Item 28932info Dyer Library Archives / Saco Museum
Biddeford and Saco, separated by the Saco River, began a long legacy of cotton manufacturing in 1825 when Saco Manufacturing built the largest textile mill in the country.
The seven-story building burned shortly after production started in 1829.
But that only temporarily slowed the move toward textile manufacturing. A group of Boston investors acquired Saco Manufacturing and Factory Island on which it was located and began the York Manufacturing Company.
They began all phases of textile manufacture, from raw cotton to finished cloth in 1833.
The mill became well known for its unique plaid, colored fabrics.
