Rittenhouse, William (Mining & Materials)
From The Encyclopedia of Earth
Rittenhouse, William
August 18, 2006, 5:24 pm
William Rittenhouse (1644-1708), born Wilhelm Rittenhausen in what is now Germany, is remembered as the builder of the first paper mill in the United States. The mill was constructed in 1690 on the Monoshone Creek near Germantown, now Philadelphia. Previous to this development, all paper was imported from Europe and heavily taxed. The new mill provided a local source of printing, writing, wrapping paper, and pasteboard. Rittenhouse also developed an early recycling system through which much of the mill's fiber for hand-papermaking was obtained from discarded rags and cotton.
