The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #88910   Message #1671917
Posted By: Abby Sale
18-Feb-06 - 10:20 AM
Thread Name: happy? – Feb 18 (Lewiston Factory Girl)
Subject: happy? – Feb 18 (Lewiston Factory Girl)
Lewiston, Maine was first settled in 1770 as a plantation. It became the 94th Maine town on 2/18/1795. In 1819 Michael Little established a small carding and fulling woolen mill. By the Civil War it was a major US textile center, a total "company town" & effectively controlled by one consortium. The Lewiston Bagging Mill announced its 13-hour day (45 minutes off at noon.) It may have been considered liberal…they had Sundays off.

        The factory bell begins to ring
        And we must all obey;
        And to our old employment go,
        Or else be turned away.
        And since they've cut my wages down,
        To nine shillings per week,
        If I cannot better wages make,
        Some other place I'll seek.

                "Lewiston Factory Girl," Hedy West and Songs of New England, Jim
                Douglas; 1992. Basically same as "The Lowell Factory Girl." In Lowell they
                have a good free folk festival there instead of near-slave labor.
                Last weekend of May.

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