William ‘Bud’ Lewis worked as an engineer for the Bates Manufacturing Company Inc. from 1949 to 1985, then became a consultant until 2000. In this interview, he discusses growing up during The Great Depression in Portland, Maine, the history of the...
Real Fournier worked at the Bates Mill in the winding department. He discusses strikes at the mill as well as the snowshoe club at the mill he was a part of. He also talks about the people in Lewiston as well as events he participated in.
Ray and Rita Thibault worked various jobs in the shoe mills. Ray discusses his job as a pattern maker and Rita talks about her childhood and work as well. Both speak positively of the shoe industry.
Germain Letourneau was a worker at the Hill and Bates Mill. He initially discusses his family and then his jobs as a supervisor at the mills, including a strike he helped organize. He also describes the step-by-step process of making yarn.
Emeril Bergeron worked in the mills for forty years. He discusses both the differences in the communities of Lewiston and Auburn and the community of the mill. He also details the generational differences between education and his family’s views on it. Finally,...
