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Women played an important role in founding the Cotton Mill in 1910.
At MillHouse, we're thrilled to build on the amazing foundation these pioneering women put in place.
The Texas Cotton Mill Company originated September 21, 1910. Original Board of Directors: J. Perry Burrus, First President and largest stockholder, Thomas B. Wilson, Louis Alfred Scott, William B. Newsome, George Wilcox, James Rowland Gough, Elbert W. Kirkpatrick, Stephen D. Heard, Mary Elizabeth Crane Boyd, and three others.
McKinney's Cotton Mill is unique due to the substantial number of women investors. The original stockholder list (42) included four prominent women.
Most notable of the women stockholders, McKinney's Mary Elizabeth Boyd served as one of the original directors.
* Designated feme sole or sole owner -- Texas law allowing women to own property.
Mary Elizabeth Crane Boyd, Founding Director and Stockholder
In 1895, Mary joined McKinney’s oldest women’s organization, the Owl Club. After her husband's death in 1906, Mary continued her work as a moneylender, and took on a larger role in civic affairs. She sold land to the city for a new city hall, and donated $3000 in 1914 to furnish the new city high school, which is named after her, McKinney Boyd.
A bit more data about McKinney's Cotton Mill...
1914 Texas Bureau of Labor Statistics 1st report on McKinney's Cotton Mill:
No Child Labor
McKinney's textile mill restricted child labor, verified by Lewis Hines on behalf of the National Child Labor Committee in October 1914. He found no one under 15 in the workforce (see photo above).
Cotton Mill process:
Cotton bolls are cleaned by combing and carding. Cotton fibers are twisted so that yarn can be spun, dyed, and woven into cloth. Picking season: August-November. Mill running at capacity by October.
Jobs in the Cotton Mill:
Sources:
Do you have historical family photos or stories about the Cotton Mill?
We want to understand how women influenced the Cotton Mill policies and operations, and how the Cotton Mill influenced the local community.
We're especially interested in stories about female family members.
Help us preserve your memories.
Cotton Mill Herstory project.
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Spinning room at Texas Cotton Mill Company, McKinney. Photo credit: Steve Powell
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