CANTON - After over a century of service providing the town with thousands of jobs, the Canton paper mill sounded its final bell May 24, signaling the permanent closure of the iconic site.

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said after learning of the planned summer shutdown of the paper mill he contacted North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Rep. Chuck Edwards to ask for assistance.

Locals in Canton, N.C., are trying to figure out what’s next after losing the thing that gave them an identity: their beloved, stinky paper mill.

The closure of the Canton paper mill is having a ripple effect across Western North Carolina. That's according to speakers at a June 1 forum in Buncombe County.

Smathers says many mill workers have found new jobs, although they are farther away from the town and pay less. Despite that, the mayor says many of those families still live in Canton.

The mill predates the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by more than 60 years, so nobody really knows what may be lurking on the site. The mill also treats the Town of Canton’s wastewater.

The iconic Canton paper mill, which opened in 1908, will be sold to a Missouri-based redevelopment company, the company announced Jan. 10.

Environmental research shows evidence of river recovery after Canton paper mill closes. When the Evergreen Paper Mill in Canton closed in May 2023, over one thousand employees lost their jobs, and ...

He will always support Canton, he said. "Just like it has always been," he said. "I'm going to support Canton no matter what it is doing." The mill is expected to officially close on June 9.