Mississippi Mills (Wesson, Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
Mississippi Mills was a cotton
and wool
textile
manufacturing complex that operated in Wesson, Mississippi
during the latter half of the 19th century. By 1892, Mississippi Mills was described as the largest industry of its kind in the South
. Absentee management and the Panic of 1893
contributed to the mills' decline. The complex closed in 1910 and was dismantled in 1919.
, a textile mill in Bankston, Mississippi
was burned by Union
forces because it supplied the Confederate Army. In 1866, the Bankston mill owner, Colonel James Madison Wesson, relocated to Copiah County, Mississippi
and established a new textile mill, known as the Mississippi Manufacturing Company. The town of Wesson developed around the mill.
Because of Reconstruction-era financial problems, Mississippi Manufacturing Company was bankrupt by 1871. Captain William Oliver and John T. Hardy bought the mill from Colonel Wesson, but it burned in 1873. Oliver convinced Mississippi's largest landowner and cotton producer, Edmund Richardson
, to become a partner in building a more modern textile mill of brick to reduce the fire hazard created by the wood-fired power plants in combination with flammable cotton fibers. Richardson bought out Hardy and took over controlling interest in the enterprise, which became known as Mississippi Mills, with Edmund Richardson as president and William Oliver as general manager.
Under the leadership of William Oliver, from 1873 to 1891, business at Mississippi Mills thrived because of his interest in the mill workers and community affairs. By the late 1880s, Mississippi Mills employed: Mississippi Mills produced a great variety of cotton and woolen products that included:
, and Richardson moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
. Mississippi Mills was further crippled by the Panic of 1893, increased transportation costs, a drop in cotton prices, and labor disputes. In 1906, Mississippi Mills was forced into receivership and closed in 1910. The buildings stood vacant until they were dismantled in 1919.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
manufacturing complex that operated in Wesson, Mississippi
Wesson, Mississippi
Wesson is a town in Copiah County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,693 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Wesson is located at ....
during the latter half of the 19th century. By 1892, Mississippi Mills was described as the largest industry of its kind in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. Absentee management and the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
contributed to the mills' decline. The complex closed in 1910 and was dismantled in 1919.
Establishment
In 1864, during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a textile mill in Bankston, Mississippi
Bankston, Mississippi
Bankston is a ghost town in Choctaw County, Mississippi. All that remain of the town are the ruins of the general store and the cemetery. The nearest community is French Camp to the south-southwest.-External links:...
was burned by Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
forces because it supplied the Confederate Army. In 1866, the Bankston mill owner, Colonel James Madison Wesson, relocated to Copiah County, Mississippi
Copiah County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,757 people, 10,142 households, and 7,494 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 11,101 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
and established a new textile mill, known as the Mississippi Manufacturing Company. The town of Wesson developed around the mill.
Because of Reconstruction-era financial problems, Mississippi Manufacturing Company was bankrupt by 1871. Captain William Oliver and John T. Hardy bought the mill from Colonel Wesson, but it burned in 1873. Oliver convinced Mississippi's largest landowner and cotton producer, Edmund Richardson
Edmund Richardson
Edmund Richardson was an American entrepreneur who acquired great wealth during the mid-19th century by producing and marketing cotton in the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas...
, to become a partner in building a more modern textile mill of brick to reduce the fire hazard created by the wood-fired power plants in combination with flammable cotton fibers. Richardson bought out Hardy and took over controlling interest in the enterprise, which became known as Mississippi Mills, with Edmund Richardson as president and William Oliver as general manager.
Peak years
The textile complex consisted of four mills that were built over a period of 21 years, from 1873 to 1894. By 1882, electric lights had been installed to illuminate the textile buildings. When all four mills were completed, they covered several city blocks, and one was five stories high.Under the leadership of William Oliver, from 1873 to 1891, business at Mississippi Mills thrived because of his interest in the mill workers and community affairs. By the late 1880s, Mississippi Mills employed: Mississippi Mills produced a great variety of cotton and woolen products that included:
Decline
Following the deaths of Edmund Richardson, in 1886, and William Oliver, in 1891, the fortunes of Mississippi Mills began to decline. John Richardson, who succeeded his father as president, brought in a general manager from the NorthNorthern United States
Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
, and Richardson moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. Mississippi Mills was further crippled by the Panic of 1893, increased transportation costs, a drop in cotton prices, and labor disputes. In 1906, Mississippi Mills was forced into receivership and closed in 1910. The buildings stood vacant until they were dismantled in 1919.