Company History

Timeline

1819 Imported paper was scarce in the States, which inspired the Butler Family to begin making handmade papers from flax on the banks of the Contoocook River in Southern New Hampshire.

Florida is purchased by the United States from Spain.

1835 The introduction of wood pulp to the paper manufacturing process. Fourdrinier papermaking machines installed at the Bennington Paper Mills where writing and blank book papers are produced.

Halley’s Comet reappears.

1865 Due to a shortage of linen rags, a pulp mill is built on the property.

Civil War ends on May 26th.

1870 The railroad extends its routes to Bennington, and new machinery is purchased considerably increasing the capacity of the mill.

John D. Rockefeller founds Standard Oil.

1880 The Bennington Paper Mills becomes known as Monadnock Paper Mills, primarily manufacturing wood pulp papers such as bond, ledger, and book papers.

T.A. Edison and J.W. Swan independently devise the first practical electric lights.

1904 Colonel Pierce purchases Monadnock Paper Mills, constructs a new brick mill building, and greatly expands production capacity.

Theodore Roosevelt wins U.S. presidential election.

1948 Gilbert Verney purchases Monadnock Paper Mills and begins manufacturing specialty papers.

United States Congress enacts the Marshall Plan, $17 billion in economic aid for Europe.

1958 Quality offset and opaque papers are developed and refined using modernized stock preparation processes for consistency and uniformity.

National Aeronautic and Space Administration (N.A.S.A.) established to administer scientific exploration of space.

1962 Premium text and cover grades augment Monadnock’s product mix.

Nobel Prize for medicine is awarded to U.S. and British scientists for determining the molecular structure of DNA.

1967 Technical specialty and converting papers are developed. First non-integrated mill to install beta-scanning gauges.

Apollo 7 spacecraft lands on the moon.

1974 The mill’s wastewater treatment facility begins operation improving the water quality of the Contoocook River.

Gasoline shortages. OPEC price increases fuel worldwide inflation.

1975 Enhanced process control systems are installed improving quality and increasing production.

United States Apollo and Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecrafts link 140 miles above the earth.

1980 Monadnock installs off-machine coating equipment for aqueous dispersion coatings, including coatings for offset, gravure, and flexo, as well as adhesive, barrier, and non-skid coatings.

Ronald Reagan elected 40th President of the United States.

1989 Number One paper machine capacity is increased via installation of a sectional electric drive.

Pro-democracy students occupy Tiananmen Square, Peking, China.

1990 Cross machine computer controls are installed on both machines to improve paper consistency. We are America’s oldest continuously operating paper mill.

Iraq invades Kuwait leading to “Desert Storm.”

1998 Monadnock acquires a nonwoven melt blown manufacturing facility, expanding capabilities to include air filtration (HVAC, face mask, vacuum bag), liquid filtration, and sound attenuation.

2000 Monadnock acquires additional off machine coating capacity expanding into digital imaging media, fluorescent colors, and other markets.

George W. Bush elected 43rd President of the United States.