May 17, 2012The First Worsted Mill
Located on Harrison Street east of Phoenix Metal
Jamestown had long been celebrated for its manufacture of implements and wood furniture when, in 1873, a worsted mill was established, the first west of Philadelphia. That year, William Hall, William Broadhead and Joseph Turner established on Harrison Street the Jamestown Worsted Mills, first called the Jamestown Alpaca Mills. The machinery was made in England and many of its skilled operators came from that country. Among them were Edward and Joseph Appleyard of Yorkshire who joined the firm in 1873, Joseph in the weaving department and Edward as overseer of the spinning, drawing, and combing departments. The business quickly grew to large proportions and was conducted on an extensive scale. Its products were known from coast to coast.
William Broadhead withdrew and founded the Broadhead Worsted Mills on East First Street in 1875. In this venture he was joined by his sons, Almet N. and Sheldon B. William Hall continued the Jamestown Alpaca Mills under the name of Hall & Company. A short time later the Broadheads acquired this mill and named it the Jamestown Worsted Mills. This mill had fifteen buildings, and jointly the two mills have employment to thousands in the Jamestown area until hit by the depression of the early 1930’s.
The Broadhead Mills, which formerly fared better than the Jamestown Worsted Mills, fell first and were sold in 1925 after the deaths of Almet and Sheldon. The Jamestown Worsted Mills continued to make small profits through the depression and were not sold until 1943. The buildings have housed several small businesses until fire in 1986 destroyed some of them.
Although the mills had contributed greatly to Jamestown’s prosperity, when the textile market relocated in the South, little could be done except to end operations here.
THE FIRST WORSTED MILL
IN JAMESTOWN WAS ORGANIZED IN 1873 BY WILLIAM BROADHEAD WILLIAM HALL AND JOSEPH TURNER THE MILL MACHINERY WAS IMPORTED FROM ENGLAND AND THE NEW INDUSTRY BROUGHT MANY ENGLISH RESIDENTS TO JAMESTOWN FROM THE PLANT ON THIS SITE HAS GROWN THE CITY'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY.