(This appeared on the former Wirt website by Ron Dutcher.)
| 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, PA 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. |