is the of result a partnership between -016463). “ a World” is solely solely is World” a “Weaving rr-016463). who, through their memories, their keepsakes, who, through their memories, their keepsakes, with project support from Holly Lasagna, Harward Center Center Harward Lasagna, Holly from support project with by Museum L-A staff members Rachel Desgrosseilliers, by a team of Bates students, including Thomas Burian, Jessica the responsibility of Museum L-A and does not represent of Museum L-A and does not represent the responsibility the official views of the nih. the exhibit. the Mill Elders Advisory Committee. Their suggestions and the Millworkers Oral History Project, a collection of Museum Museum of collection a Project, History Oral Millworkers the graphs and other documents from their archives. All materials and other documents from their archives. graphs for Community Partnerships, Bates College. for Community Partnerships, faculty research support from the Office of the Dean of key materials; and to Will Ash of the Bates College Imaging Imaging College Bates the of Ash Will to and materials; key to Batesand Computing Center is funded in part by grants and Doug Hodgkin, and by mill veterans Lionel Audet, Ray Ray Audet, Lionel veterans mill by and Hodgkin, Doug and and the power of their stories, made this exhibit possible. possible. exhibit this made stories, their of power the and are reproduced by permission. Special thanks are due to Donat by permission. Special thanks are reproduced are and Computer Center for producing the base maps used in used in the exhibit. Susan Beane, and Jessica Dumas. Archival research was done done was research Archival Dumas. Jessica and Beane, Susan We are grateful to the Franco-American Collection, University to the Franco-American grateful are We gratefullyWe acknowledge funding from a Rural Business corrections strengthened the exhibit immeasurably. strengthened corrections Wilson. Special thanks to the many community members who who members community many the to thanks Special Wilson. donated to Museum L-A photographs and other documents documents other and photographs L-A Museum to donated collaborators and contributors. collaborators Faculty, Bates College. The aid of the Bates College Imaging Imaging College Bates the of aid The College. Bates Faculty, D’Amour, Lucille Barrett, Roland Gosselin, Gerry Lafrance, Lafrance, Gerry Gosselin, Roland Barrett, Lucille D’Amour, constituted who Pierre, St. Ray and Little, Helen Lebel, Fred Public Library; the Androscoggin Historical Society; and the the and Society; Historical Androscoggin the Library; Public Bates College, for generously sharing photo- Muskie Archives, and (USM/L-A) Collection Franco-American the of Boisvert Enterprise Grant, USDA-Rural Development Program L-A. Interviews were conducted by oral historian Andrea historian Andrea conducted by oral L-A. Interviews were L’Hommedieu and by students in the classes of Professors Lindkvist, Heather and Eames, Elizabeth Creighton, Margaret Museum L-A and Bates College. It has benefited from many many from benefited has It College. Bates and L-A Museum L-A) and David Scobey (Bates College). It was written by of (School Smotrich Hannah by designed and Scobey David done was World” a “Weaving for research visual and Planning Mike and Simons, Julia Reed, Eliza Purinton, Nate Dumas, Jim Allard of the Lewiston Public Library for helping to locate locate to helping for Library Public Lewiston the of Allard Jim grant no. p20 nih (grant no. The exhibit was conceived by Rachel Desgrosseilliers (Museum (Museum Desgrosseilliers Rachel by conceived was exhibit The from drawn were a World” The voices quoted in “Weaving of Southern Maine/Lewiston-Auburn College; the Lewiston Lewiston the Maine/Lewiston-Auburn College; Southern of Our deepest thanks go to all those community members members community those all to go thanks deepest Our College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the the and Institute Medical Hughes Howard the from College Committee, by community historical experts Elliott Epstein Center for Community Partnerships, Bates College, and Bates College, and Center for Community Partnerships, (Michael W. Aube, State Director), a grant from the Harward Harward the from grant a Director), State Aube, W. (Michael Art & Design, University of Michigan). Design, & Art “weaving a world” a world” “weaving “Weaving a World” was reviewed by the Museum L-A Exhibit Exhibit L-A Museum the by reviewed was World” a “Weaving 1970 - A Chronology orld: orld: W ’s “George Washington” bedspread bedspread Washington” “George Mill’s Bates best-seller becomes national ewiston: 40,804 of Lewiston: Population Centenary celebration of the Bates Manufacturing Company Manufacturing of the Bates Company Centenary celebration Armory the Lewiston at residents half of Lewiston’s Quebec; of migration from wave New born Canada in French against mills by City-wide strike America Union of Workers Textile competition competes in international team hockey Mill hockey Bates sets in Lewiston First television Androscoggin Mill closes closes Railway Trunk Grand Continental Mill closes banquet Mill Bates sings at Maurice Chevalier ceases publication Le Messager Liston Sonny vs. Cassius Clay Armory in Lewiston match championship boxing world Mill transferred to Bates 125 workers Hill Mill closes; laid off 1000 workers and approximately is bought Manufacturing the Bates Company Facing liquidation, Stock Ownership Program in Employee its workers by to outside investors Manufacturing sell Bates Company Employees to the South operations Mill moves Libbey Museum L-A founded

1950: 1950s: 1951: 1953: 1956: 1960: 1961: 1962 and doctrine, liturgy Catholic council reforming II” “Vatican XXIII launches John Pope 1966: 1967: Edmund Muskie leads Maine Senator , of the the pollution by Spurred 1963 Agency, effort Protection the Environmental and found laws clean-water to pass 1971: 1976: 1986: Mexico and Canada U.S., between trade free Congress mandating U.S. passed by NAFTA 1991: 1996: 1950 ewiston: 35,690 of Lewiston: Population Remaining workers at Bates Mill laid off Bates at Remaining workers opens in the former Hill Mill Weavers Maine Heritage reunion,” “millworkers Museum L-A holds first Oral History Project launching Millworker history partnership Museum L-A public College with Bates

2001: 2002: 2004: 2008: – 2004

he Millworkers’ The Millworkers’ 2000 3584 19,083 : :

1937 - ewiston of L Population F.X. Marcotte’s furniture store established furniture store Marcotte’s F.X. Canal system built to power Lewiston textile mills Lewiston power to built Canal system Construction Mill Mill and Hill opening of Bates and Lewiston Seminary founded on outskirts of Maine State opens Androscoggin Mill College Bates Seminary renamed Maine State in honor of benefactor Bates Benjamin Continental Mill opens Cities Twin connects the Railroad Auburn & Lewiston system Railway Trunk to the Grand Beginning immigration of large-scale England Canada to New French from newspaper, a francophone daily Le Messager, in Lewiston begins publication Canadian neighborhood French “Little Canada,” of Growth textile mills and Lewiston’s River Androscoggin the between Benjamin Bates and other investors incorporate other investors and Bates Benjamin Manufacturingthe Bates Company ulation of Lewiston Population

1888: –1890s: 1880s 1850s: 1855: 1861: 1861 War, Civil begins Sumter the U.S. on Fort attack Confederate 1864: 1865: 1865 War, Civil the U.S. ending Courthouse, Appomattox at to Grant Lee surrenders 1874: 1880: 1850: 1850 Lewiston textile mills produce sheets, blankets, and blankets, sheets, textile mills produce Lewiston effort parachute cloth for the war men held by formerly into jobs move female millworkers Many ewiston: 38,598 of Lewiston: Population ewiston: 31,791 of Lewiston: Population CIO-supported strike of Auburn shoe factories, unsuccessfully unsuccessfully shoe factories, Auburn of CIO-supported strike America of Workers for the United Shoe seeking recognition Local investors buy several mills and reorganize mills and reorganize several buy Local investors Manufacturingas Bates Company Southern competition bankrupts Androscoggin and Hill Mills SouthernAndroscoggin competition bankrupts and consolidates buys Company Central Maine Power Mills and Bates Hill, Androscoggin, River Androscoggin the out bridgesFlood washes over Lewiston downtown and inundates Construction of Saints Peter and Saint Paul Church begun Church and Saint Paul Construction of Saints Peter Construction of Saints Peter and Paul Church completed Church and Paul Construction of Saints Peter Bates Manufacturing Company opens design showroom opens design showroom ManufacturingBates Company City York New on 34th Street, Noted reform photographer Lewis Hine Noted reform photographer Lewis textile mills in Lewiston documents child labor Decline of New England textile industry, growth of Southern mills growth England textile industry, Decline of New

National labor insurgency leads to the formation of new industrial unions labor insurgency National 1935 and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, 1937: millowners by America recognized Union of Workers Textile 1941: II War World enters U.S. Harbor, Pearl on After the attack 1945: – 1941 1945: 1928: 1929 Depression, and the beginning of the Great crash market Stock 1933 launches the New Deal, Delano Roosevelt Franklin 1936: 1905: 1938: 1940s:

1909:

1920s: 1900