Fall Rivers' Industries

April 2, with a capital of $550,000. The
corporation's name was selected in honor t o
Mr. Shove, who was elected the first president.
John P. Slade was treasurer, an d
Charles O. Shove, Joseph McCreery, George
A. Chace, Lloyd S . Earle, William Connell, jr . ,
Nathan Chace, Isaac W. Howland, Josiah C .
Blaisdell and John P . Slade directors. The
foundation of the first mill was put in in
1873, the structure completed in 1874 an d
put in operation the following April . It is of
granite, 339x74, and five stories in height .
The No. 2 mill, also of granite, 194x75 feet ,
and three stories high, was built on th e
Rhode Island side of the State line in 1830-
81 and devoted to spinning. A two-story
weave shed, 184½ x120 feet, was erected
in 1897. The mills have 72,800 spindles ,
composed of 11,232 mule and 61,568 frame .
They have 2,100 looms, of which 1,100 are
more than 32 inches wide, and employ 70 0
hands in the manufacture of print cloth s
and odd counts. The weekly production i s
8,000 pieces. Charles O. Shove, the first
president, was succeeded on his death i n
1875 by John P. Slade, in 1880 by Charles M .
Shove, and in 1900 by Isaac W . Howland .
Mr. Slade was succeeded as treasurer b y
George A. Chace in 1874 and by Cyrus C .
Rounseville in 1884. The present boar d
of directors consists of Isaac W . Howland ,
Cyrus C. Rounseville, Fenner C . Brownell ,
John A. Miller and Charles A. Hambly .
Charles H. Richardson, Jr., is superintendent .
The Chace mills were incorporated in 1871 ,
with a capital of $500,000, through the enterprise
of Augustus Chace, George W . Grinnell .
Cook Borden and Joseph A . Baker. Augustus
Chace was president until his death, i n
1886, when he was succeeded by Edwar d
E. Hathaway. Joseph A. Baker has been
treasurer since the first . A six-story granite
mill was erected in 1872, 377x74, and No .
2, of granite, 310x120, two stories, in 1895 .
In 1906 the company purchased the plant o f
the Burlington Cotton mills, at Burlington ,
Vt ., and now operates a total of 115,928 spindles
and 2,647 looms. It employs 850 hands
and has a weekly production of 11,000 pieces .
The original capital has been increased b y
stock dividends to $750,000 in 1899, and $900, -
000 in 1905. The directors are Edward E .
Hathaway, Joseph A . Baker, George W . Grinnell,
Jerome C. Borden, John H . Estes An d
Henry H. Eddy. John C. Smith is superintendent
.
The Merchants' Manufacturing Compan y
was organized in the fall of 1866, with a cap -
HISTORY OF FALL RIVER 8 3
ital of $800,000, largely through the efforts
of William H . Jennings, who became the first
treasurer, with James Henry president
and James Henry, W . H. Jennings, Augustu s
Chace, L .L. Barnard, Robert S. Gibbs ,
Charles H. Dean, Crawford E. Lindsey, Robert
K. Remington and Lafayette Nichols di -
rectors. A granite mill, five stories in
height, was erected and the first cloth mad e
in February, 1868 . In 1871 the structure wa s
enlarged to a total length of 397 feet, i n
which there were then 85,570 spindles an d
1,942 looms. In March, 1893, the corporatio n
acquired the adjoining property of the Crescent
mills, and now has 32,032 mule an d
101,504 frame spindles, with 3,327 looms, of
which 1,101 are more than 32 inches wide .
It employs 1,150 hands and has a weekly production
of 19,000 pieces. Since 1901 it has
operated the Allen Print Works at Providence,
R. I ., in conjunction with the Amer-
ican Linen Company, for the finishing of par t
of its product. Mr. Henry was president
until 1893, when he was succeeded by Jame s
M. Osborn and he in 1898 by Edward B . Jennings.
The treasurers have been : W. H .
Jennings, 1866-82 ; Simeon B. Chase, 1882 -
85 ; Alphonso S. Covel, 1885-1887 ; Andre w
Borden, 1887-1898, and James E. Osborn
since 1898. The directors are : Edwar d
B. Jennings, Richard B. Borden, Robert T .
Davis, Robert Henry, Andrew J. Jennings ,
George L. Davol, Thomas E . Brayton, William
B. M. Chace and James E . Osborn .
Harry J. Ricketson is superintendent.
The Bourne mills was incorporated i n
June, 1881, with seven stockholders, namely :
Jonathan Bourne, George A. Chace, Edmun d
Chase, Lloyd S. Earle, Danforth Horton ,
Charles M. Shove and Frank S . Stevens .
The capital was fixed at $400,000 . The capital
was increased in November, 1883, t o
$600,000 and reduced in October, 1884 ,
again to $400,000. In September, 1903, i t
increased to $1,000,000, $400,000 of whic h
was paid in by a special dividend. The
stockholders now number over eighty, but a
majority still remains in number with the
immediate families and heirs of the origina l
seven and the Bourne interest controls a
majority of the shares .
The mills were built to manufacture good s
upon orders, but before beginning operations
Mr. George F. Morgan of Lowell, an
expert canton flannel manufacturer, was
engaged as superintendent, and the work
diverted to this class of textiles . The business
required the services of a selling agency