Corsicana Cotton Mill Web Page
This web page is dedicated to the hard working people who were employed at the Corsicana Cotton Mill, including my parents and many other relatives. My name is John Calvin Barron and I was born in the community that we called the "mill block" which was a cluster of small houses around the mill which were rented at a nominal rate to the employees. We were all poor and struggling to come out of the great depression. Although we didn't realize it at the time, it was a special place and I often think of those days and the lifelong friendships that were made there. Most of the people that worked in the mill are gone now but I hope that this web site will honor their memory. Please contact me if you wish to help with this project or if you can provide addition information or corrections. A mailing list entitled Cotton Mill Kids has been established for persons interested in the Corsicana Cotton Mill. To join this group send an e-mail as follows:
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| Early photos of Corsicana
cotton yard, cotton scene, and cotton mill -
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Mill Employees about 1920 - This picture shows Henry Crain and wife Emma
Higginbotham Crain (photo courtesy of Patti Crain Blackmon).
Cotton Mill employees from 1922 - This picture shows my grandmother Bessie Pollock Gallagher (2nd from right) and, possibly, Mrs. Parker on far right. |
Employee Group Pictures The 1929 Group Picture - This picture is mostly women and very few names are known at this time. It is split into two parts and can be viewed as follows: left side, right side. If you can identify any of these people, please contact me. Names will be added as they are known. ============== The 1936 Group Picture - This well known employee group picture has been the subject of some debate about when it was actually taken. In the Navarro County History, Vol. 5, the picture was dated July 3, 1923, while in the Navarro County Pictorial History, it was dated July 3, 1933. However, my uncle, Clifton Barron, who is in the picture, said that he quit school in 1936 and went to work at the mill. Clifton Barron is listed as a low sophomore in the 1935 Corsican year book, therefore, the group picture was not taken before then. The picture is quite long and had to be scanned in two passes. My best guess is that it was taken July 3, 1936. Copies may be available from the webmaster. Names in picture - Obtaining the names of the people in the 1936 Cotton Mill employee picture is a work in progress. All of the 159 persons are numbered and the numbers match the names in this file. To best use the name file with the picture, print the file and then go back and view the picture. If you can identify anyone in the picture, please contact the web master at the following: mailto:[email protected]. Cotton Mill employees 1936 left side - This scan shows the left side of picture. See the names file for the identities. Cotton Mill employees 1936 right side - This scan shows the right side of picture. See the names file for the identities. ============= The 1942 Group Picture - The date of this picture is also not known for sure, but it seems to have been taken somewhat later then the above shot. John Paul Thompson, who is in the picture, went to work at the mill in 1939 and he thinks that the best date for the picture is 1942. Names in picture - Once again the picture has been split into two parts and numbered. If you can identify anyone in the picture please contact me. Cotton Mill employees 1942 left side - Cotton Mill employees 1942 right side -
============= Winder Crew Pictures from the mid-1940s
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Baseball team 1939 - For many years the cotton mill sponsored a baseball team, the Corsicana Cotton Millers, composed of employees (and perhaps an occasional ringer or two). They played other local teams as well as teams from other cotton mills such as Mexia and Waco. James Strum, from an old cotton mill family, wrote an article that was published in the Corsicana Daily Sun concerning baseball in Corsicana. This article can be accessed at: corsicana_gumbo_busters In addition to James Strum, at least 2 other ex-Millers played professional baseball. One was Eugene Massey who signed to play with the Class C Tyler Trojans (clipping from Dallas Morning News, Feb. 10, 1940 provided by his son Ray Massey), and the other was Battle Malone "Bones" Sanders who played professionally for many years and progressed as high as the AAA Pacific Coast League.
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Cotton Mill Kid Pictures The following link is to a picture of a birthday party of cotton mill children from the late 1940's - Birthday Party The following link is to another birthday party of cotton mill children probably from the early 1950's - Kids The following picture is from a Woodmen of the World summer camp picture that includes many boys from cotton mill families. http://www.txgenweb6.org/txnavarro/organizations/1948_corsicana_woodmen_of_the_world_troop.htm |
Cotton Mill Block
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Files
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Census 1901-1961 - This part of the project is a
census of the employees of the Corsicana Cotton Mill. It was
developed by checking the Corsicana city directories for persons that
were listed as working at the mill. The directories that were used
were those of 1901, 1913, 1922, 1931, 1941, 1951, and 1961. I
would certainly appreciate any comments, additions, and corrections
concerning these people.
Another way to view the employee census is by their addresses. The following link does this: CCM Addresses |
In addition to the great depression of the 1930s, the cotton mill survived another of the turbulent events of the 20th century: World War II. Many employees of the mill served in the armed forces during these times and a memorial to them can be viewed at the following link Roll of Honor |
Cotton Mill Strike On May 23, 1946 the union workers of the Corsicana Cotton Mill went on strike. The union had been organized in 1944 and at the end of World War II, like worker all over the country, mill employees began to seek salary and other concessions from management. The following picture was taken at the beginning of the strike. Strike of 1946 More strike pictures. Picket Line Pictures The following are newspaper accounts of the strike. Strike Articles The following is a list of defendants named in a lawsuit after the strike. Defendants
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Picnics and Parties Letter to Pauline Elliott from Employees Welfare Committee, 1952 Cotton Mill Christmas Party - 1947 Cotton Mill Christmas Party - 1949
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Reunions The last employee reunion 1997
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