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Helen Little

Helen Little, a lifelong Lewiston resident born in 1920, describes her family’s French-Canadian background and her diverse work experiences. Helen worked briefly in the Androscoggin Mill as a teenager but chose to finish high school and pursue secretarial work...

Ray Berube

Ray Berube was born in Danville and grew up in New Auburn, sharing his experiences growing up in the French community of Auburn. Around the time he was 12 or 13 he started working in the brickyard, where he would cover the bricks in sand so they wouldn’t dry out too...

Phyllis Rand

Phyllis Rand worked in the mills for two years. As a Black woman, she speaks about her experiences and the working conditions in the mills, as well as raising children in Lewiston and finding community within the place she calls home.

Dot McAtee

Dot McAtee works for the Maine Heritage Weavers today after working for Bates Mill for about 20 years. Dot worked first in the shoe industry at the age of 16 working part-time with her mother who worked making heels. Starting in 78′, she worked at the Bates Mill...

Nicole Blouin

Nicole worked in the textile mills, mainly in the fringe department. She discusses how she balanced being a mother with working and her various jobs in Lewiston. She also discusses the generational differences in her family and her experiences in Lewiston.