The Story of Paper

[printsmurf]

Papermaking in America

Wilhelm Rittinghausen learned the papermaking trade in Mulheim, Germany, while working at his uncle Mathias Vorster's mill. The two men later went to Holland, where they were employed in a Gelderland mill near Arnhem. In 1688 Rittinghausen emigrated to British North America and changed his name to William Rittenhouse. In 1690, he established a paper mill on the Monoshone Creek near Germantown, which is now Philadelphia. Joining him in the venture were three partners, Robert Turner, Thomas Tresse, and a printer named William Bradford.

Previous to this operation, all paper was imported from Europe and taxed accordingly. The new mill provided a local source of printing, writing, and wrapping paper, as well as pasteboard. Rittenhouse could well be called America's father of recycling, since all of the mill's fibre for hand papermaking was obtained from discarded rags and cotton.

For twenty years, Rittenhouse Paper Mill was the only paper mill in the Colonies. In 1710, William Dewees built a mill nearby in Chestnut Hill, having learned the trade at Rittenhouse Paper Mill.

In 1729, the Willcox Ivy Mill was built in Chester County. The Ivy Mills supplied paper used for currency for the Continental and United States governments as well as many South American governments. Willcox was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, made printing paper for him and received the first orders for paper used in colonial American currency from him.

Map and leaflet from RittenhouseTown.org