Subject: Paper mills - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Start Over Subject Paper mills

Extent:: 7.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Frank P. Miller (1859-1923) started his first paper mill near Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania in 1881. His company was known as the Downingtown Paper Company, or "Dopaco," from 1924 until it became a subsidiary of Sonoco Products Company in 1968. After a fire in 2005, Sonoco permanently closed the mill, which by that time was producing paperboard. The Downingtown Paper Company collection, 1839-1980 (bulk 1880-1924), consists primarily of financial records from the Frank P. Miller Paper Company era; there are also some later records of Downingtown Paper Company (Dopaco), especially relating to longtime employee Thomas Brookover. A detailed inventory of the collection is available on-site.

Held at: Downingtown Area Historical Society [Contact Us]

Extent:: 2.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Ivy Mills, located in what is now the community of Glen Mills in Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was established in 1729 by Thomas Willcox and his partner Thomas Brown. One of the earliest paper mills in operation in the American colonies, Ivy Mills rose to prominence, supplying paper to Benjamin Franklin for his print shop and to the American colonies and the Continental Congress for their currency. After the establishment of the United States, Ivy Mills continued to be the leading supplier of bank note paper for the federal government and also supplied banks across the western hemisphere with paper. The mill's ownership passed down through the Willcox family until 1866 when it ceased operations. Ivy Mills financial records, 1783-1866, consist of the mill's financial records, a glass plate negative of the mill, and paper samples.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

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