subject: Textile Workers Massachusetts Wakefield
description- – Photos courtesy of the Wakefield Historical Society, Louis Picardi and the Payro family.
- – 2 pictures :
- – "Charles N. Winship was born in Needham (now Wellesley) in 1863, the son of Francis and Catherine Winship. He left school at the age of 13 and by age 14 was employed at a knitting mill in Wellesley. That same year he began working at the Dudley Hosiery Mill in Newton Lower Falls where he rose to assistant foreman in charge of the knitting department. When a selling agent for the company started Allston Mills, he joined the company and was employed as a foreman until his partnership with Miss Elizabeth E. Boit. In 1888, the two formulated their manufacturing and merchandising policies and Mr. Winship purchased three second-hand knitting machines and five finishing machines. They set up shop in Cambridgeport as the Harvard Knitting Mills and later moved to Wakefield in 1889. The Harvard Knitting Mills became a very successful enterprise and in 1920, Mr. Winship realized his dream come true. He initiated a profit sharing program at the company for the benefit of the employees, although the plan was discontinued after several years as a result of changing economic conditions. By that time, the company had paid over $288,000 to its employees under the novel program. Under Mr. Winship's and Miss Boit's guidance, the Harvard Knitting Mills was the first mill to initiate a 48 hour work week in 1919, a 40 hour work week in 1933 and paid a $62,000 bonus to employees in 1918. In 1923 the copmany paid 1/10th the total tax levy for the town of Wakefield. Mr. Winship was active in the community serving as a member of the School Committee, the George Washington Bicentennial Committee, Chairman and founding member of the Wakefield Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Wakefield Board of Trade and the Public Safety and War Chest Committees during World War I. He was also a corporator and Vice President of the Wakefield Savings Bank Board, a Director and President of the Wakefield National Bank and was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Elks Home Corporation. The mill building was later sold to Sylvania during World War II and later to Murray Printing, Revere Knitting Mills and Transitron, although the business continued in a diminished capacity. Mr. Winship died in March, 1946. He had several homes in Wakefield on Pleasant Street, Fairmount Avenue and Jordan Avenue, the latter of which is now Nazareth Academy." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2008-06-24T18:36:42Z
- – 2008-06-24T18:36:42Z
- – 1990.
- – 1990.
publishercreatorrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 1990 ; July.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield.
description- – Photos courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item and the Wakefield Historical Society.
- – 2 pictures :
- – "Elizabeth Eaton Boit, the first woman in the United States to be actively involved in the manufacture of textile goods, was born in Newton on July 9, 1848 to James H. and Amanda (Berry) Boit. She attended Newton public schools and the Lasell Seminary at Auburndale for two years. In 1866 at the age of 18, Miss Boit was employed by Dudley Hosiery Mill as timekeeper for the sewing department and was later promoted to forewoman. She was later named Superintendent of the Allston Mills at Cottage Farm, the first position of its kind ever held by a woman. In 1888, she and Charles N. Winship, her co-worker at both Dudley Hosiery Mill and Allston Mills entered into a partnership for the manufacture of ladies undergarments with a combined investment of $2500. The firm, Winship, Boit&Company served as proprietor of the Harvard Knitting Mills and began their operation in Cambridgeport, employing 25 workers who produced 20 dozen garments each day. The company moved to Wakefield in 1889 and occupied the entire third floor of the Wakefield Block, later known as the Taylor Building. At the time 40 workers were employed and the firm boasted 10 knitting machines and five sewing machines. Business increased and the company later occupied several other floors in the building. In 1895, the company employed 160 workers, mostly young ladies, in the factory and between 200 to 250 additional workers who crocheted the finish work in their own homes. At the time the company expanded their line to include infants', children's, ladies' and men's undergarments and did a business of $250,000. Miss Boit served as Superintendent in charge of the office and the business management of the firm. In 1897 the firm purchased a parcel of land at the corner of Lake and Albion Streets. Eventually the firm would occupy over 8 acres of space as several additions were built over the years. She was a friend to her workers and built a 'mini hospital' at the factory for Harvard Knitting Mills employees in 1917 and instituted a maternity leave for the women. Miss Boit was active in the community and was the first woman in the country to serve on the Board of Directors of a bank, (Wakefield Co-operative Bank). She was also active in the First Baptist Church and was involved in several real estate transactions including the Boit Apartments on Richardson Avenue. Miss Boit served as a founder and Treasurer of the Wakefield Home for Aged Women which was established in 1894 to 'furnish a home for women who have been residents of the town of Wakefield not less than ten years.' The home was constructed at 5 Bennett Street and was renamed the 'Elizabeth E. Boit Home for Aged Women' in 1921 in recognition of her generosity and faithful assistance in the management of the home. She passed away in 1932 at her home which is located at the corner of Chestnut and Prospect Streets." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.
subjectcollectiondate- – 2008-06-24T18:36:25Z
- – 2008-06-24T18:36:25Z
- – 1990.
- – 1990.
publishercreatorrelation- – Wakefield Municipal Gas&Light Department calendar 1990 ; June.
coverage- – Wakefield (Mass.) History Pictorial works.
- – Massachusetts Wakefield.
