Paul Wirt History Timeline

June 25th, 1849	Paul E. Wirt is born in Cambra, PA to the parents of Wesley and Susan Wirt.
1850's	Wesley Wirt, Paul Wirt's father, moves his family to Bloomsburg PA
September 12th 1862	Wesley Wirt, Paul E. Wirt's father, enlisted as a Private in Company D, 13th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania.
September 26th 1862	Wesley Wirt mustered out Company D, 13th Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA
October 28th, 1862	Wesley Wirt re-enlists as a Sergeant Commission in Company S, 171st Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania
August 8th, 1863	Wesley Wirt Mustered out of Company S, 171st Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, PA
September 4th, 1877	Paul Wirt is admited to the Columbia County, Pennyslvania legal Bar
January 1st, 1878	Paul Wirt marries Mirrita Sarah Funston
April 25th, 1878	Wesley Wirt, Paul's father dies of a stroke
Summer 1880	Paul Wirt begins experimenting with fountain pens.
October 11th, 1882	Paul Wirt's First fountain Pen patent is granted.
Summer 1884	Paul Wirt begins preparations to open a fountain pen business.
November 1884	George Robbins and Charles Peacock of Bloomsburg become General Agents for the Paul Wirt fountain Pen.
Feb 3rd, 1885	Paul Wirt patents his first overfeed fountain pen design.
Spring 1885	Paul Wirt opens his factory on Iron street of Bloomsburg and begins production of his fountain pens.
April 5th 1886	Max E. Wirt, Paul's son, dies at the age of 5 months.
Feb 8th, 1887	Trial of Paul Wirt Vrs. Francis Cashel Brown of Caw's Pens begins.
October 18th, 1887	Trial of Wirt Vrs. Lapham and Bogart of the Rival Fountain Pen begins
January 23rd, 1890	Margery Wirt, Paul Wirt's daughter dies at the age of seven weeks.
Feb 1890	Paul Wirt advertises in Ainslee's Magazine that 350,000 of his fountain pens are in use. The ad features the quote from Mark Twain: "An absolutely perfect reservoir pen, a pen compared with which all other pens are frank failures."
August 13th, 1890	Paul Wirt orders 150 gross of hard rubber cases from H.P.E. & Day Rubber company of Seymore Ct. This early rubber company supplied cases for Waterman, Caws, and many other fountain pen makers. Waterman moved in and eventually acquired the rubber company for himself, while Wirt began making his own hard rubber cases.
May 1891	Paul E. Wirt becomes trustee of Bloomsburg Normal School
Feb 1892	Paul Wirt advertises in Harper's Magazine that 450,000 of his fountain pens are in use. The ad features the quote from Mark Twain: "An absolutely perfect reservoir pen, a pen compared with which all other pens are frank failures."
Nov 1892	Paul Wirt advertises in Century Magazine that a Half Million of his fountain pens are in use. However the Mark Twain Quote is dropped from the advertisement.
Dec 1893	Paul Wirt Advertises that A Million of his fountain pens are in use.
April 20, 1903	The Great Paul Wirt Fountain Pen Writing Contest (see the clippings)
October 17, 1905	Pauline Wirt, Paul E. Wirt's Daughter marries John A. Roche Jr in New York City. Roche was the son of Chicago Mayor John A. Roche Sr., who served as mayor from 1887 to 1889. This Marriage ended in divorice before 1910.
May 28, 1914	Susan S. Wirt, Paul Wirt's mother dies at age 84
July 21, 1921	Karl Wirt, Paul Wirt's only son to live to maturity dies of a stroke at the age of 42.
May 11, 1925	Paul E. Wirt Pen Company is incoporated in the State of Deleware
May 19th, 1925	Paul Wirt signs over his fountain pen company and its assets to B. F. Maize and Robert H. Knoor for $10,000
October 4th, 1934	Paul Wirt Honored by Rotary Club for lifetime acheivement.
January 21, 1935	Paul Wirt dies at his home at 1:45 AM
January 31, 1935	Paul Wirt's will is read. Most of his estate goes to his daughter, Pauline Wirt Roche.

 

 

 

 

With a single Wirt pen I haved carved out the familiy's living, with two I might have become rich ."
Mark Twain