Seeing this envelope for sale on eBay led me to wonder about this Paul Paper Company which I didn't remember ever hearing about. The following news articles provide a timeline of sorts of its quite short history in the 1890s.
March 6, 1893 Oshkosh Northwestern
October 18, 1893 Oshkosh Northwestern
June 22, 1894 Oshkosh Northwestern
December 4, 1896 Oshkosh Northwestern
August 9, 1897 Oshkosh Northwestern
November 6, 1897 Oshkosh Northwestern
One might infer that the warehouse fire in 1894 was the death knell for the paper company, but the "Panic of 1893," the worst depression that the U.S. had seen in its history up to that point, might have been a more punitive factor. Though no local banks failed, the ripple effects of that depression might have been drastic enough to affect business. As the August 9, 1897 Northwestern article stated, the plant was "forced to the wall."
The U.S. economy began to recover in 1897. After the election of President McKinley, confidence was restored and the economy began 10 years of rapid growth, until the next economic crisis, the Panic of 1907.
Thanks for providing all of the background through newspaper clips as it neatly ties it all together in a masterful way for the reader. Really fascinating to read about the interrelationship between all of the players. This is an example of why we need a sequel to your first book about our city. great story!
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