The Desurmont Worsted Mill was one of several Woonsocket worsted mills built by French and Belgian textile businessmen in the early twentieth century as a result of mayor Aram Pothier’s efforts to attract foreign investment to Woonsocket.
The turn of the century would not prove to be a prosperous era for the newly renamed American Wringer Company. The invention of the electric washing machine was the death knell for the wringer’s popularity. By 1940, 60% of all homes in the US were outfitted with the modern convenience.
The Barnai Worsted Company was incorporated in 1914 and named for William Barnett, a menswear buyer for Sears, Roebuck and for William Naismith, an agent of the Scotia Worsted Mills. The company produced menswear and worsted goods and also fabricated heavy shirting flannels for the War Department during World War I. According to government records, the company was paid $1.72 per yard for an order consisting of 50,000 yards of cloth. The enterprise began with 30 looms and was originally housed in a nearby building, since destroyed.
At the turn of the century, the city's first textile mill was still flourishing. It was so financially strong, the Lippit Family decided to merge their holdings in the Manville Company with the Social Manufacturing Company in 1900. 1904 saw significant additions to the mill's weave shed, making it the largest in the United States. Production for the First World War was also a boon for both mill owners and employees, who saw increases in their earnings. However, things changed quickly when the war ended.
In 1827, Dan Daniels and Jonathan Russell purchased land on the then-Smithfield side of the river and established the Russell Manufacturing Company. They built Mill #1 - a 3-story rubble stone mill and named the surrounding area Danville, after Daniels. Sadly, the company went bankrupt due to the Depression of 1829.
In 1827, Hosea Ballou constructed a brick mill on this site and purchased the first privilege to the Lyman Arnold Mill Trench to power it. Unfortunately, he went bankrupt shortly after due to the Depression of 1829.
At that time, Hosea’s brother, Dexter, was operating a successful mill on the nearby sawmill lot. When that mill was destroyed by a fire that same year, Dexter moved his operations to Hoseau's brick mill and flourished.
Alice Mill continued to flourish at the turn of the century. In addition to employment, the mill was proud to provide other opportunities for its workers such as citizenship classes and a baseball team. However, the mill’s success and strong morale did not prevent it from feeling the effects of the Great Depression. The mill was forced to close in 1932.
The Samoset Worsted, a four story brick structure and office building, was constructed in 1910 by Torrington Construction. It was built at the same time as the adjacent Nyanza Mill. They would be the last textile mills constructed in the city.
While relatively little is known about the mill’s original occupant, in 1937 the site was purchased by the Finkelstein brothers for their growing business.
Before the First World War, the Social and Nourse Mills were operated as a single unit. Lines often ran 52 weeks per year on a single product, often for a single customer. Finishing and styling was done in-house, and products were distributed through an in-house sales office in New York.
In 1960, the Argonne Worsted Company relocated to the village of Manville, in Lincoln, RI. In 1967, the Lafayette Worsted Spinning Company closed.
The complex was utilized by a number of concerns after 1967, its most prominent occupants being Miller Electric and ACS (American Copper Sponge Co.) Industries.
<i>Images courtesy of the Woonsocket Historical Society</i>
