1917 Official American Textile Directory.

One of my most prized possessions. I picked this up about nine years ago. It has lots of useful information about the textile industry, at about the peak of the industry in New England. Includes lists of mills by state and city. Lots of facts and figures and wonderful old ads.

Barnaby Zephyrs

"Do not choose your wash fabrics for 1910 until you have seen... Barnaby's fabric of quality." Sample of fine Scotch Gingham. The Barnaby Manufacturing Company was established in Fall River in 1892 on Quequechan Street. Later, until the late 1970s the site was used by Frito-Lay. In the 1980s it became the Quality Outlets which included factory outlet stores for Levi's, Dockers and a very good book store I used to go to often to get cheap books. Most recently it was occupied by Mill Stores and Cardi Furniture. The factory was demolished in 2010 for a shopping center that has not yet been built.

Hargraves Soap Works

An idyllic scene. Eastern Fall River in 1883. The Hargraves Soap company was located at what is now Stafford Square, along Quarry Street. The Quequechan River is in the distance, with the New Bedford to Fall River Railroad passing through the "mill pond". The Chace Mill is on the other side of the river. The horse pasture really strikes me, as this is now a dense area of housing. The Hargraves Mill was built on this spot a few years later in 1888.