Wamsutta Mills is a former

textile manufacturing Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

company and current

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

for bedding and other household products. Founded by Thomas Bennett, Jr. on the banks of the Acushnet River in

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American p ...

in 1846 and opened in 1848, Wamsutta Mills was named after

Wamsutta Wamsutta ( 16341662), also known as Alexander Pokanoket, as he was called by New England colonists, was the eldest son of Massasoit (meaning Great Leader) Ousa Mequin of the Pokanoket Tribe and Wampanoag nation, and brother of Metacomet. Life W ...

, the son of a Native American chief who negotiated an early alliance with the English settlers of the

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the passengers on the ...

. It was the first of many

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

s in New Bedford, and gradually led to cotton textile manufacturing overtaking

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

as the town's principal industry by the 1870s. Wamsutta Mills became well known for producing fine quality shirtings, sheetings and other fine cotton products. The Wamsutta name continues to be used as a brand today, marketed by American retailer

Bed Bath & Beyond Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is an American chain of domestic merchandise retail stores. The chain operates many stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Bed Bath & Beyond was founded in 1971. It is counted among the Fortune 5 ...

in North America and Brazilian textile conglomerate Springs Global in South America.

History

Planning and raising funds

The Wamsutta Mills were conceived by Thomas Bennett Jr. of nearby

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wi ...

. Bennett originally planned to locate the mill in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, where he had previously worked for fellow Fairhaven native Dwight Perry, in a mill. However, one prominent investor, Congressman

Joseph Grinnell Joseph Grinnell (February 27, 1877 – May 29, 1939) was an American field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known as ...

stipulated that the mill be located in his home city, New Bedford. On April 8, 1846, the new corporation was granted a charter from the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

. By mid-1847, Bennett raised $160,000 for the mill, mostly in small investments of ten shares or less from skeptical New Bedford businessmen who were unfamiliar with the textile industry. The first meeting of the stockholders was held in 1847 and

was elected president and Thomas Bennett Jr., who had served as the superintendent of the Wamsutta Mills from 1846 until 1874, the secretary.

Early development

Construction of the first mill began in 1847. Designed by Seth Ingalls of New Bedford, it was a stone structure, long by wide, with five stories. David Whitman of

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

served as an advisor during the construction and setup of the mill, which was initially fitted with 10,000 spindles, with room for 5,000 more. Cloth production began in February 1849, and housing was built for its workers. Soon business began to boom, with capital increasing to $300,000 in 1853. A second four-story mill, long by wide, was built in 1855. A third mill, a duplicate of the second, was built in 1860–1861 outfitted in 1862 and opened in 1865; the delay was due to the Civil War and labor and product shortages. By 1868 the capitalization of the company jumped to $2,000,000 and a fourth bigger mill was built. Mill No. 4 was constructed in brick, long by wide with four stories.

Further development

Thomas Bennett Jr. retired as superintendent in 1874 and was replaced by Edward Kilburn, though the company continued to grow. By 1875, capital reached $2,500,000, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

had recently been added as a shipping destination. Mill 5 was added north of Mill No. 4. Also of brick construction, it is long by wide. Shortly after, and production of

percale Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed covers. Percale has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bedsheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth wi ...

fabric began (New Bedford is known to be the first city in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to make fine cotton). Famous textile magnate

William Madison Wood William Madison Wood (June 18, 1858 – February 2, 1926) was an American textile mill owner of Lawrence, Massachusetts who was considered to be an expert in efficiency. He made a good deal of his fortune through being hired by mill owners to tu ...

began his textile career at the Wamsutta Mills, age fifteen, working there 1873-1876. In 1880, the Wamsutta Mills replaced the old Whitin spindles with 20,000 new Rabeth spindles, which were made in

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Falls ...

by the Fales and Jenks Machine Company. In 1882 the construction of mill number 6 was begun. It is also of brick, three stories high and long by wide.

Economic success

In 1883, the Wamsutta Mills had six mills and produced 26 million yards of cotton cloth annually.

remained on until 1885 when he died at the age of 96; and

Andrew G. Pierce Andrew Granville Pierce (August 9, 1829 - September 11, 1903) was an American businessman and politician who served as Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a t ...

, William Wallace Crapo, Oliver Prescott, and Charles F. Broughton successively took his place. Soon after, in 1892, Wamsutta owned a total of seven mills, and was the largest cotton weaving plant in the world. By 1897 Wamsutta was operating 4,450 looms and employing 2,100 workers. In 1917 plans were in the works for this massive mill to receive a modernization overhaul. Machinery was upgraded and replaced and the steam power was replaced with electric. A new focus was directed toward fine sheets and pillowcases complete with advertising campaign geared towards the public. By this time, the company operated a total of 229,000 spindles and 4,310 looms, in a city with numerous large spinning and weaving mills. Prior to the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, in the 1920s, the city of New Bedford, along with many other northern textile towns had their own depression. During this time, four of the city's factories closed down. The following decade almost two dozen closed. Wamsutta, however, increased its sales in 1925 while others were liquidating and closing. By 1935, their sheets were henceforth known as Supercale instead of percale. Additionally, they manufactured a new product called Lustercale, a blend of 60% cotton and 40% high strength Avril rayon. This blend feels like cotton but is somewhat softer. At some point Wamsutta changed the fiber content of Lustercale to 100% cotton. They also created the perfect weave for sails on sailing ships. Furthermore, because of the wars, they tailored their products for hot air balloons, gas mask fabric, military uniforms, and supplies. Many other fabric types were created for many other purposes and to this day Wamsutta remains a household name for fabrics.

Recent events

In modern times, Wamsutta is a brand name of Springs Global, a Brazilian textile conglomerate, except in North America, where the brand is owned by

. Bed Bath & Beyond acquired the brand from Springs Global in June 2012. Springs Global retains the rights to market the Wamsutta brand in South America.Press Release: Sale of the brand Wamsutta (Portuguese)
/ref> In 2004, the historic Wamsutta Mills complex in Massachusetts was slated for redevelopment according to officials of New Bedford. The renovation will also include a featuring loft style apartments with up to 3 bedrooms.

References

External links

Wamsutta Mills - Historic American Buildings Survey
{{Authority control Cotton mills in the United States Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts Industrial buildings and structures in Massachusetts Industrial buildings completed in 1847 Industrial archaeological sites in the United States Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in New Bedford, Massachusetts Companies based in New Bedford, Massachusetts American companies established in 1848 Manufacturing companies established in 1848 1848 establishments in Massachusetts History of Massachusetts