Virtual Library Of South Carolina Textile History
Beginning in the early nineteenth century and continuing through most of the twentieth century the manufacture of textiles dominated industry in South Carolina. Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, and other Upcountry cities became the centers of the textile industry and their populations rose significantly as rural workers moved into company controlled villages surrounding the mills.
The earliest spinning mills were small, usually employing less than twenty-five workers, but by 1930 South Carolina had become the second largest cotton-textile-producing state in the nation - behind only North Carolina. The industry began to decline in the 1970s due to increased pressure from imports and the relocation of production to developing countries.
This virtual library, created as a requirement for a course in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, is dedicated to documenting the history of the textile manufacturing industry and workers in the state of South Carolina. Materials are drawn from the manuscript, published, and visual resources of the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina.
The earliest spinning mills were small, usually employing less than twenty-five workers, but by 1930 South Carolina had become the second largest cotton-textile-producing state in the nation - behind only North Carolina. The industry began to decline in the 1970s due to increased pressure from imports and the relocation of production to developing countries.
This virtual library, created as a requirement for a course in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina, is dedicated to documenting the history of the textile manufacturing industry and workers in the state of South Carolina. Materials are drawn from the manuscript, published, and visual resources of the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina.