The Mill in Millinocket

The Great Northern Paper Company is the mill in the mill town of Millinocket.  When the local falls were identified as a great potential source of hydro power in the late 1800's, the idea was born to build the paper mill.  At the time, however, there was no town there, so the town was built along with the mill, and many of the workers stayed on to work in the mill itself once it went into operation in the 1900's.

Today's postcard is a fine portrait of the employees in the "Paper Machine Room" which was able to put out 500 feet of paper per minute, 152 inches wide.  The card conveys not only the state of the art of industrial revolution machinery, circa 1900, but the work uniforms of the day, the pride of the employees, and a few OSHA regulations here and there that far pre-date OSHA.

For more on the history of the mill and the origins of the town, see this short video: