Civil War Articles by Julian WilliamsWillcox Revolutions More Serious Than "Wrangletown"
This article was compiled by Julian Williams.
The early Willcoxes didn't let much grass grow under their feet. Apparently, they were up to their necks in about everything going on in the new country that was to become the United States of America. The Willcoxes didn't seem to be too timid about living life to its fullest even when there were risks involved. They knew, like Benjamin Franklin, that their necks were largely dependent upon the success of the Revolution. But there were more revolutions for the Willcoxes.
As we recall, Thomas Willcox not only drove down his stob and established Ivy Mills, the papermaking place, in 1729 - the same year Benjamin Franklin set up his print shop in Philadelphia - but he also started holding Mass in his home that same year. The Willcoxes thus were in the forefront of William Penn's "Holy Experiment," an effort to see if you could worship as you pleased and remain in the land of the living. They braved all opposition and even built St. Mary's Chapel within their next home. Being a Catholic wasn't the easiest thing to do then up there in that part of the country.
Leading a religious revolution was not the only great turnover the Willcoxes were involved in. Papermaking, when Thomas Willcox came to Ivy Mills, was about in the same technological boat as it was when the ancient Chinese laboriously turned out one sheet at the time. And that one sheet, mind you, came mighty slow. You not only had to stew the rags down to pulp consistency but you had to be adept at handling a hand "mould," which had to be made almost perfect by one of the few skilled craftsmen who could accomplish this. To complicate matters, the mould had to fit (perfectly) in a dekle, a removable frame, which surrounded the mould. Two moulds and one dekle were required at each vat. It was not easy. When the pulp was poured into the mould, a skilled worker, the vatman, had to move the mould in various motions to correctly mat the fibers, making a sheet of paper. After this the excess water was drained off by the "coucher," who, with a quick, deft motion, flipped the sheet of paper over onto a piece of felt, leaving the sheet flat and unwrinkled (if he did it right). After the vatman and coucher repeated this process 144 times, a "post" of paper was formed (six "quires"). But it had to be pressed and for this important job, an alarm was sounded by the "layboy," and all the employees at the mill would gather at the press to put on "the big squeeze." They then let the squeezed paper stay in the press overnight. Next, the paper was taken to the loft of the building for drying. After it was dried the sizing was applied (animal gelatin or glue). Then each sheet was rubbed with a glossy stone. Needless to say, papermaking required long hours and lots of skill. But the Willcoxes were never content, either with the process or the product. They were forever looking for better and more efficient ways to make paper. And they found them. Early on they found a way to safeguard the paper from counterfeiters by placing watermarks in the paper. Later, one account went like this:
"No paper money in the world is nearly perfect as that turned out by our own bureau of engraving and printing in Washington. And none is as nearly counterfeit-proof. And this distinction is largely due to the Willcox Mills."
Watching all this progress in the early stages was Benjamin Franklin, who was glad of it because it made his printing come out a whole lot's better. Ben would go to the Willcox establishment frequently, often by way of a place with a dubious reputation and a certifiable element of rowdiness. The place was officially named the Pine Apple Inn, but it was informally referred to as "Wrangletown." Wrangletown, evidently, had a lot of informalities. Amongst them was the practice of the sauced men, seated around a table with a dirty pack of cards, composing rude verses. One of the jingles went like this:
"Wrangletown we will pull down,
The sign-board we will alter;
And if we had Joe Yarnall here,
We would hang him with a halter."
Joe was the owner of this not so illustrious joint and hopefully, because he was the only one to perpetuate the jolly establishment, his customers only chorused the above salutation in jest and good humor.
The reason Ben Franklin stopped in is really not known unless he, too, was looking for a drink of whatever they served or was questing for an experience in rough debate.
One fellow summed up the Pine Apple this way:
"The frequenters of the Pine Apple were either of the belligerent element of society or the whisky vended there was unusually exhilarating, for the character of the debates and arguments employed soon earned for the locality the name of Wrangletown."
But the Willcoxes were seriously busy with making paper - paper for Ben Franklin's newspaper, The Gazette, and busy making paper for the money and other documents used by the various governments - local, national, and international. They were busy looking for rags, rags, and more rags. They had to have rags for paper.
Before the rags for making paper went their way, one wag put his perspective this way:
"Rags make paper,
Paper makes money,
Money makes banks,
Banks make loans,
Loans make beggars,
Beggars make rags.
When I read that, I could not help but thinking of the way plastic now affects the economy and those involved in it.
But, the Willcoxes of yesteryear were not thinking of plastic; they were looking at the Revolution (the war with the Mother Country, England). And they were looking at the waterwheels and other machines which could power their processes; they were looking at the trees and the wood pulp; they were looking at taking the next step. They were looking at steps which would lead some of them to Deep River, Gulf, North Carolina, and on to the Ocmulgee River, Jacksonville, Georgia. And we will continue with them next week as they do that.
Credits:
Telfair History Book, 1807-1987;
Willcox Family information;
Once Upon A Time In America by Luigi Bagnato;
Disintegrated Walls Attract Attention (Ivy Mills) by Arden Skidmore;
other information on Benjamin Franklin;
various other sources.
