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Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company Records

 Collection
Identifier: SpC MS 0783

Dates

  • 1912-1993
  • Majority of material found within 1960-1990

Restrictions on Access

Kept at Fogler Library's offsite storage facility. One week's notice required for retrieval.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Information on literary rights available in the repository.

Historical Note

The Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company was established in 1882 as a sawmill site in Old Town, Maine, which had been running since about 1860. The Penobscot Development Company was incorporated in 1914 to handle the company's woods department at Great Works, Maine. The Penobscot Purchasing Company, also at Great Works, served as the wood procurement subsidiary. The name of the Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company was changed to the Penobscot Company as voted by the stockholders in 1964. In 1967 the company was acquired by Diamond International Corporation and became the Penobscot Division of Diamond International, producing hardwood and softwood kraft pulp for use in the production of paper tissues, towels, and napkins.

Historical Note

Diamond International itself was the result of several mergers and name changes. It began as the Diamond Match Company, formed in 1881 by the consolidation of twelve already-existing match companies into one. In 1957 it merged with Gardner Board and Carton Company to form Diamond-Gardner; in 1959 it merged with United States Printing and Lithograph Company to become Diamond National Corporation and then became Diamond International in 1964. In 1982 Diamond International was acquired by Sir James Goldsmith and its timberland holdings were put under management of his new firm, Diamond Occidental Forest, Inc. In 1983 the facility at Old Town was purchased by James River Corporation. In 1997 James River merged with Fort Howard, creating Fort James Corporation. In 2000 Georgia-Pacific purchased Fort James Corporation and took over operation of the plant in Old Town.

Extent

37 boxes (20 cubic feet)

28 linear feet (ledgers)

2 technical drawings (2 vertical plan files)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series: I. Records of Penobscot Development Company, II. Records of Penobscot Purchasing Company, III. Records of Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company/Penobscot Company, and IV. Records of Diamond Match Company, Diamond National and Diamond International. Series I contains the oldest materials and is divided into two groups: administrative and financial records and lumbering records. Series IV includes aerial photographs done by James W. Sewall Company, Old Town, Maine. They are arranged and labeled as they were received from the company: aerial photos, photos of lands not owned, lands sold, and transparencies. A detailed card index to the photographs was maintained by the company and is included in the collection.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Fort James Corporation in 1999.

Title
Guide to the Penobscot Chemical Fibre Company Records
Status
Box And Folder List Available
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for uncoded script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
5729 Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono ME 04469-5729 United States
207-581-1686