Cocheco Mills Collection, 1782-1997

Collection number: MC 370
Size: (10 boxes) (5.0 cu.ft.)

About the Cotton Mills in Dover, NH:

Along with Taunton, Lowell, and Fall River, all in Massachusetts, Dover, New Hampshire pioneered the large-scale printing of cotton fabric in the 1820s. Dover’s first mill was built in 1815 on the Upper Falls of the Cocheco River. The Cocheco Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1827, and new management brought tighter rules for employees, resulting in 1828 in the first women’s strike in the United States.

The Cocheco Manufacturing Co. became a force in American textile manufacturing, and in the 1870s the water wheels were replaced by modern turbines and the original mill structures renovated. However, like other northern textile mills, Dover experienced a decline in the early 1900s. The Cocheco Manufacturing Company was bought out in 1909 by the Pacific Mills Co., which discontinued all operations in Dover in 1937.

For additional information on the Dover mills, see Cathleen Beaudoin’s article “A Yarn To Follow” and others at Dover Public Library.

About the Cocheco Mills Collection:

This collection consists of photographs, negatives, business correspondence, and financial receipts related to the Dover textile mills which produced fabric from 1815 to 1937. There is a small amount of later secondary source material chronicling this history of the mills and exhibits from the 1980s.

The photographs primarily depict the 1907 No. 1 Mill fire and its 1908 reconstruction and 1913 demolition of the Printworks. Textual materials consist of business correspondence from mill administrators John Williams (agent), William Shimmin (treasurer), John H. White (attorney), and agents James Curtis and Moses Paul. Many documents and receipts contain extensive lists of workers' names, including an 1840 list of 131 workers who received vaccinations (Box 9 folder 2). The folders on the Cocheco Manufacturing Co. (Box 8) are especially rich in information which contextualizes the impact and role of the mills in the wider community. This includes shipping records, boarding records, water usage, wharfage fees, and teamster bills. The collection concludes with a set of company newspapers (Cocheco Chats) and histories of the Pacific Mills Co.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [Folder], [Box], Cocheco Mills Collection, 1782-1997, MC 370, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Purchase, 2023. Donation: Dover Public Library, and anonymous, December 15, 1986 - August 20, 1987 (Accession numbers: 8656, 8677, 8710)

Related Material

Business Records of the Dover Manufacturing Company (Dover, N.H.), American Textile History Museum Library

Dover Manufacturing Corporation, New Hampshire Historical Society

Dover Manufacturing Company Records, 1822-1898, Cornell University Library

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged roughly by material type: secondary source materials first, then photographic negatives and their prints, and lastly primary source materials such as letters, receipts, ledgers, and company magazines.

Collection Contents

Series 1: UNH Library Exhibit Materials, 1986

(0.33 cu. ft.)

Copy negatives, proofs, and background research related to a 1986 UNH Friends of the Library exhibit on the history of Cocheco Mills in Dover. The materials date from 1986, but the images and information span the history of the mills.

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1		Contact prints of copy negatives of mill photos, 1979-1986 001-002: “Cocheco Manufacturing Co., Dover, N.H. Lawrence & Co., Selling Agents D. H. Hurd & Co., Publishers, Boston.” Architectural sketch of the mills complex. 003: “Pacific Mills ‘Cocheco Dept.’ (Cotton Mill and Print Works) Dover, N. H.” Architectural sketch of the mills complex. Architectural sketch of the mills complex. 004-009: Aerial views of the various mill buildings 010-011: Distant views of the mill buildings and Cocheco River 012: “Central Square ca. 1909” 013-014: Demolition/ Reconstruction 015-018: Cocheco River and dam 019-020: Bridge over the Cocheco River 021-025: Postcards of the mill complex 026-028: Early transportation of goods 029-033: Mill people 034-043: Mill interiors 044-048: During the 1907 fire 049-064: After the 1907 fire 065-066: Interior after the 1907 fire
Box 1, Folder 2		Copy negatives corresponding to the contact prints in folder 1, 1986
Box 1, Folder 3		Articles, copied in 1986 Permission letter from the Dover Public Library for UNH to make copies of the photographs borrowed from them for the Summer 1986 (1p) August 13, 1986 press release about the exhibit (1p) Exhibit “blurbs” (5p) “Recalling when Cotton was King” “Bellamy Falls and Mills 1649-1916.” “Sawyer Woolen Mills, 1824 – ” “American Woolen Co” “History of the Cocheco Mills” by Gisella Mennel “Mrs. Burn’s story” “Upper Factory” “Upper Factory – Mrs. Courser’s story” “John Williams – founder of the Dover Cotton Manufacturing Industry” “The Early Career of John P. Hale” “An Act to enlarge the capital of the Dover Cotton Factory and Alter the Name thereof” “Captain Moses Paul” “Factory Corner Stones” (also news article with picture of the many cornerstones) “Cocheco Department of the Pacific Mills – 1916” “Dover Cotton Factory’s Wood Yard” “Cocheco Print Works 1827-1900”
Box 1, Folder 4		Books and magazine excerpts, some copies and some originals, arranged alphabetically by author, 1844-1975: Abbott, Edith. Women in Industry. D. Appleton, 1910. p. 88-91, 108-147, 374-379. Annett, Albert. History of Jaffrey, N.H., Vol. I, 1937. p. 384-391. Baxandall, Rosalyn et al. America’s Working Women. Vintage Books. “The Strike, or Turn-out” [1820] p.57-60. Bayles, George James. Woman and the Law. Century Co., 1901. p. 260-261. Bell, Charles H. History of Exeter. Heritage Books, 1979. p. 332-333. Chandler, Charles H. The History of New Ipswich, 1735-1914. p. 144-147. Clark, Victor S. History of Manufactures in the United States, 1860-1914. 1928. Dover, N. H. Centennial Celebration. “Some Disastrous Fires in Dover, N. H.” p. 51. The Factory Girls, edited by Philip S. Foner. University of Illinois Press, 1977. p. 4-15,126-127, 266-273, 342-349. The Factory Girls Garland, Vol. I no. 19, September 14, 1844. Friedman, Jean E. Our American Sisters: Women in American Life and Thought. Allyn and Bacon. p. 82-95. Granite Monthly, Vol. 55 no. 8. August 1923. “How Dover Grew” 4pp. Hadley, George P. History of Goffstown, N. H. 1733-1920, Vol. I. p. 324-329. Hanaford, Mary E. Neal. Annals of Meredith, N.H. 1932, p. 20-21, 252-253. Hareven, Tamara K. Amoskeag. Pantheon Books, p. 114, 120-121, 214-215,235-235, 266-267, 391-395. Josephson, Hannah. The Golden Threads, Russell and Russell. p. 100-101, 228-249, 310-317. Journal of Economic and Business History. Vol. II, 1930. p. 685-705. “Early Factory Magazines in New England” by Bertha Monica Stearns. Keene History Committee. “Upper Ashuelot”: A History of Keene, N.H. 1968. p. 464-467. Moore, F. A. Gems For You: From New Hampshire Authors. Fisk, 1850. p. 222-225. Nye, A. E. G. Dover, N.H. Its History and Industries, 1898. Abstracts. Old New England, p. 39-51. “The ‘Great Factory’ at Dover, N.H.: The Dover Manufacturing Company Print Works, 1825″ by Richard Candee. Pillsbury, Hobart. New Hampshire, Vol. IV, 1927. p. 1224-1225. Scales, John. Historical Memoranda Concerning Persons and Places in Old Dover, N. H., 1900. p. 418-421. Scoresby, William. American Factories and Their Female Operatives. Burt Franklin, 1968. p. 1-136. Speare, Eva A. Stories of New Hampshire, 1975. p. 156-159. Sumner, Helen L. History of Women in Industry in the United States, Vol. I, p. 291-297. Thompson, Mary P. Landmarks in Ancient Dover, 1892. Abstracts. USWPA American Guide Series. New Hampshire. 1938. p. 54-57, 140-145, 148-151. Wadleigh, George. Notable Events in the History of Dover, NH 1913, pp. 200-203, 210-215, 220-223, 234-235, 240-241, 246-249, 254-255, 260-261, 266-277, 278-279. Plus abstracts. Ware, Caroline F. The Early New England Cotton Manufacture. Houghton-Mifflin, 1931. p. 16-17, 26-27, 36-37, 80-83, 88-89, 94-95, 98-90, 116-117, 134-135, 144-149, 180-183, 198-205, 220-221, 246-247, 246-247, 256-257, 264-265, 270-275. Weiner, Lynn Y. From Working Girl to Working Mother. University of North Carolina, p. 16-19. Wheeler, Edmund. The History of Newport…1766-1868. p. 90-101, 104-109.
Box 1, Folder 5		Dover Heritage Walking Tours brochures, 1979-1985
Box 1, Folder 6		Dover Progress Newspaper, "Dover Heading for the 1990s" 1986
Box 1, Folder 7		Cocheco Falls Mill Works glossy brochures, 1986

