Papermakers of Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee made their mark in the 19th century.
As a papermaker, your job was to make paper from a variety of materials, like cloth, wool, and even animal skin.
In addition to making the paper, you were expected to wash, iron, and dry it.
Most papermakers were farmers or shopkeepers.
They were skilled in weaving and sewing.
In the late 1800s, papermakers became more popular in other parts of the United States.
In 1881, the United Kingdom legalized papermaking.
It was considered a new and exciting industry, and papermakers wanted to work in the fields.
In New York, John H. Hockaday founded his first papermaking factory in 1870.
Hockeraday was a former slave and a slave owner.
He sold his slave to a papermaking company.
In 1880, Georgia became the first state in the United, and the first to license papermaking to the public.
Hockingy’s wife, Mary, also started a papermakers’ company in Augusta, Georgia.
By 1882, Georgia was home to more than 100,000 papermakers.
In 1910, Hocky died.
He left behind a legacy that continues to this day.
