History Packet No. 5

Multi Era 4-9: 1815 to 1953

The Faulkner & Colony Mill
The Early New England Woolen Industry
Bibliography

Faulkner & Colony Mill Time Line

1775
Sawmill and gristmill built by Elisha Briggs.

1799
Nathan Blake sold the mills to Luther Smith.

1806
Luther Smith sold mills to Moses Hale and Zebediah Kise, who added machines for picking and carding wool.

1814
Mill was sold to John Mcguire.

1815
Francis Faulkner and Josiah Colony buy the mills from John Mcguire.

1825
Fire destroys the mills and they are rebuilt with brick.

1838
Fire destroys the mills and woolen mill rebuilt with brick and sawmill and gristmill built in separate buildings.

1842
Francis Faulkner dies.

1846
Charles Faulkner become junior partner.

1855
Mill was running six sets of woolen carts, 32 looms and producing 700,000 yards of twilled flannel per year.

1859
Woolen mill is enlarge.

1866
Josiah Colony retires.

1867
Josiah Colony dies.

1873
Keene becomes a city.

1879
Charles Faulkner dies.

1889
Faulkner and Colony becomes incorporated as Faulkner and Manufacturing Company 1899 Frederick Faulkner becomes President.

1900
Sawmill is closed.
Three-story addition added to mill.

1917
Horatio Colony dies in a car accident.

1925
Two story addition is built.

1942
Mill reaches peak employment with 500 employees.

1953
Mill is placed in receivership.

1954
Barker Realty Company buys the entire property and water rights.

1955
Mill Pond is filled in.

1983
Emile Legere buys the mill and opens the Colony Mill Marketplace.