History Packet No. 5

Multi Era 4-9: 1815 to 1953

The Faulkner & Colony Mill
Faulkner & Colony Mill Time Line
Bibliography

The Early New England Woolen Industry

Many woolen mills began by offering carding and cloth finishing (fulling). The next step in the development of early mills was spinning the carded wool before sending it back to local homes for weaving. The final step toward the operation of a full service mill was to offer weaving services to produce blankets, rugs and flannels, usually 45 inches wide. This last step centralized all processes outside the home, making the mills true manufacturers.

The achievement of these steps required the investment in the appropriate machinery as it evolved. Consequently, the evolution of the woolen mill was gradual and, as a result, most mills relied on independent home weavers well into the 19th century.

Initially, New England woolen manufacturers learned that it was impossible to compete with fine British broadcloth. Success was to produce lower-end products, which meant taking over the home produced lines. So a very gradual take-over came as the mills still worked in cooperation with the home industry into the early 19th century.

Flannel was the most basic cloth. Technically all woolen cloth was flannel as the raw product when it came off the loom. Skilled labor-intensive processes, like fulling, napping and shearing, converted the basic flannel into fancier material like broadcloth. Flannel was used for underwear and work shirts in the 18th and 19th centuries, therefore it was unaffected by changes in fashion. This fact along with its ease of manufacture made it the easiest produce for small mills.

Mills known for their flannel manufacturing were Amesbury Flannel Manufacturing Company (Massachusetts, incorporated in 1822); Gonic Manufacturing Company (New Hampshire); Stirling Mills (Lowell, Massachusetts); Faulkner & Colony Woolen Mill (Keene, New Hampshire, incorporated in 1815).

Fine woolens were prized in the making of men's and women's clothing, bedspreads and blankets. Clothing made of broadcloth was often listed among the most valuable items in estate inventories. The drop in British imports due to the War of 1812 produced a gap in supply of fine woolens.

Despite European competition, the demand and high value of broadcloth enticed New England companies to begin producing it generally by the 1830's. Popular, less demanding goods produced at this time included flannels, cassimere (wool with a patterned surface), and satinet (a cotton and wool mix).

Over time, the smaller woolen mills tended to fare better than the large mills due to their ability to make sudden changes in production. These changes were driven by the fashions of the Victorian era that demanded close attention to detail and a wider range of fabric styles.