Knowlton Technologies

In 1808 Gurdon Caswell built his first paper mill, Pioneer Mill, on the south bank of the Black River which was capable of turning out 150 pounds of paper a day. The Pioneer Mill and a second mill built by Caswell were sold to Seth Otis and John Holbrook in 1812. The mill changed hands yet again in 1824 when George Knowlton and Clarke Rice formed a partnership to purchase the Pioneer Mill. The business became known as Knowlton & Rice, a book printer and bindery. The owners collected rags for paper and delivered the finished books to area schools by horse and wagon as far north as Potsdam, NY. Knowlton and Rice purchased machinery for making a continuous sheet of paper in 1832, known then as the Fourdrinier machine (36” cylinder). It was the first of its kind in Jefferson County. The paper capacity grew to 700 pounds per day. Tragedy strikes the mill in 1848 when a fire destroys it a year before the great fire of Watertown. The mill is rebuilt in 1849 and is renamed Knowlton, Rice and Company when another partner is added.

Charles Brown and Edward Chamberlain purchased the mill in 1854 and changed it’s name to Brown & Chamberlain. When Brown and Chamberlain defaulted on the loan in 1862 it was returned to the Knowlton family. The sons of the original owner took over the business and renamed it Knowlton Brothers. In 1869 the Watertown flood destroys much of the mill’s equipment and leads to a plant modernization. The corporation known as Knowlton Brothers, Inc. was formed in 1892 and the partnership was sold to the corporation for $100,000. George W. Knowlton Jr. became the first corporation president, a position he held for 39 years.

It wasn’t until 2007 that the mill became known as Knowlton Technologies. There is so much history associated with this over 200 year old company. If you would like to read the full history and series of events that lead to what we know today please visit www.knowlton-co.com/history.html.