In 1907, the China Manufacturing Company, Pembroke Mills, and the Webster Manufacturing Company joined to form Suncook Mills. The Suncook Mills Collection spans the transition from cotton mills established in the mid-nineteenth century to the manufacture of rayon and synthetic fabrics, such as Flightex, a century later. Records of women workers include fragmentary payroll records from 1864 to 1904 at the China, Pembroke, and Webster Cotton Mills, as well as later payrolls from 1915 to 1943 at Suncook Mills. Women also appear in this collection as clerical workers, labor union officials, and stockholders.

The employee relations materials include a 1913 list of employees who had worked at Suncook for 25 years or more. About half of these veterans were women. A letter addressing grievances from Suncook's Treasurer, J. Linzer Weld, to Horace A. Riviere of the Textile Workers Union of America, dated August 1, 1941, sheds interesting light on the historical development of the gender designation of specific jobs and compensation rates in the textile industry.

Mr. Giroux was formerly a hand twister who was making only a few dollars a week. Nearly two years ago his overseer made a deal with him to go on steady work at a room-girl's pay and to help out in several jobs at this pay. When a rigger has been out and he has taken over the whole job, he has got rigger's pay but when he has only helped a rigger catch-up, he has got room girl pay, and when he has gone on as a battery hand or helps sweep, he still gets room-girl pay.

[ Prev ]

Allen-Lane Company Collection Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Collection Faulkner & Colony Manufacturing Company Collection Hayden, Stone & Company Collection McCrillis Family Collection Nashua Manufacturing Company Collection Peace Dale Manufacturing Company Collection Scovill Manufacturing Company Collection Suncook Mills Collection

[ Next ]