient quantity to supply the Boston Herald newspaper with its paper needs.
1886 marked the year the Winona Paper Company was awarded contracts from the congressional joint committee on printing. It was anticipated the 1887 contract would result in 400 to 500 tons of paper production. Mr. Hosford continued to issue bonds to fund many projects and contracts.
The company continued to grow its plant in 1887 when two new buildings were added, including a filtering house and one containing Snell's patent drainer and an engine room. Late in 1887, M. E. Cummings, contractor, added a 7,000 square foot wooden stock house and a tank house.
The company had greatly increased the floor space of its factory and auxiliary buildings over its first 7 years. The concluding chapter to follow will explore the results of its efforts.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Sentinel; Boston (Massachusetts) Evening Transcript; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Massachusetts Cultural Resource and Information System, Secretary of State's Office, Boston, Massachusetts.
Holyoke Today: penned and pictured in 1887, J. E. Griffith, publisher, 1887
Bird's-eye View of the 1881 City of Holyoke, and village of South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts. J. J. Stoner, Madison, Wisconsin, publisher, 1881
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