Chatham Manufacturing Company facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Predecessor | Chatham Manufacturing Company |
| Founded | 1877 in North Carolina |
| Founder | Alexander Chatham |
| Headquarters | , |
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Area served
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International |
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Key people
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Alexander Chatham |
| Products | Outdoor apparel; blankets |
| Owner | Alexander Chatham |
Chatham Manufacturing Company is an American company that has been making textiles since 1877. They are famous for their warm and cozy Chatham Blankets. At one point, they were the biggest blanket maker in the whole world! They also made fabrics for car seats, jeans, and soft flannel clothes.
Contents
The Start of Chatham Manufacturing
From Grist Mill to Woolen Mill
The story of Chatham Manufacturing began in 1858. A man named Alexander Chatham started working at the Gwyn Mill in Elkin, North Carolina. This mill was built by Richard Gwyn. It was a grist mill, which means it ground corn into flour for local farmers. The mill used water power from Elkin Creek.
After the American Civil War, money was hard to find. People often traded goods instead of using cash. Sheep were common, so wool became a popular item to trade. The Gwyn Mill started accepting wool. They had to transport it far away to sell it.
As more and more wool came in, the company bought a special machine. This machine was called a wool carding machine. It helped prepare the wool fibers. It was installed in the grist mill and used the same water wheel for power. This brought even more wool from the mountains nearby.
Founding the Company
In 1877, Richard Gwyn and Alexander Chatham took over the mill. They added a textile mill to make fabric. They called their new business the "Elkin Valley Woolen Mill." At first, only four people worked there. In 1878, Gwyn and Chatham hired a skilled machinist named Gilvin T Roth from Philadelphia.
Moving and Growing
A big change happened in 1890 when the railroad arrived in Elkin. The North Carolina Railroad ran along the Yadkin River. Gwyn and Chatham quickly decided to move their factory closer to the railroad. This was a smart move for shipping products.
In the same year, Thomas Gwyn sold his share of the company to Alexander Chatham. The company was then renamed the Chatham Manufacturing Company. The new mill no longer needed water power. Instead, it used steam engines to power its machines.
At first, the new mill only made yarn. But in 1893, they started making fabrics too. This was the year they made their very first Chatham Blanket! By 1895, the company was also making wool fabric for suits. They even brought a tailor from New York to help make clothes.
Leadership Changes and Challenges
In 1907, the Chatham Manufacturing company reorganized. They built another factory in Winston-Salem. Alexander's son, Hugh Gwyn Chatham, became the president. R. J. Reynolds, a famous businessman, became the vice president.
In 1916, a big flood hit Elkin. The Chatham Manufacturing Company was badly damaged. After the flood, the company started building a new mill. This new mill was on higher ground, safer from future floods.
Chatham Blankets: A Famous Product
The first Chatham blanket was woven in 1893. A woman named Mrs. R.L. Hubbard sewed the edges of the first dozen blankets. Even though Chatham made many types of fabrics, their blankets were the most famous. They were the only product that had the "Chatham" name on them.
Chatham Blankets became well-known across the United States. Wool blankets are naturally soft, warm, and help keep moisture away from your skin. The process started with local wool from North Carolina. The raw wool was washed in water from the Yadkin River. Then, it was "carded" to straighten the fibers. The prepared wool was spun into threads and dyed. These threads were then woven into cloth. Finally, the cloth was softened, washed, cut to size, and the edges were sewn. These finished blankets were warm in winter, breathable in summer, and even helped clean themselves.
By 1910, Chatham was the largest blanket maker in the Southern United States. By the 1940s and 1950s, they were the biggest blanket manufacturer in the world! They made millions of blankets for soldiers during both World War I and World War II. For their excellent work during wartime, the company received the Army/Navy Award of Excellence.
Fabrics for Cars
In the 1930s, Chatham Manufacturing started making fabrics for car interiors. Companies like Studebaker, Packard, and Ford used Chatham's upholstery. Chatham even designed the inside of the 1947 Studebaker Starlight car. They also worked with famous textile designer Marianne Strengell. Chatham's car fabrics were not just for American cars. In 1980, they designed the interior for the Nissan Cedric SGL-F, a car sold only in Japan.
Chatham Blanketeers Baseball Team
Chatham Manufacturing had its own semi-professional baseball team! They were called the Chatham Blanketeers. In 1937, they represented North Carolina at a national baseball tournament in Kansas. The team won the North Carolina semi-pro championship in 1948. In 1949, they even went to the National Baseball Congress World Series.
Changes in Ownership
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By the late 1980s, Chatham Manufacturing had factories in several North Carolina cities. Most of their sales came from car upholstery and blankets. For many years, the Chatham family still owned most of the company. However, in 1988, a Danish textile company called Northern Feather, Ltd. bought Chatham Manufacturing for over $92 million.
Today, the company has been brought back by Alex Chatham. He is a designer and the great-great-grandson of the original founder, Alexander Chatham. He wants to make Chatham known for high-quality, American-made luxury products.
