Dossier
William Rittenhouse
Coverage of William Rittenhouse in the Nexus archive.
- Philly helped start the paper industry in pre-Revolutionary America
Philadelphia's Germantown was home to the first U.S. paper mill, established by German immigrant William Rittenhouse in 1690. The mill supported early printing, newspapers, and religious materials, using recycled linen rags and water power. The industry expanded as other colonies adopted papermaking ahead of the Revolutionary War.