In the sleepy little New England town of Dalton, Massachusetts, one can find the Crane Paper Company.
Can you believe that all the paper used for currency and bank notes throughout the USA, including all the bills tucked inside your wallet, is made right there?
Yep, it's the only town in the entire country that makes the paper for bills used by millions of Americans.
We took a delightful tour of the Crane Museum of Papermaking recently.
You can read about the little museum in detail here.
It's a great place to go with kids.
The main educator and historian, Pete Hopkins, has the patience of Job and a welcoming personality.
He's just a great guy all the way around.
On the day we were there, he had a little pint-sized helper, chosen from the audience, to help make paper out of small squares of denim.
The small, rather quaint building in which the museum is located is the former rag room of the company's 1844 Old Stone Mill.
Nearby is Housatonic River. According to museum's website, the river supplied the water to wash the rags and drive the machinery of Crane mills, back in the day.
It's a cool little spot to visit.
DO YOU LIKE TO GO TO OFF-THE-BEATEN PLACES TO EXPLORE WHEN TRAVELING?
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6 comments:
Are you saying that ALL the paper in the USA is made at that place - that is amazing and they can still run tours. I am going to go back and read about it. Very interesting.
Oh I like that pint sized helper a lot..Great post. I've been there but never on a tour.
What a fascinating place. Years ago my mother worked in a company that distributed paper and we used to get big bolts of it. We used it to cover our tables for summer barbecues or to color on, etc. This tour you went on looks interesting, indeed.
Great post. I love stopping at out-of-the-way places -- when I can get my husband to slow down. ;)
This would be a great place to see. Glad you stopped in! Did the town smell papery? Odd question I know, but I remember a town we passed through that had a distinctive odor and we were told a mill was nearby. Paper...is a small miracle to me!
So enjoyed this post. I went to a paper mill in New England where they sent he trees for pulp downriver. Fascinating.
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