Reflections: Flannels to Fuses

Reflections: Flannels to Fuses: Textile Mills in the Monadnock Region: This film traces the history of the textile mills, and features the reflections of local residents who recall the sounds of the power looms and their great impact on the region. For over 100 years, textile mills were the foundation of the industrial economy in the Monadnock region. These were the cotton and woolen mills located at various sties such as Harrisville, Jaffrey, Troy and Keene. The Faulkner and Colony Mill in Keene, for example, was known for woolen flannels, and later for bomb fuses woven for the military during World War II. When the mills closed in the mid to late twentieth century, local communities faced economic hardship. As mill buildings and sties were adapted and refurbished for new uses, the significance of the mills was preserve for residents seeking a sense of community and a connection to their past. The documentary is a product of the Reflections project, launched in the fall of 2007. It is a collaborative undertaking of The Historical Society of Cheshire County, Cheshire Television, the Monadnock Institute of Nature,Place and Culture at Franklin Pierce University,the Keene Public Library, the Keene Sentinel,and Keene State College.