The Rock Hill Herald reported March 30, 1882 – “Capt. S.E. White has a fine mill property situated on Sugar Creek (this could be Steele Creek), about 1.5 miles NE of Fort Mill which includes a flour and grist mill, saw mill, and a cotton gin, all run by water power.”
On Oct. 19, 1882 the Herald reported – “A fire in Fort Mill at the gin house of Capt. S.E. White consumed a bale of cotton but the house was saved.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on April 22, 1886 – “Handy White, a colored citizen of the Fort Mill Township, is in prosperous circumstances. He was a slave of the late Wm. White and after emancipation he began working on Capt. S.E. White’s land, renting as much as he could work of six or seven years. He saved enough to buy 115 acres for $12. per acre. He now has a family comfortably situated and has livestock and farming tools, running six plows.”
The Rock Hill Herald on April 14, 1887 announced – “The erection of a cotton factory is all but assured and work should begin within 60 days. It will be the Fort Mill Cotton Factory and it hopes to be in operation by Jan. of 1888. On May 5, 1887 the paper continued – “The stock holders of the proposed FM Cotton Factory have elected officers with Samuel E. White, Pres., John L. Watson, VP, and John M. Spratt as Sec. – Treasurer. Other directors are: B.D. Springs, and J.W. White. The company will manufacture cotton pleads and other products and the main building is planned to be 300 – 50 feet.”
The Herald reported on May 12, 1887 – “The Fort Mill Cotton Factory has let contracts for construction. Mr. W.H. Stewart has the contact for the brickwork and is now making bricks. Mr. A.D. Holler of Rock Hill has the contract for erecting 14 tenant houses.” On May 19 the Rock Hill Herald announced – “The lot opposite the resident of Mr. S.A. Harris has been selected as the site of the Cotton Factory.” Also, “Mr. A.A. Bradford has contracted to build the remaining six cottages for the operatives of the mill.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on June 1, 1887 – “Honorable W.H. Stewart is pushing forward with his kiln of bricks, which are to be used in the erection of the factory.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Aug. 10, 1887 – “Work at the Fort Mill Factory is progressing and our townsman Mr. C.F. Rogers is boss of the brickwork. He estimates that 600,000 brick will be used in the factory building.”
The Herald reported on Aug. 11, 1887 – “About six months ago two of our Fort Mill citizens, Capt. S.E. White and Mr. B.D. Springs conceived of the idea of building a cotton factory for manufacturing of cotton plaids. The company was organized about three months later as the FM Manufacturing Company with a capital stock of $60,000. Contracts were given to W.H. Stewart for the brickwork on the factory and to Mr. A.D. Holler and A.A. Bradford for 21 mill houses. The cornerstone of the factory will be laid next week and 18 houses are already completed. Officers are: S.E. White, Pres., J.L. Watson, V.P., J.M. Spratt, Sec. – Tres., and directors are: B.D. Springs, and J.W. White.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 18, 1888 – “Spring and Heath of Lancaster, S.C. and T.B. Belk of Fort Mill have bought out the firms of B.D. Springs and Heath and Belk. The consolidated firm will be Spring, Heath and Belk.”
City Directories and History: The Yorkville Enquirer on Nov. 9, 1887 reported – “Work on the cotton factory in Fort Mill has resumed. It is thought that the looms will be in operation by the end of the winter. The boilers and engine are now being installed, the brick work completed, the roof nearly complete, and the cottages almost finished.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Feb. 9, 1888 – “The FM Manufacturing Mill’s Board held a meeting and fixed the salaries of officers. The mill is now completed and is now in running order.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on April 25, 1888 – “The FM Manufacturing Co., has between 100-200 looms running and they are turning out large amounts of plaids everyday. They have absorbed the Catawba Cotton Mill and now have capital stock of $100,000.” *** The paper had earlier stated on Feb. 29, 1888 – “Last Thursday the Sec. of State approved the incorporation of the Catawba Cotton Mills of Fort Mill with a capital stock of $40,000.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Nov. 14, 1888 – “The spinning dept. of the new cotton mill is nearing completion. The engine is in position and the machinery is ready.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Feb. 21, 1889 – “The Fort Mill Manufacturing Co., started its spinning mill on Thursday morning. It has a capacity of 7,500 spindles, this is in addition to the weave mill which turns out 8,000 yards of gingham daily. The officers are: Pres. Capt. S.E. White, Sec – Tres. J. M. Spratt, and Supt. M. M. Mauney, recently of Cleveland Co., N.C.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Feb. 3, 1892 – “Mill operatives from Chester have been looking for work at the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company.” (The Chester Mill had recently burned and employees were needing work.)
The YV Enquirer reported on an accident in the mill as of Feb. 3, 1892 – “Mr. G.L. Sewell a loom fixer at the factory, got his hand caught in some gearing and it was badly cut.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on June 8, 1892 – “The addition to the main building of the Fort Mill Manufacturing Co., is progressing satisfactorily and will soon be ready for the placement of machinery. The factory will have about 400 looms upon completion.”
The Yorkville Enquirer as of Sept. 13, 1893 reporter that John M. Spratt, who has been Sec. and Treasurer of the Fort Mill Manufacturing Co., since its organization, has resigned on account of ill health. Mr. B.D. Springs was elected as his successor.”
The Herald reported on Feb. 8, 1896 -“Mr. J. B. Streaker, Supt. of the Fort Mill Man. Co., will move his family from Petersburg, Va., and will occupy the dwelling recently occupied by Mrs. R. H. Fullwood, above the mill.”
The Herald on March 2, 1901 stated, “Most of the new spinning machinery recently ordered by the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company has arrived and is being installed this week.”
The Herald reported on April 9, 1902 – “The Fort Mill Manf. Co., has engaged Miss Essie Marcus of Lake City, S.C. to teach a school in the village for the benefit of the operatives.”
The Fort Mill Times on Dec. 8, 1910 – “A special meeting of the Savings Bank of Fort Mill board increased the stock form $20,000. to $25,000. It is one of the town’s oldest and most substantial institutions. First opened in 1889 – the town has grown since then from 500 to 2,000. Weathered the panics of 1893 and 1907. In 1902 it was robbed of $4,500., Capt. S.E. White has been President since beginning and has had only two cashiers: J.M. Spratt and W.B. Meacham.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Feb. 5, 1916 – “An accident at the Fort Mill Man. Company occurred when T.G. Moser, overseer of the weaving department was struck in the head by a broken shaft.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 26, 1918 – “A new firm has been organized in Fort Mill, the Fort Mill Gin Company, has a capital stock of $20,000. and will take over the cotton gin property formerly owned and operated by the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company. The gin has recently been renovated, and the new company plans to erect a cotton seed oil mill.”
The Fort Mill Times reported on Dec. 7, 1922 – That both the mills of the Fort Mill Manufacturing Company were closed Tuesday on account of low water in the Catawba River, curtailing the amount of electric power the Southern Power Co., was able to generate.”
William Hugh Close, son-in-law of EWS, took over the mill at the death of EWS. (Hugh William Close was born November 18, 1919, in Philadelphia, the son of Dr. Hugh William and Marian Lucy Crandall Close. He served during World War II as a lieutenant in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier Franklin, the most battered ship in United States Navy history. A degree in business from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1942 provided Close with a foundation for his life’s work, but he learned the fundamentals of the textile business in the sales offices and on the plant floors of Springs before moving into supervisory, technical, and executive positions. During Close’s leadership, Springs had its greatest period of growth. With a $250 million program of modernization and expansion, the company grew from eight plants and sales of $186 million in 1959 to 22 plants and sales of $293 million in 1969, when Close became board chairman. During that same period, Springs built a 21-story sales headquarters building in New York, listed its stock on the New York Stock Exchange, and consolidated its sales and manufacturing organizations into one company called Springs Mills, Inc. He was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1987.)
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