Cecile Brodeur was born and raised in Lewiston, she speaks about growing up in a big family and having to work in the mills with her 11 siblings at 18 in order to support the family. She worked in the card room at the Bates Mill, and she talks about her experience...
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...
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.
Dorthy Charpentier was a repairer at two different shoe factories during her career after she had to drop out of school to work. She discusses her job, working at the mill, and modeling shoes. She also discusses her family’s jobs at the mills, including her...
Bruce has been involved in the shoe industry from a young age. In this interview, Bruce describes how he co-founded a shoe-company, the Lewiston and Mill community, the innovation of new technology, and competition within the shoe industry.
