Cottonwood Paper Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Granite Paper Mill
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 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6900 Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd., Salt Lake City, Utah |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Built by | Grow, Henry |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000848 |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1971 |
The Cottonwood Paper Mill (also known as Granite Paper Mill) is an abandoned stone building. You can find it at the entrance of Big Cottonwood Canyon in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. This historic place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Contents
Building the Paper Mill
The Cottonwood Paper Mill was built in 1883. The Deseret News newspaper company built it. Henry Grow was in charge of the construction.
How Paper Was Made
Workers at the mill used special equipment. This equipment came from the old Sugar House Paper Mill. They would grind logs from nearby canyons into a soft material called pulp. They also used old clothes and rags to make pulp.
Once the pulp was ready, it was put into molds. Then it was left to dry. This process helped create paper. The mill was very busy. It could make up to 5 tons of paper every single day!
The Mill's Later Years
The Cottonwood Paper Mill provided many jobs. It also made a lot of paper for about ten years. But then, railroads made it easier to get cheaper paper from other places. This meant less demand for paper made at the mill.
The Big Fire
In 1892, the mill was sold to the Granite Paper Mills Company. Sadly, on April 1, 1893, a big fire started. It burned the paper stored inside the mill. Many people heard the fire alarm. But they thought it was just an April Fools' Day prank! After the fire, only the stone walls of the building were left.
What Happened Next?
The old mill was partly rebuilt in 1927. It became an open-air dance hall called the Old Mill Club. People danced there until the 1940s.
A Place for Fun
In the late 1960s, rock bands played music at the mill on Friday and Saturday nights. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, it was used for other fun things. It became a haunted house around Halloween. It also hosted a craft boutique where people could buy handmade items.
A Historic Landmark
In 1966, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers declared the mill a historic site. This means it's an important part of history. However, in 2005, the city of Cottonwood Heights decided the building was unsafe.