Series 2: Mill Photos, bulk 1907-1913

(Ca. 3.0 cu. ft.)

The images in this series depict the 1907 No. 1 Mill fire, its reconstruction in 1908, and the 1913 demolition of the Printworks. Many of the negatives from 1907 have corresponding prints in Series 4.

Box 2
Box 2, Folder 1-18		Glass plate negatives of the mills 1907 and undated 1. No. 1 Mill fire, view from River St., 1907 2. No. 1 Mill fire, rear view, 3 firefighters on roof, 1907 3. No. 1 Mill fire, side view from River St., 3 firefighters on roof 4. Front of No. 1 Mill from NW 5. Printworks from River St. 6. No. 3 Mill from Washington St. 7. No. 3 Mill and Power Plant from roof of No. 1 Mill 8. Cocheco Mill Office with bunting 9. Central Square from Smokestack of No. 3 Mill 10. Mills and Central Ave. from Smokestack 11. No. 1 Mill and Printworks from tower of Opera House / Town Hall 12. No. 1 Mill and Printworks from Exchange Block 13. No. 1 Mill and coal bridge 14. Printworks at corner of Washington and Payne Sts. 15. Cocheco Mill office at Corner of Washington and Central Ave. 16. Teamsters unloading cotton bales at mill door 17. Cocheco Manufacturing wagon and team 18. Mill horse team and teamster
Box 3
Box 3, Folder 1-16		Glass negatives showing demolition of Printworks 1913 1. View over ruins, SW towards City Hall 2. View north after demolition 3. Building shell, no roof 4. Piles of brick rubble, standing walls and mills in background 5. Across river to standing shell of building 6. Roof demolition, facing north, with power poles in foreground 7. Demolition, facing north 8. Piles of rubble, Strafford Bank at right 9. Intact Printworks, prior to demolition 10. Building shell, 3 stories with no roof 11. Row of warehouses at east side of Central Square 12. 3 stories of wall behind fence, 2 men standing at gate 13. Partially demolished, 2 smokestacks and tower of No. 3 Mill 14. 3 stories of wall, no roofs or floors 15. Overhead view of rubble, facing north 16. Birdseye view of rubble, telephone poles in background
Box 4
Box 4, Folder 1-29		Glass negatives showing demolition of Printworks 1913 1. Partial demolition, facing west toward City Hall 2. Prior to demolition 3. Debris in foreground, smokestacks visible 4. Partial demolition with observers watching from street 5. Mostly demolished, City Hall in background 6. Completely demolished, City Hall and St. Mary's Church in background 7. Workers demolishing Printworks 8. Partially demolished, walls standing, City Hall in background 9. Partial demo, two workers on second story 10. Standing buildings, power lines in foreground 11. Standing building with power lines, team and teamster at left 12. Partially demolished, worker sitting on beam 13. View from river, City Hall in background, mostly demolished 14. Partial demolition with river 15. Partial demolition, upper floor cleared 16. One story standing, City Hall tower, facing west 17. Warehouses with debries in foreground, workers on ground and roof 18. Partial demolition, overhead view 19. Partial demolition, overhead view (similar to no. 18) 20. View from street, poles in foreground, building partially demolished 21. Partial demolition, upper level empty (similar to no. 15) 22. Partial demolition, view from upper level, workers and pulleys 23. Partial demolition, west towards City Hall 24. From street, partially demolished 25. View of building site to No. 1 Mill 26. Demolition debris from roof of No. 1 Mill, west towards City Hall 27. Demolition debris from roof of No. 1 Mill, west towards City Hall and St. Mary's Church 28. 3 workers atop wooden building next to intact mill 29. Partially demolished Printworks see across river
Box 5
Box 5, Folder 1-32		Glass negatives showing demolition of Printworks 1913 1. Across river, 1 story left, City Hall visible 2. 3 stories, no roof or floors 3. Partially demolished, No. 1 Mill visible 4. Birdseye view, partially demolished, man walking on ruins 5. Workers in half demolished building 6. Workers in half demolished building, different view 7. 5 stories on right, partially demolished 8. Early demolition, roof on and glass in windows 9. Partial demolition, fence and power poles in foreground 10. Nearly complete demolition, 2 smokestacks and tower of No. 3 Mill 11. Rubble seen from roof of No. 1 Mill 12. Nearly complete demo, Washington St. Bridge at right 13. Piles of rubble behind front of printworks, chimney standing 14. Rear of building, rubble, 2 power poles in front 15. Rear of demolition, seen from river 16. Birdseye view from No. 1 Mill, workers on second floor of Printworks 17. Rubble piles at rear of building 18. Rubble, Washington St. bridge, No. 1 Mill 19. Standing walls, view into interior of top story of Printworks 20. Piles of rafters off 2nd story, power poles in foreground 21. Workers dismantling 2nd story floor, birdseye view 22. Ruins and Washington St. bridge, No. 1 Mill 23. Rear of front walls, No. 3 Mill tower, workers in rubble 24. Rear of rubble, 3 stories of wall 25. Washington St. bridge, No. 1 Mill across rubble 26. Rear of site, workers and horses 27. Chemical tanks in rubble 28. View from No. 1 Mill to Printworks, 1 story left 29. Rafters stacked at rear of rubble piles 30. Central Square to No. 1 Mill view, Printworks gone 31. Birdseye view from No. 1 Mill, Printworks half demolished 31. Bridge over river between No. 1 Mill and half demolished Printworks
Box 6
Box 6, Folder 1-13		Glass negatives of No. 1 Mill Fire and Mill Playground 1907 and 1919 1. Exeterior front of No. 1 Mill 2. Back of ell from river 3. Back of main mill and ell, bridge from Printworks 4. Rear of ell 5. Fire damage in card room, sprinkler system 6. Interior, upper weave room 7. Different view of upper weave room 8. Collapsed ceiling 9. Interior, possibly in weave room 10. Interior, location unspecified 11. Interior, possibly in weave room 12. Playground on site of former Printworks, 1919 13. Spinning Room prior to fire, 5th floor
Box 7
Box 7, Folder 1		Dover Mills: early 20th century postcards ca. 1900-1920
Box 7, Folder 2		Prints and postcards from the No. 1 Mill fire 1907
Box 7, Folder 3		Assorted photos of the interior and exterior of the mills, negatives included 1890-1910
Box 7, Folder 4		Contact prints from glass negatives in Box 2, folders 8-16, undated
Box 7, Folder 5		Mill photos with no negatives, undated
Box 7, Folder 6		Cocheco Mill boiler room fire, 1997
Box 7, Folder 7		Reconstruction of No. 1 Mill, prints and safety negatives taken from glass plates, 1908
Box 7, Folder 8		Demolition of power plant after fire, 30 negatives and contact sheets, 1997
Box 7, Folder 9		Cocheco Textile Assocation viewbook 1909

Series 3: Business Correspondence and Documents, 1821-1950

(0.75 cu. ft.)

