This episode shares the story of Claudette Jalbert, who began working at the Bates Mill just months after graduating high school. In the converting division, she helped cut rolls of cloth. Jalbert recalls the dressy attire of the office mill workers, who often dressed...
Born on December 24, 1924, Anita Levesque moved from Quebec to Lewiston in September 1946. Anita, along with her brother and sister, worked in the card room in the Bates Mill. Levesque shares her story of living in Lewiston’s Franco-American community, working in the...
This episode shares the story of Lemay, born in Lewiston in 1934 to Canadian immigrant parents deeply tied to the mills. Leaving school after eighth grade, she began weaving at the Hill Mill at the age of eighteen before moving to the Bates Mill, where she worked in...
Anita Turgeon reflects on her life growing up in Lewiston, Maine, in a French Canadian family and the role community and family played in shaping her path. She shares stories of her early work experiences, her deep ties to the mills, and the lasting impact of those...
Fernand Labbe decided to leave high school in 1956 so that he could begin work at the mills. He worked for a number of years at Hill Mill, where he met his wife. Labbe outlines his roles in the mill, and discusses his experience in the workers union, and a strike that...
