Geographies of Papermaking in Eastern North America: An Industrial Evolution, 1873-1930

John Clark, Lafayette College
Deryck Holdsworth, Pennsylvania State University

Geospatial data compiled from six decades of paper trade directory listings are used to assess the changing locational logic that emerges in the shift from rag-based artisanal papermaking methods to those of the industrial scale wood-pulp era. One facet involves the development of larger pulp and paper mill complexes further from the Atlantic coast to take advantage of proximity to forest resources and major hydroelectric developments. A growing demand for writing and book paper, cardboard containers and tissues, among other specialty products, sustained firms in near-metropolitan locations. Case studies of family based enterprises and multinational corporations highlight these shifts.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 118. Project Development