Papyrus was grown on the River Nile,
And was used to write on for quite some while,
Then much later, Ts’ai Lun, circa 105 AD,
Presented his paper making technology.
He soaked hemp, beat it, then drained it through a sieve,
Stretched it on a frame, dried it, and paper t’would give.
In 1630, the paper bag invention brought new hope,
But it was awkward because it folded like an envelope.
Charles Fenerty made the first paper from wood,*
But didn’t patent his invention, so others made good.
Then Healey & Allen pleated paper to line men’s top hats, **
And in 1870 Robert Gair made boxes out of pre-cut ‘flats’,***
Albert Jones of New York, made corrugated paper to safely ship stuff,****
1874, Smyth built a cardboard machine and Long made the patent less rough.
Margaret Knight created square bottoms for bags whilst working in a factory,
And founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company to make them in 1870.
In 1872, Luther Crowell patented a machine that would make loads more,
And the iconic paper plate was patented in 1904.

*In 1838.
** In 1856.
***An American.
**** In 1871