Ts'ai-Lun, from Lei-Yang in China

A courtier named Ts'ai-Lun, from Lei-yang in China, was the inventor of paper (not papyrus) circa 105 A.D. However, the word paper is derived from the name of the reedy plant papyrus, which grows abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt. Paper is made of pulped cellulose fibers like wood, cotton or flax. Papyrus is made from the sliced sections of the flower stem of the papyrus plant, pressed together and dried.

Left Photo: Greek parchment paper

General Papermaking History

Paper Online

Starting with the year 3000 BC, this is a timeline of paper invention.

American Museum of Papermaking

The Robert C. Williams American Museum is a renowned resource on the history of paper and paper technology. Virtual Tour Contents Forerunners to Paper - The Invention of Paper - The Spread of Papermaking in Europe - The Papermaker - Dard Hunter - Papermaking Moves to the United States - The Advent of the Paper Machine - Watermarks - The Modern Paper Mill - Paper in Our Lives - Recycling in the Paper Industry.

A Short History of Paper and Cardboard

You must click on the history button in the left hand navigation bar. Love the paper surfer.

America's First Papermill

The Rittenhouse Mill - Alex Buntin established the first commercial mechanical pulp mill in North America at Valleyfield, Quebec, in 1866. Also see mills

Newsprint

Charles Fenerty of Halifax made the first paper from wood pulp (newsprint) in 1838. Charles Fenerty was helping a local paper mill maintain an adequate supply of rags to make paper, when he succeeded in making paper from wood pulp. He neglected to patent his invention and others did patent papermaking processes based on wood fiber.

Cardboard and Packaging

Grocery Paper Bags

The first recorded historical reference to grocery paper bags was made in 1630.

The History of Paper Sacks

The use of sacks only really started to take off during the Industrial Revolution: between 1700