Mississippi Mills (Wesson, Mississippi) facts for kids

Mississippi Mills was a big factory complex in Wesson, Mississippi, that made cotton and wool fabrics. It operated in the late 1800s. By 1892, it was known as the largest factory of its kind in the Southern U.S..

However, the factory faced problems because its owners weren't always around to manage it, and it had money troubles. Mississippi Mills closed down in 1910, and its buildings were taken apart a few years later.

How Mississippi Mills Started

During the American Civil War in 1864, a fabric factory in Bankston, Mississippi, was burned down by the Union Army because it was making supplies for the Confederate Army. After the war, in 1866, the factory's owner, Colonel James Madison Wesson, moved to Copiah County, Mississippi. There, he started a new fabric factory called the Mississippi Manufacturing Company. The town of Wesson grew up around this new factory.

Because of money problems after the war (during the Reconstruction Era), the Mississippi Manufacturing Co. went bankrupt by 1871. Captain William Oliver and John T. Hardy bought the factory from Colonel Wesson, but it burned down again in 1873.

Captain Oliver then convinced Edmund Richardson, who owned a lot of land and grew a lot of cotton in Mississippi, to become a partner. They decided to build a more modern fabric factory using brick. This was a smart idea because brick buildings were much safer from fires, especially since they used wood to power the machines, and cotton fibers are very flammable. Richardson bought out Hardy and took control of the new business, which they named Mississippi Mills. Edmund Richardson became the president, and William Oliver was the general manager.

The Best Years of Mississippi Mills

The Mississippi Mills factory complex grew to include four large buildings. These were built over 21 years, from 1873 to 1894. By 1882, they even had electric lights installed to brighten up the factory buildings! When all four mills were finished, they covered several city blocks, and one of them was five stories tall.

Under William Oliver's leadership, from 1873 to 1891, Mississippi Mills did very well. This was partly because he cared about the workers and the local community. By the late 1880s, Mississippi Mills employed about 1,200 people. These workers operated 25,000 cotton spindles, 26 sets of woolen machines, and 800 looms. They produced huge amounts of fabric each year, including:

• 4,000,000 yards of cotton goods
• 2,000,000 yards of woolen goods
• 320,000 pounds of yarn and twine

Mississippi Mills made a wide variety of cotton and woolen products. These included different types of cloth like jeans, flannels, and gingham. They also made knitting yarn, cotton rope, towels, and even ticking for mattresses.

Why Mississippi Mills Declined

After Edmund Richardson passed away in 1886, and William Oliver died in 1891, Mississippi Mills started to have problems. John Richardson, Edmund's son, took over as president. He hired a new general manager from the North, but he himself moved far away to New Orleans, Louisiana. This meant the main leaders weren't as involved in the daily operations.

Mississippi Mills also faced other challenges:

• The Panic of 1893: This was a serious economic downturn that affected many businesses.
• Higher transportation costs: It became more expensive to move materials and finished products.
• A drop in cotton prices: The value of their main raw material went down.
• Labor disputes: There were disagreements with the workers.

Because of these difficulties, Mississippi Mills was forced into receivership in 1906, meaning a court took control of its finances. The factory finally closed in 1910. The buildings remained empty until they were taken apart in 1920.

One building, the Mississippi Mills Packing and Shipping Rooms facility, was saved when the rest of the complex was dismantled. In 1996, this building was recognized for its historical importance and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Copiah County, Mississippi.

Images for kids

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  Mississippi Mills textile complex, around 1900