William Luke
Encyclopedia
William Luke was the founder of the Westvaco Corporation in 1888 at Piedmont, West Virginia
and West Piedmont, Maryland
, USA.
Luke came to America from Scotland in 1852. He was a pioneer of the modern art of papermaking
.
In 1888 papermaking still relied heavily on rags as the most common raw material. The price of rags had skyrocketed and the supply had dwindled. The Luke mill was the first to successfully develop the process of using wood for manufacturing pulp. Wood pulp paper is now the most common type.
The town of Luke, Maryland
is named for William Luke.
Piedmont, West Virginia
Piedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856...
and West Piedmont, Maryland
Luke, Maryland
Luke is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. Known originally as West Piedmont, the town is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 80 at the 2000 census....
, USA.
Luke came to America from Scotland in 1852. He was a pioneer of the modern art of papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
.
In 1888 papermaking still relied heavily on rags as the most common raw material. The price of rags had skyrocketed and the supply had dwindled. The Luke mill was the first to successfully develop the process of using wood for manufacturing pulp. Wood pulp paper is now the most common type.
The town of Luke, Maryland
Luke, Maryland
Luke is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. Known originally as West Piedmont, the town is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 80 at the 2000 census....
is named for William Luke.