History of Corrugated Boxes In 19th century England, hand-cranked corrugated roller presses were being used for ruffled shirt collars and cuffs. In 1856, this press was adapted to generate corrugated paper to replace plain paper in the cylindrical liners used to keep the shape of the tall, stiff hats worn by gentlemen. The new cylinder was stronger and its flutes provided cushioning in the sweatband. In 1871, corrugated paper was first used in the U.S. to wrap bottles and glass chimneys for kerosene lamps. Over the next 20 years, machinery was progressively developed until the first "cellular board boxes" were introduced in 1894. These corrugated fibreboard boxes were much lighter and less expensive than wood boxes, and appeared suitable for the shipment of light products.