Paper History of Claremont, NH

The author has moved to the small town of Claremont NH, which was primarily a textile town during the 1800s. Little is written about the town's paper mills, but some information may be found in the appendix of the author's new book, Rag Paper.

An entrepeneur from Claremont by the name of I. Laws established a mill in Pembroke, Merrimack Co., NH in 1823. At that time Claremont was undergoing a transformation into a textile town, so it's possible that Laws could have had interests in both textile and paper mills. That same year another Claremont entrepeneur, L. Pratt, erected the Suncook Falls Mill also in Pembroke, near the state line with Massachusettes about a day's journey from Claremont. Josiah Stevens & Son were established by 1823 in Claremont NH, although the historical record is unclear where exactly this mill was. Perhaps it was in Claremont, but it's possible it could have been in Manchester or Pembrook. Another papermaker falling in the same category was C.K. Willliams, also from Claremont, who also reportedly set up a mill in 1823. Once again, we don't know exacly where the Willliams mill was.

The historical record finally picks up in 1849 when the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad reached New Hampshire and passed through Claremont, no doubt to the delight of the local textile industry. Now with access to the raw material market in Boston, the  Jarvis Mill was erected the following year. This plant had two waterwheels on the upper Connecticut River that powered one cylinder-wire machine for the manufacture of card, wall paper, newsprint, and bogus manila at the rate of 2,500 lb. a day.  The mill is named after the owner, Russell Jarvis, who employed 20 people at the site. 

In 1866 the Sugar River Paper Mill Co. was established in Claremont, and they manufactured book and news paper on two moving-wire machines. This plant was powered by two steam engines and three waterwheels. The Sugar River Mill  employed 75 and had a capacity of 14,000 lb. a day. 

 Lastly, the Coy Mill was established in 1884 in West Claremont. This mill made manila tissue on a cylinder-wire machine. This plant was powered by two waterwheels, and employed fifteen people and was capable of producing 6,000 lb. a day. It is believed this was the former Jarvis Mill. Further, it is believed the two mills were on opposite sides of the river, and that sometime later the two plants were consolidated by the Coy Paper Co. 

The Coy Mill is still existent, and reportedly was active as late as 1980. From unofficial sources it appears that about this time the railroad line moved to the south of town putting it out of reach of the Coy facility. The railroad today is primarily used by Amtrack's “Vermonter.”

AJ Valente

June 4, 2010 

Below, mill dam at Coy Paper Mill, Claremont NH on the Connecticut River, shown here during spring runoff. The dam currently supplies hydroelectric power to the community. The former Sugar River Mill office and mill buildings are just visible at far left.