St. Regis Paper Company--Bucksport, Fort Knox

ST. REGIS PAPER COMPANY--BUCKSPORT*
FORT KNOX STATE PARK*

This trip to the Bucksport area was designed with two objectives in mind: First, to expose the students to Maine's larges industry, paper manufacturing, and second, to visit and discuss Fort Knox's place in the history of the State of Maine. A guided tour of the St. Regis Mill in Bucksport may be arranged... Reservations for Fort Knox may be made by contacting Fort Knox State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine...There is no charge for school groups at Fort Knox State Park. Bucksport is approximately a forty minute drive from Bangor either by Route 1A or Route 15. The visitation of these two sites called for the division of the fifty-four students and ten adults into two groups. While one grou toured the St. Regis Plant, the other group explored Fort Knox. The tour of the St. Regis facility lassted approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. The process of papermaking was explained as students walked through the plant. Students saw in action St. Regis Paper Company's new Number 5 papermachine which offers the ultimate in programming technology with a computerized coating preparation process. This machine can produce a sheet of paper wider than two expressway lanes at a speed of 34 miles per hour. Students were also exposed to many of the employment opportunities in the paper industry.

Discovering Fort Knox is always a joy to students. The Fort, named after Major General Henry Knox of Thomaston, who served Washington as his Secretary of War, was begun in 1814 to protect the reaches of the Penobscot River. A history of the Fort is depicted on display boards as one enters the Fort Area. Uniformed park rangers are ready to help in assisting groups. The activities available at FOrt Knox are only limited by the group leader's imagination and expertise. A cookout at lunch time at the fireplace area is enjoyable. This allows for a break between the two activities and for the group to join together for lunch.

Other paper companies having public tours of the facilities are:
Boise Cascade Paper Group, Rumford, Maine....
Diamond International Corp., Old Town, Maine....
Fraser Papers LTD,. Madawaska...
Georgia Pacific Corp., Woodland...
Great Northern Paper Company, Millinocket...
Keyes Fibre Company, Waterville...
Scott Paper Company, Winslow...
Scott Paper Company, Somerset...
S.D. Warren Company, Westbrook...

*Not visited in 1980

[No Ratings]

(Excerpt from The Maine Journey Field Trip Guide, 1980, p.18-19.)