Woolen Mills dam

disassembly of Woolen Mills dam beings. The dam was built to last, estimated date of construction (of this iteration) 1870

The development of wool manufacturing in the United States followed a very rough pattern. Although some woolen mills sprang up full-blown in areas where earlier textile factories had already made their appearance, the normal growth for the typical early mill before 1850 began with a period when a carding and fulling mill served the needs of a small locality. In this capacity the tiny enterprise merely complemented home production of cotton and woolen cloth; raw wool was combed to untangle the matted fiber and prepare it for the home spinning wheel and loom. Home-woven cloth was cleaned of impurities and shrunk in preparation for the housewife?s needle and thread.--Harry Poindexter