A look back: Luke Paper Mill impacted many families
The initial step in building the Luke paper mill, a large industrial enterprise, was taken in 1888, when a charter was given for the company.
Situated on the Maryland side of the Potomac River, in what was then called West Piedmont, now known as Luke, was the Piedmont Pulp & Paper Company (later known as the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company), owned and operated by the Luke Brothers.
The corporation was under the direct management and supervision of John G. Luke and David Luke.
The mill property consisted of nearly 50 acres of the best building lots in West Piedmont (Davis Island) and occupied the old Davis Saw and Lumber Mill. It was directly on the line of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railroad. It was accessible from Westernport by wagon road to Bloomington (in Garrett County, Maryland) and could be reached directly from Piedmont by a road leading from the suspension bridge across the Potomac River opposite the B & O Railroad shops. A new bridge, built jointly by Maryland and West Virginia, gave a direct road to and from the mill by way of Piedmont along Fairview Street.
The early mill was designed for two paper machines. Production at the start was confined to the manufacture of manila wrapping paper. A third machine was added in 1892. Machine numbers 4 and 5 were installed in 1895 and 1896. The government postal card contract was secured in 1896, and the No. 5 machine ran on this for some time. The cards were printed in a printing room of the old brush coating plant.
In 1903, a plant was built to generate electric power. Before that time, the paper machines had been run by steam engines. Paper machines 6 and 7 were installed in 1904. The plant for brush coating of paper was started in 1906, and the first carload of coated paper was shipped in 1907. Paper machines 8 and 9 were installed in 1959.
The Piedmont Pulp & Paper Company’s mill was recognized as the best domestic pulp used in this country and commanded a ready sale wherever used. Shipments were made from the mill to Maine, California, and wherever paper was manufactured; the pulp was in high demand.
The mill turned out 20 tons of bleached pulp and 10 tons of unbleached pulp per day. In addition, the mill produced about 40,000 pounds of superior quality paper daily.
The mill continued to grow and expand over the coming years.
The West Virginia Pulp & Paper Company shortened its name to Westvaco in 1969, before merging with Mead in 200l. Focusing primarily on packaging, MeadWestvaco shed much of its paper holdings and the Luke mill was sold in 2005, later re-emerging as NewPage. In 20l5 the mill was obtained by Verso. After Verso took over, the Luke mill was eventually shut down and remains closed to this day.
The Luke brothers had the foresight to make Westvaco one of the leading paper companies in the world. If more recent ownerships would have had the same passion and fortitude, the mill might still be operating today.
As a personal reflection about the mill, it was the mainstay for providing a comfortable living to those who worked there. Most people who worked at the paper mill stayed until they retired. My wife’s father worked at the mill almost his entire life. My wife’s uncle held a managerial position both here and at the Wickliffe mill in Kentucky. Westvaco had an impact around the world, but it is the impact on our community and economy that provide the long-lasting memories we will never forget.
Piedmont mayor Paula Boggs and former mayor Skip Clifford contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Mineral Daily News-Tribune: A look back: Luke Paper Mill impacted many families
