College seniors across the country prepare to graduate this month.  Bates College, a private liberal arts institution in Lewiston, Maine, was founded in 1855 by textile magnate Benjamin Bates, for whom the Bates Mills are also named. It holds the distinction of being...

April 24th is National Workers Memorial Day in which the US Department of Labor honors fallen workers. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the regulatory agency that oversees the safety and health of all workers in the United States.  A 1990...

March is designated as Women's History Month, a tradition established by Jimmy Carter to honor the often-unnoticed contributions of women to the building of our nation. This month provides an opportunity to focus on the leadership, courage, strength, love, and...

Peck’s Department Store was founded in 1880 by Bradford Peck. Originally located on the Music Hall block of Lisbon Street in Lewiston, in 1886 it moved to the Sands Block and in 1899 moved to the corners of Main Street and Lisbon Street, where it occupied all five...

These tools were meant for the inspection, mending, and hand picking of any imperfections in the weaves and textiles in the Lewiston mills. With regular use these tools developed a gorgeous patina and are a testament to the careful eye of the workers to ensure that...

This uniform jacket, features the signature gray and scarlet colors of Lewiston's Le Montagnard snowshoe club.  Founded in 1922 by Louis-Philippe Gagné, Le Montagnard was the first club of its kind in Lewiston. Each snowshoe club had a unique uniform, identifiable by...

Lewiston was a significant center for snowshoe clubs in the 1950s, boasting 17 different organizations. These clubs were popular, even drawing participation from other New England towns with large French-Canadian populations.  Each club was distinct, with its own...

This photograph from our archival collection is captioned, “Bob Larrabee ‘clowning around’ in the Bates Classing Room.” The fun hat he wears conveys a sense of lightheartedness that likely helped ease the intensity of the Classing Room’s demanding work.

Andre Langlois's name is marked on the inside of this instruction book for the Bates Mill weaving machine. This detail reminds us of the contributions of thousands of individuals, like Langlois, who were key to the success of the Lewiston and Auburn mills. Weaving...