This series contains the correspondence of various mill administrators and agents, as well as the more day-to-day financial transactions for all the goods and services to keep the mills running.

Box 7, Folder 10		William Shimmin Letters, 1823-1828, 1851
Box 7, Folder 11		John H. White letters and deeds, 1782-1855 and undated
Box 7, Folder 12		John Williams (agent, Dover Manufacturing Co.) letters, 1822-1829
Box 8
Box 8, Folder 1		Moses Paul Letters, 1823-1854 and undated
Box 8, Folder 2		Letters to James Curtis, 1829-1837
Box 8, Folder 3		Dover Cotton Factory, 1828 and undated
Box 8, Folder 4		Belknap Manufacturing Company 1835-1841, 1887
Box 8, Folder 5		Dover Manufacturing Company documents, 1823-1826
Box 8, Folder 6		Dover Manufacturing Corporation By-Laws 1821, 1824, 1827, 1828
Box 8, Folder 7		Cocheco Manufacturing Company correspondence 1845-1869
Box 8, Folder 8		Cocheco Manufacturing Company inventories, 1835-1873 and undated
Box 8, Folder 9		Cocheco Manufacturing Company, 1853-1898
Box 8, Folder 10-12		Cocheco Manufacturing Company deeds, leases, recipts, 1827-1909
Box 9
Box 9, Folder 1		Dover Manufacturing Company, undated
Box 9, Folder 2		Cocheco Manufacturing Company inventories and account papers, 1830-1865 and undated
Box 9, Folder 3		Pacific Mills (Cocheco Division) materials 1912-1938
Box 9, Folder 4		"Memoirs of a Corporation" booklets from Pacific Mills, Chap. I & VI, 1950
Box 9, Folder 5		Unidentified mill materials, 1824-1859 and undated

Series 4: Oversize materials, 1824-1986

(2.0 cu. ft.)

This series contains mostly matted prints taken from the negatives in Series 2. Also included are a ledger (1877-1979) and some business correspondence and newspaper clippings.

Oversize Box 1
Oversize Box 1, Folder 1-24		Large matted prints of No. 1 Mill fire and reconstruction 1907-1908 1. Rebuilding upper floors of No. 1 Mill 2. Top floor of mill, reconstruction 3. Top floor of main mill, reconstruction 4. Upper weave room damage 5. Card room, main mill 6. Interior, lower weave room 7. Exterior of ell taken from courtyard 8. Card room in ell, interior with ceiling collapsed 9. Collapsed upper floors, main mill 10. NW corner of ring spinning room, ceiling collapsed 11. Exterior front, No. 1 Mill 12. Exterior front view (same as Box 6 f.1) 13. Exterior - end of ell (same as Box 6 f. 2) 14. Firefighter on roof of Boiler House 15. Firefighters atop Boiler House spraying building 16. Interior of card room, fire damage to double beams (same as Box 6 f.5) 17. Interior of upper weave room, beams holding up charred ceiling (same as Box 6 f.6) 18. Charred beam, interior of card room 19. Interior, upper weave room, beams holding up ceiling (same as Box 6 f.7) 20. Partially burned beam 21. Charred beam taken from mill 22. Charred ceiling boards, beam burned away 23. Section of charred beam removed from mill 24. Partially burned double beam
Oversize Box 2
Oversize Box 2, Folder 1		Interior shot of Patterners working inside mill ca. 1900
Oversize Box 2, Folder 2		Mill workers posing inside mill ca. 1900
Oversize Box 2, Folder 3		Pacific Mill workers posing inside mill, 1909 or later
Oversize Box 2, Folder 4		Unidentified workers in weave room undated
Oversize Box 2, Folder 5		UNH Friends of the Library Exhibit: Dover newspaper clippings on mills, 1986
Oversize Box 2, Folder 6		"Cocheco Chats" company newspaper, vol. 1:1-1:7, 1:10 1921
Oversize Box 2, Folder 7		Ledger, No. 5 Mill lower weave room, 1877-1879
Oversize Box 2, Folder 8		Correspondence to John Williams (Agent), 1824