Maine Memory Network
Maine's Online Museum

Title: Textile mill workers, ca. 1900

Contributed by: Lewiston Public Library

Date: circa 1900

Location: Lewiston

Media: phototransparency

Title: Workers inside a textile mill circa 1900

Contributed by: Lewiston Public Library

Date: circa 1900

Location: Lewiston

Media: phototransparency

Title: Sanford Mills Office and Firehouse, ca. 1910

Contributed by: Sanford Historical Committee

Date: circa 1910

Location: Sanford

Media: Print from Glasss Negative

Biddeford, Saco and the Textile Industry

The largest textile factory in the country reached seven stories up on the banks of the Saco River in 1825, ushering in more than a century of making cloth in Biddeford and Saco. Along with the industry came larger populations and commercial, retail, social, and cultural growth.

Silk Manufacturing in Westbrook

Cultivation of silkworms and manufacture of silk thread was touted as a new agricultural boon for Maine in the early 19th century. However, only small-scale silk production followed. In 1874, the Haskell Silk Co. of Westbrook changed that, importing raw silk, and producing silk machine twist threat, then fabrics, until its demise in 1930.

History in Motion: The Era of the Electric Railways

Street railways, whether horse-drawn or electric, required the building of trestles and tracks. The new form of transportation aided industry, workers, vacationers, and other travelers.

Biddeford History & Heritage Project

Highlights of Biddeford history presented by McArthur Public Library, Biddeford Historical Society, and Biddeford High School’s Project ASPIRE class. The site explores shipbuilding, the Civil War homefront, women’s clubs, influential residents, and some of the city’s famous artists and inventors.