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...
Armand was born in Pembrook, NH, and moved to the Maine at the age of 3. He discusses growing up in the Lewiston-Auburn area in the 1930s, his family history with the Bates Mill, and his life as a weaver at the Bates Mill.
Irene worked at the Bates Mill in the winding room with cotton. In this interview, Irene discusses the workers at the mill, including what child labor looked like at the time. She also discusses her family’s transition from Canada to Maine.
Jeannine Roy was a shoe worker in Lewiston as a stitcher in the shoe shops. She discusses what she did there and the shops that she worked at. She also discusses places in Lewiston and her family’s immigration to Maine.
Beatrice Caron was a mill worker from 16 to 63 years old. She discusses her family’s transition from Canada to the U.S. and the Quebecois who worked at the mills. The seniority structure of the mill, including how people moved around jobs, is recounted as well....
