In 1889, the Woonsocket Rubber Company constructed the Alice Mill on Fairmount Street to meet expanding production needs. Named for the mother of Joseph Banigan (one of the company's founders), the mill was built of brick on a granite base. Two stair towers projected from an immense four story structure with a total floor space of 12 acres, making it the largest rubber mill in with world.
By the following year, the Woonsocket Rubber Company was the largest rubber importer in the United States with Alice alone having the capacity to produce 8,000 pairs of rubber shoes per day. At this time the company had 1,500 employees.
In 1892, the Woonsocket Rubber Company was sold to the US Rubber Company for over $9 million, but continued to operate under its own name due to its reputation for quality.
<i>Images courtesy of the Woonsocket Historical Society</i>
