Brookside Mills
Encyclopedia
Brookside Mills was a textile manufacturing
company that operated in Knoxville
, Tennessee
, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company's Second Creek factory was the city's largest employer in the early 1900s. Brookside Village, a neighborhood in North Knoxville, was originally developed to house many of the factory's workers. The company closed in 1956.
, Knoxville grew to become the third largest wholesaling center in the southeastern United States
. In the 1870s and 1880s, wholesale
company owners began reinvesting their profit
s in other industries, helping to build the city's first large-scale textile factories. Knoxville Woolen Mills, the city's first major textile manufacturer, was founded in 1884.
Brookside Mills was organized in November 1885, with $150,000 in initial capital
. The following year, the company erected its two-story
factory along Second Creek, on what was then the city's northwest periphery. The factory was initially 78 feet (23.8 m) by 210 feet (64 m), and contained 6,000 spindle
s and 176 loom
s. W. R. Tuttle, who had helped establish the Knoxville Iron Company
in the late 1860s, was chosen as Brookside's first president.
In 1895, Brookside raised its operating capital to $500,000, and overhauled its Second Creek mill. The factory was extended from 210 feet to 350 feet (106.7 m), and a new weaving building was built adjacent to the main factory. The number of spindles was increased to 21,000, and the number of looms was increased to 650, quadrupling the mill's output from 3 million yards of fabric per year to 12 million. After Tuttle left in 1898, James Maynard, son of former congressman Horace Maynard
, was named president.
By the early 1900s, the textile industry had become Knoxville's largest employer. While Knoxville Woolen Mills had the larger factory, Brookside's 1,200 employees represented the city's largest workforce. The father of movie director Clarence Brown
was general manager of the Brookside Mills in the first decade of the 20th century. Photographer Lewis Hine
visited Brookside Mills in 1910 as part of his assignment as an investigative photographer documenting the working conditions of child workers
for the National Child Labor Committee
. Several of his photographs of Brookside's youthful workers survive.
After World War II
increasing foreign competition and the high costs of modernization doomed the city's textile factories. After Cherokee Mills and Venus Hosiery closed in 1954, the city offered Brookside $350,000 in tax incentives to keep its factory open. The company cut salaries and gradually reduced its workforce before finally shutting down in 1956.
operations continued in some form at the Brookside factory until 1969. In 1996 the buildings were demolished, and the 19.4 acres (7.9 ha) lot remains vacant. The lot is located at the intersection of Baxter Avenue and Interstate 275
.
Textile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
company that operated in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company's Second Creek factory was the city's largest employer in the early 1900s. Brookside Village, a neighborhood in North Knoxville, was originally developed to house many of the factory's workers. The company closed in 1956.
History
After the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Knoxville grew to become the third largest wholesaling center in the southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. In the 1870s and 1880s, wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
company owners began reinvesting their profit
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
s in other industries, helping to build the city's first large-scale textile factories. Knoxville Woolen Mills, the city's first major textile manufacturer, was founded in 1884.
Brookside Mills was organized in November 1885, with $150,000 in initial capital
Capital (economics)
In economics, capital, capital goods, or real capital refers to already-produced durable goods used in production of goods or services. The capital goods are not significantly consumed, though they may depreciate in the production process...
. The following year, the company erected its two-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
factory along Second Creek, on what was then the city's northwest periphery. The factory was initially 78 feet (23.8 m) by 210 feet (64 m), and contained 6,000 spindle
Spindle
The term spindle may refer to:In textiles and manufacturing:*Spindle , a device to spin fibres into thread*Spindle , is the main rotating part of a machine tool, woodworking machine, etc...
s and 176 loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s. W. R. Tuttle, who had helped establish the Knoxville Iron Company
Knoxville Iron Company
The Knoxville Iron Company was an iron production and coal mining company that operated primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, and its vicinity, in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The company was Knoxville's first major post-Civil War manufacturing firm, and played a key role in bringing heavy...
in the late 1860s, was chosen as Brookside's first president.
In 1895, Brookside raised its operating capital to $500,000, and overhauled its Second Creek mill. The factory was extended from 210 feet to 350 feet (106.7 m), and a new weaving building was built adjacent to the main factory. The number of spindles was increased to 21,000, and the number of looms was increased to 650, quadrupling the mill's output from 3 million yards of fabric per year to 12 million. After Tuttle left in 1898, James Maynard, son of former congressman Horace Maynard
Horace Maynard
Horace Maynard was an American educator, attorney, politician and diplomat active primarily in the second half of the 19th century...
, was named president.
By the early 1900s, the textile industry had become Knoxville's largest employer. While Knoxville Woolen Mills had the larger factory, Brookside's 1,200 employees represented the city's largest workforce. The father of movie director Clarence Brown
Clarence Brown
Clarence Brown was an American film director.-Early life:Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to a cotton manufacturer, Brown moved to the South when he was 11. He attended Knoxville High School and the University of Tennessee, both in Knoxville, Tennessee, graduating from the university at the age of...
was general manager of the Brookside Mills in the first decade of the 20th century. Photographer Lewis Hine
Lewis Hine
Lewis Wickes Hine was an American sociologist and photographer. Hine used his camera as a tool for social reform. His photographs were instrumental in changing the child labor laws in the United States.-Early life:...
visited Brookside Mills in 1910 as part of his assignment as an investigative photographer documenting the working conditions of child workers
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
for the National Child Labor Committee
National Child Labor Committee
The National Child Labor Committee, or NCLC, is a private, non-profit organization in the United States that serves as a leading proponent for the national child labor reform movement...
. Several of his photographs of Brookside's youthful workers survive.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
increasing foreign competition and the high costs of modernization doomed the city's textile factories. After Cherokee Mills and Venus Hosiery closed in 1954, the city offered Brookside $350,000 in tax incentives to keep its factory open. The company cut salaries and gradually reduced its workforce before finally shutting down in 1956.
Mill site
WeavingWeaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
operations continued in some form at the Brookside factory until 1969. In 1996 the buildings were demolished, and the 19.4 acres (7.9 ha) lot remains vacant. The lot is located at the intersection of Baxter Avenue and Interstate 275
Interstate 275
Interstate 275 may refer to:*Interstate 275 , a loop through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton in Florida*Interstate 275 , a western bypass of Detroit, Michigan...
.
External links
- Photograph of Brookside Mills directors, 1925 — on file at the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection