Title: Reedsburg Woolen Mill Records
Inclusive Dates: 1877-1878, 1902-1967

Creator:

• Reedsburg Woolen Mill

Call Number: Mss 281; PH 4535

Quantity: 123.6 c.f. (213 archives boxes, 25 record center cartons, and 31 flat boxes) and 21 photographs

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a mill which did its own designing, carding, spinning, weaving, and dyeing, and sold most of its cloth to ready-to-wear manufacturers such as Sears and Montgomery Ward. Correspondence is with the Appleton Woolen Mills, the Reedsburg Mill's owner from 1902-1954, regarding daily operations; with W.A. Landry Co., the mill's sales agent; and with others, regarding designs, finances, and marketing. The collection also includes payrolls, personnel records, general ledgers, journals, purchase journals, sales invoices, inventories, and other financial records; fabric specifications; and wool and fabric samples. The photographs include images of mill president Ralph Wirth, the exterior of the mill, and loom machinery, ca. 1941 to 1957.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00281

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The woolen mill at Reedsburg was built in 1881 along the Baraboo River. Two years later it was acquired by William French, an easterner who intended to dismantle the mill and sell the equipment. However, French changed his mind and operated the mill in partnership with several Reedsburg residents until 1892.

The mill was a modest operation in its early years with only two sets of carding machines and ten looms. By 1899 the capacity had more than doubled as it was operating four sets of carding machines and thirty-two broad looms. The 1890's also saw the construction of an office and warehouse facility and an addition to the mill building. This growth prompted a change in the structure of the business which in 1892 was incorporated with a capital of $100,000.

In 1902 the Appleton Woolen Mill corporation purchased the company. Under Appleton ownership an@ adjacent feed mill and water rights to the dam were purchased, a new dam was built, and in 1910, the entire operation was converted to electricity. The mill continued to prosper under a series of Appleton managers: George Dunham, Fred Klebart, George Seagraves, William Ehlert, Louis Anderson, and Ralph Wirth.

The Reedsburg operation, while standard for a mill of its type, was not typical of the textile industry as a whole. In most branches of the industry a mill tends to specialize in one stage of the cloth making process, but at Reedsburg all phases for converting raw material to finished cloth were carried out. This set-up enabled the designers to control all stages of the manufacturing process. At Reedsburg, and any other woolen mill, the basic sequence for making a woolen fabric consists of three steps: carding, spinning, and weaving. Carding transforms the tangled, matted wool into fluffy uniform strands, about as fat as a pencil, called roving. The second step, spinning, twists the roving into yarn, and finally the yarn is entered into a loom and woven into cloth. A fourth operation, dyeing, may be performed at any point in the process depending on the desired effect. Wool may be dyed before carding, spun yarn may be dyed, or the finished cloth may be dyed. At the Reedsburg mill dyeing was done mainly at the first and last stages.

The mill wove a wide variety of woolen fabrics ranging from blankets to dress goods. In the late 1950's Reedsburg designers were turning out about 90 designs a year, and by 1963 the number had risen to 250. Agents such as the W.A. Landry Company sold most of Reedsburg's cloth in the Eastern fashion markets to be made into ready-to-wear garments and, in turn, sent to the mill suggestions concerning new trends in styles and colors. Both Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward were among the mill's major customers, and the fabrics themselves are a mirror of the taste of average Americans over the years. In 1954 the Appleton corporation decided to relinquish its interest in the Reedsburg plant in order to consolidate and concentrate on manufacturing papermakers' felts. At this time the Reedsburg mill employed approximately 180 people with an annual payroll of nearly $450,000. Faced with the possible shutdown of the plant, the Reedsburg community took steps to purchase the mill. Employees scoured the city selling stock at $100 a share and with pledges of $10,000 each from two local businessmen, the $75,000 selling price was met. Ralph Wirth, who had been associated with the mill since the early 1930's as a designer and then manager became president, and the company was named the Reedsburg Woolen Mill.

The mill continued operating for thirteen more years. A fire in 1961 and Wirth's sudden death in 1964 were costly blows, but the most serious problem was increased competition from Southern mills, foreign imports, and synthetic fibers. In 1967 the board of directors declared bankruptcy and in June of that year the mill, which employed nearly 200 people at the time, closed.

With the exception of one fabric sample book all the records date from after the mill was acquired by the Appleton corporation in 1902. The greatest concentration is for the period 1954-1967 when the business was operated solely from the Reedsburg plant. Many records from the Appleton ownership period can no doubt be found in the Appleton Woolen Mills collection also at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Two fires, one in 1961 and the other in 1968, also contribute to the fragmentary nature of some of the record series.

The papers themselves are divided into four broad functional categories or series; each of these in turn contains a number of sub-series. The four main series are Correspondence and Subject File, Employment and Payroll Records, Financial and Sales Records, and Specifications and Samples. Complete descriptions and container lists for each series and sub-series follow this general scope and content note.

The Correspondence and Subject File dates approximately 1914-1964. The letters from the teens and twenties (1910-1920's) are almost exclusively to the main office in Appleton and reveal the close day-to-day supervision of the Reedsburg plant by company officials in Appleton. The files after 1946 are much more complete and deal with all phases of the mill's operation including design, finances, and especially marketing.

Employment and Payroll Records provide a picture of the mill's employees and their working conditions. Included are fairly complete payroll records (1905-1962), personnel records (1936-1961), lost time reports (1946, 1954-1963), and several smaller sub-series. Personnel files consist of the applications of people hired by the mill and usually a termination statement. These together with the lost time reports reflect working conditions such as lay-offs, and a high turn-over rate of unskilled workers.

The Financial and Sales Records are very fragmentary. Well documented are Reedsburg's expenditures for raw materials, supplies, and equipment, but information on sales and overall profit and loss of the company is more sparse. Sub-series within this category include General Ledgers (1903-1914), Journals (1903-1918, 1954-1962), Purchase Journals (1935-1956), Sales Invoices (1902-1966), and Weekly Financial Reports (1954-1958).

The technical side of the mill operation is best reflected in the final series, Specifications and Samples. Included are exact specifications for goods at the carding, weaving, and dyeing stages as well as samples of Reedsburg's products at the carding, spinning, and weaving stages.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Ralph Wirth, Reedsburg, Wis., 1973. Accession Number: M73-155

Processing Information

Processed by Harry Miller and Patricia Hilts, March, 1976.

Mss 281	Series: Correspondence & Subject File Scope and Content Note The Correspondence and Subject File series is divided into two segments. The earliest letters (1914-1927) are organized chronologically and are all letterpress or carbon copies of outgoing mail. During this period, the Reedsburg plant was tightly administered from the Appleton main office. The letters are primarily addressed to Appleton and concern the day-to-day business of the mill such as orders, contracts, payroll, and payment of bills. The major correspondents from Reedsburg are mill managers George Seagraves and William Ehlert. The balance of the series is arranged by letter of the alphabet according to the corporate or individual correspondent's name, and chronologically thereunder. Only scattered items date from the 1930's and early 1940's. The volume picks up in the mid-1940's with the great bulk of materials falling between 1946 and 1964. Files for the years preceding Appleton's 1954 sale of the mill show the increased autonomy of the plant. Especially important is correspondence with the Appleton mill and with Appleton executives including T. E. Orbison and A. H. Thurner. Both before and after the mill came under local Reedsburg control the series contains large amounts of incoming and outgoing correspondence with concerns with which Reedsburg did business. It contains a wide variety of information on all phases of mill operation including marketing, shipping, fabric design, and supplies and equipment purchases. Particularly significant for marketing and sales information is the correspondence with the W.A. Landry Company of New York. The Landry Company (Reedsburg-Landry Associates after 1961) was the mill's main sales agent. Supplementing the correspondence are several important subject files which include information such as tax records, a time study of spinners, and formal and informal suggestions for fabric design. The transfer agreement and other information on the 1954 sale of the mill is found in the Appleton files. By-laws and a list of the new firm's stockholders (in boxes 9 and 41 respectively) are also significant documentation of the change-over. Post-1954 files contain an even greater concentration of information on Reedsburg sales and marketing. In addition to the Landry letters, there is correspondence with sales agents Frank Starr and Walter Ford, and with Sears and Roebuck and numerous other companies which bought Reedsburg goods.
	Subseries: Correspondence (Chronological)
Box   1 Folder   1-2	1914 May 2-1915 Dec 6
Box   1 Folder   3-5	1919 Jan-Dec
Box   2 Folder   1-6	1922 Apr-1923 Dec
Box   3 Folder   1-7	1924 Jan-1916 Dec
Box   4 Folder   1-2	1927 Jan-June
	Subseries: Correspondence and Subject File (Alphabetical)	⇧
	A
Box   4 Folder   3-5	1946 Jan-1947 Dec
Box   4 Folder   6-8	1954 Jan-1955 Mar
Box   5 Folder   1-7	1955 Apr-1961 Apr
	Accident Reports
Box   6 Folder   1	1945-1947
Box   6 Folder   2-3	1954-1957
Box   6 Folder   4	1959
Box   6 Folder   5	Allotments, 1953-1954
Box   6 Folder   6	American Institute of Men's and Boy's Wear, Inc., 1956-1957
	Appleton Woolen Mills
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   6 Folder   7-8	1946
Box   7 Folder   1-2	1947
Box   7 Folder   3-4	1953-1956
	Outgoing Correspondence
Box   7 Folder   5	1946-1947
Box   7 Folder   6	1954-1955 Feb
Box   7 Folder   7	Transfer Agreement, 1954-1955
Box   7 Folder   8	Appraisal of Facilities and Equipment, n.d.
Box   7 Folder   9	Arkansas Co., Inc., 1955, 1960
	B
Box   7 Folder   10	1946
Box   8 Folder   1	1947
Box   8 Folder   2-4	1954-1956
Box   8 Folder   5	1957-1958 Mar
Box   8 Folder   6-7	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
	Badger Outer Wear Mfg. Co.
	Correspondence
Box   9 Folder   1	1957
Box   9 Folder   2	1960 June-1961 Mar
Box   9 Folder   3	Suggestion Sheets, 1959
Box   9 Folder   4	Bobbins, Industrial, 1955-1956
Box   9 Folder   5	Burnham, Frederic Co., 1959-1961
Box   9 Folder   6	By-laws, n.d.
	C
Box   9 Folder   7-9	1946-1947
Box   9 Folder   10-11	1954-1955 Oct
Box   10 Folder   1-3	1955 Nov-1958 Mar
Box   10 Folder   4-5	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
	Caesar, H.A. and Co.
Box   10 Folder   6	1954-1956 Mar
Box   11 Folder   1-2	1957 Apr-1960
Box   11 Folder   3	Cancellations, 1944-1947
Box   11 Folder   4	Cardroom, 1954
Box   11 Folder   5	Caron Spinning Co., 1956
	Chippewa Falls Woolen Mills
Box   11 Folder   6	Correspondence, 1955-1957
Box   11 Folder   7	Suggestion Sheets, 1956
Box   11 Folder   8	Churchill Sportswear Co., Inc., 1955
Box   11 Folder   9	Claims Pending, 1956-1960
Box   11 Folder   10	Coats and Clark Sales Corp., 1961
Box   11 Folder   11	Cohen Brothers, 1956-1957
Box   11 Folder   12	Colloids, Inc., 1957
Box   11 Folder   13	Contracts-Various Suppliers, 1954
Box   11 Folder   14	Correct Cap Co., 1957
Box   11 Folder   15	Crescent Woolen Mills, 1957
Box   11 Folder   16	Custom Coat Co., 1960
	D
Box   11 Folder   17	1946
Box   12 Folder   1	1947
Box   12 Folder   2-5	1954-1958 March
Box   12 Folder   6	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
Box   12 Folder   7	Davidson Woolen Mills, 1957
Box   12 Folder   8	Davis and Furber Machine Co., 1961
Box   12 Folder   9	Department of Labor and U.S. Employment Service Reports, 1944-1946
Box   13 Folder   1	Dow Corning Corp., 1956
	E
Box   13 Folder   2-3	1946-1947
Box   13 Folder   4-8	1954-1961 Mar
	F
Box   14 Folder   1	1946-1947
Box   14 Folder   2-3	1954-1958 Mar
Box   14 Folder   4	1959 Feb-1961 May
Box   14 Folder   5	Fabric Analysis, 1939-1941
Box   14 Folder   6	Fairbault Woolen Mill, 1962
Box   14 Folder   7	Finishing, 1952-1963
	Ford, Walter H.
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   15 Folder   1	1955-1956
Box   15 Folder   2	1957-1960
Box   15 Folder   3	Outgoing Correspondence, 1955-1960
Box   15 Folder   4	Four City Safety Council, 1953
Box   15 Folder   5	Fox River Valley Knitting Co., 1959-1960
Box   15 Folder   6	Freight Rates, 1959
Box   15 Folder   7	Friedlen, H.L. Co., 1956-1957
	G
Box   15 Folder   8	1946-1947
Box   15 Folder   9	1954 Jan-1955 Mar
Box   16 Folder   1-4	1955 Apr-1961
Box   16 Folder   4	Gall, Arthur R., 1957-1961
Box   16 Folder   5	Goodman Overcoat Co., 1960
Box   16 Folder   6	Green Bay Clothing Mfg., Inc., 1957-1961
	H
Box   16 Folder   7-8	1946-1947
Box   17 Folder   1-4	1954-1958 Mar
Box   17 Folder   5-6	1959 Mar-1961
Box   17 Folder   7	Hanover Woolen Mills, Report on Machinery and Operating Methods, 1948
Box   17 Folder   8	Heyman, Henry Associates, 1959
Box   17 Folder   9	Hoffman Woolens, 1956
Box   18 Folder   1	Horner Woolen Mills, 1956-1957, 1960
	I
Box   18 Folder   2	1946-1947
Box   18 Folder   3	1954-1958 Mar
Box   18 Folder   4	1959 Apr-1961
Box   18 Folder   5	Independent Mfg. Co., 1956
Box   18 Folder   6	Industrial Chemical Export Co., 1954-1955, 1961
Box   18 Folder   7	Industrial Commission, 1948-1956
	Insurance, Hospital
Box   18 Folder   8	1954-1955
Box   18 Folder   9-10	1958-1961
Box   19 Folder   1	Island Woolen Co., 1957
	J
Box   19 Folder   2	1944-1947
Box   19 Folder   3-4	1954-1961
Box   19 Folder   4	1956 Apr-1958 Mar
Box   19 Folder   5-6	Johnson and Higgins, Insurance Brokers, 1954-1961
	K
Box   19 Folder   7	1946-1947
Box   19 Folder   8	1954-1958 Mar
Box   19 Folder   9	1959 Apr-1960
Box   19 Folder   10	Koppers Co., Inc., 1960-1961
	L
Box   20 Folder   1	1946-1947
Box   20 Folder   2-5	1954-1958 Mar
Box   20 Folder   6	1959 Apr-1961
Box   20 Folder   7	Labor Relations Institute, 1952
Box   20 Folder   8	Lacon Woolen Mills, 1952-1955
Box   20 Folder   9	Lakeland Mfg. Co., 1956-1958, 1961
	Landry, W.A.
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   21 Folder   1-7	1946-1947
Box   22 Folder   1	1952 Aug-1953 Jan
Box   22 Folder   2-6	1954 Jan-1955 Apr
Box   23	1955 May-1956 Sept
Box   24	1956 Oct-1958 Mar
Box   25 Folder   1	1958 Apr-1958 July
Box   25 Folder   2-5	1959 Jan-1961 Mar
	Outgoing Correspondence
Box   25 Folder   6	1946-1947
Box   25 Folder   7	1954
Box   26	1955 Jan-1958 Mar
Box   27 Folder   1-4	1959 Apr-Mar 1961
Box   27 Folder   5	Liberty Garment Mfg. Co., 1957-1958
Box   27 Folder   6	Lowell Technological Institute, 1958
	M
Box   27 Folder   7-8	1946-1947
Box   28 Folder   1-4	1953-1958 Mar
Box   28 Folder   5	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
	Mc
Box   28 Folder   6	1954-1958
Box   29 Folder   1	1959 Mar-1961 Feb
Box   29 Folder   2	Machinery Blue Prints, 1920, 1930, 1939-47
Box   29 Folder   3	Matson Mill Inc., 1953
Box   29 Folder   4	Merrill Woolen Mills, 1952-1953
	Merrill, Sherlock M.
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   29 Folder   5-8	1960-1961 Mar
Box   30 Folder   1	1961 June-Aug
Box   30 Folder   2-5	1961 Nov-1963 Jan
Box   31 Folder   1	1963 Feb-June
Box   31 Folder   2	Outgoing Correspondence, 1960-1961
Box   31 Folder   3	Military Specifications, 1950 Dec-1951
	N
Box   31 Folder   4	1946
Box   32 Folder   1	1947
Box   32 Folder   2-5	1954-1956 Mar
Box   33 Folder   1-2	1956 Apr-1958 Mar
Box   33 Folder   3	1958 Dec-1961 Mar
Box   33 Folder   4-6	National Association of Wool Mfg., 1945-1946
Box   34 Folder   1	Nemo Industries Inc., 1959
Box   34 Folder   2	New Development in Reducing Wool Mill Costs, 1936
Box   34 Folder   3	New York Girl Coat Co., 1958
Box   34 Folder   4	Nortwestern Hanna Coal, 1957
	O
Box   34 Folder   5	1946-1947
Box   34 Folder   6	1954-1961
Box   34 Folder   7	Office of Price Administration, 1945
	Orbison, T. E.
Box   34 Folder   8-9	Incoming Correspondence, 1945-1947
Box   34 Folder   10	Outgoing Correspondence, 1946-1947
Box   34 Folder   11	Misc. Correspondence, 1954-1955
Box   34 Folder   12	Orders Filled for Reedsburg, 1947
	P
Box   34 Folder   13	1943-1947
Box   35 Folder   1-4	1954-1958 Mar
Box   35 Folder   5	1959 Mar-1961 Mar
Box   35 Folder   6	Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, U.S. Army, 1955-1957
Box   35 Folder   7	Philadelphia Textile Institute, 1957
Box   35 Folder   8	Pioneer Cap Co., 1957-1960
Box   35 Folder   9	Price Control Regulations, 1951
Box   36 Folder   1	Public Expenditure Survey of Wisc., 1959-1960
Box   36 Folder   2	Q, 1955-1961
Box   36 Folder   3	Quartermaster Purchasing Agent, U.S. Army, 1952-1954
	R
Box   36 Folder   4-5	1946-1947
Box   36 Folder   6-8	1954-1961 Mar
Box   37 Folder   1	1957 Apr-1958 Mar
Box   37 Folder   2-3	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
Box   37 Folder   4	Raw Materials Inventory, 1954-1955
	Reedsburg-Landry Associates Inc.
Box   37 Folder   5-6	1961-1962 Mar
Box   38 Folder   1-2	1962 Apr-1963
Box   38 Folder   3	Republic Textile Equipment Co., 1962
Box   38 Folder   4	Research Institute Recommendations, 1961
Box   38 Folder   5	Ringer Mfg. Co., 1964
Box   38 Folder   6	Rosenholz, J. Inc., 1961
Box   38 Folder   7	Rutherford Garment Co., 1964
	S
Box   38 Folder   8-9	1946-1947
Box   39	1954-1957 Mar
Box   40 Folder   1-2	1957 Mar-1958 Aug
Box   40 Folder   3-5	1959 Feb-1961 Feb
Box   40 Folder   6	Sales Room Inquiries, 1957-1958
Box   40 Folder   7	Schmidt, Milton, 1957-1958
	Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Box   40 Folder   8	Incoming Correspondence, 1957-1959
Box   41 Folder   1	Outgoing Correspondence, 1959-1960
	Misc. Corrspondence
Box   41 Folder   2-3	1955-1958
Box   41 Folder   4	1960-1961
Box   41 Folder   5	Springfield Woolen Mills Co., 1963
	Starr, Frank
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   41 Folder   6	1949
Box   41 Folder   7	1959-1960
Box   41 Folder   8	Outgoing Correspondence, 1959-1960
Box   41 Folder   9	Stern, H., 1955
Box   41 Folder   10	Stockholders, n.d.
Box   41 Folder   11	Stoughton Shoe and Leather Co., 1962
	Suggestion Sheets
Box   41 Folder   12	1939
Box   42 Folder   1-2	1952-1953
Box   42 Folder   3-4	1958
Box   43	1959-1960 Apr
Box   44	1960 May-Dec
Box   45 Folder   1-3	From Landry, 1960
Box   45 Folder   4-5	1961 Jan-Mar
Box   46 Folder   1	1961 Apr-Aug
Box   46 Folder   2	1961 Dec-n.d.
Box   46 Folder   3-4	1962 Jan-May
Box   47	1962 June-1963 July
Box   48 Folder   1-3	1963 Aug-1964 Feb
Box   48 Folder   4	Misc.
	Supply Companies
Box   48 Folder   5	1929, 1931, 1939-1940
Box   49 Folder   1-2	1941-1945
Box   49 Folder   3	1948, 1950, 1952
	T
Box   49 Folder   4-5	1946-1947
Box   49 Folder   6	1953 Dec-1955 Jan
Box   49 Folder   7	1955 Apr-1956 Mar
Box   50 Folder   1	1956 Apr-1957 Mar
Box   50 Folder   2	1959 Apr-1961 Mar
Box   50 Folder   3-6	Tax Records, 1954-1959
Box   50 Folder   7	Textile Research Institute Laboratories
Box   50 Folder   8	Testing, 1958
	Thurner, A.H.
Box   50 Folder   9-11	Incoming Correspondence, 1946-1947
Box   51 Folder   1	Outgoing Correspondence, 1946-1947
Box   51 Folder   2	Misc. Correspondence, 1954
Box   51 Folder   3	Time Study for Textile Spinners, 1959
Box   51 Folder   4	Toal, Pat, 1958 Nov-1959
	Tracers (freight)
Box   51 Folder   5	Shipped, 1957-1958
Box   51 Folder   6	Completed, 1958-1960
Box   51 Folder   7	Proof of Delivery, 1960
Box   51 Folder   8	Transportation, 1960
	U
Box   51 Folder   9	1946-1947
Box   51 Folder   10-12	1953 Dec-1958 Mar
Box   51 Folder   13	1959 Apr-1961 Feb
Box   52 Folder   1	Unemployment Compensation, 1935, 1960
	V
Box   52 Folder   2	1955-1956
Box   52 Folder   3	1959-1961
	W
Box   52 Folder   4-5	1945 Dec-1947
Box   52 Folder   6-8	1954-1955 Mar
Box   53 Folder   1-4	1955 Apr-1960 Feb
Box   53 Folder   5	1960 Mar-1961 Mar
Box   53 Folder   6	Waste Disposal, 1961, n.d.
Box   53 Folder   7	Whitaker, Fred Co., 1956
	Wickesberg, A. H.
	Incoming Correspondence
Box   53 Folder   8-9	1935 July, 1945-1946
Box   54 Folder   1-2	1947 July-Dec
Box   54 Folder   3	Outgoing Correspondence, 1944-1947
Box   54 Folder   4	Misc. Correspondence, 1952-1954
	Wirth, Ralph
Box   54 Folder   5-7	1934, 1953-1957
Box   54 Folder   8	1959-1960 Mar
Box   55 Folder   1	1960 Apr-1961 July
Box   55 Folder   2	Woolenwear Co., 1960
	X, Y, Z
Box   55 Folder   3	1946-1947
Box   55 Folder   4	1954-1962
	Series: Employment and Payroll Records Scope and Content Note Applicants Correspondence, 1947-1962: Letters were exchanged between Ralph Wirth and applicants primarily for more skilled jobs in the mill such as foremen, weavers, and loom fixers. The mill frequently advertised nationally in trade journals for skilled workers and received letters of application from individuals from all parts of the country. Wirth's replies describe various positions at the mill noting responsibilities, salary, and working conditions. Personnel Records, 1936-1961: These are almost exclusively application forms of individuals who were subsequently hired at the mill. They generally are for unskilled positions and include the standard information such as age, physical condition, position applied for, employment history, etc. Appended to many of the applications, especially after 1952, are signed termination statements stating that the employee left voluntarily and the reason. Arrangement is chronological by date of the application. Lost Time Reports, 1946, 1954-1963: These are weekly reports from each department showing the number of hours lost and the reason. The explanations include sickness, layoff, vacation, and others. Job Classifications and Wage Rates, 1945-1948: The schedules list each job title and the rate of pay for both hourly and piece rate positions. Union Membership Applications, 1963-1965: Application and dues deduction forms for the United Textile Workers include the name of the employee and the department in which he or she worked. Payroll-General, 1905-1908, 1920-1923, 1926-1934, 1937-1942 and 1954-1962: The early volumes (1905-1942) list the employee's name, date, hours worked for the week, pay rate, any deductions, and total amount. Later records show the same information but are broken down by department. The records through 1942 apparently include only the hourly workers, and not the spinners and weavers who were paid on a piece rate basis. The records from the 1950's and 1960's include all employees. Payroll-Spinning Department, 1921-1926: Spinners were paid by amount of output. This single volume gives name of operator, total output in pounds, rate per pound and total pay. Payroll-Weaving Department, 1917-1924, 1931-1935: Weavers were also paid on piece rate which varied depending on the complexity of the different fabrics. These volumes show the weaver's name, piece numbers worked on, yardage and rate per yard, and total pay.	⇧
	Applicants Correspondence
Box   56 Folder   1	1947
Box   56 Folder   2-6	1954 April-1960
Box   56 Folder   7	1962
	Personnel Records
Box   56 Folder   8-11	1936-1947
Box   57	1948-1955
Box   58 Folder   1-5	1956-1961
	Lost Time Reports
Box   58 Folder   6-7	1946
Box   59	1954 April-1957 June 29
Box   60	1957 June 30-1960 July 30
Box   61	1960 Aug-1963 Feb 2
Box   62 Folder   1	Job Classifications and Wage Rates, 1945-1946
Box   62 Folder   2	Union Membership Applications, 1963-1965
	Payroll-General
Box   239 Folder   1	1905 May-1908 Oct
Box   239 Folder   2	1920 Jan-1923 Jan
Box   240	1926 March-1931 Nov
Box   241 Folder   1	1931 Nov-1934 Nov
Box   241 Folder   2	1937 Oct-1940 Sept
Box   242	1940 Sept-1942 Dec
Box   243	1954 Dec-1956 Dec
Box   244	1957 Jan-Dec
Box   245	1958 Jan-Nov
Box   246	1958 Dec-1959 Dec
Box   247	1959 Dec-1960 Dec
Box   248	1961 Jan-Dec
Box   249	1962 Jan-Dec
Box   62 Folder   3	Payroll-Spinning Department, 1921 Oct-1926 April
	Payroll-Weaving Department
Box   250	1917 Oct-1920 Oct
Box   62 Folder   4	1921 March-1924 Dec
Box   62 Folder   5	1931 May-1935 April
	Series: Financial and Sales Records Scope and Content Note General ledgers, 1903-1914: The ledgers are arranged by account and chronologically thereunder. Each is divided into two sections: one listing dates and amounts of transactions under general headings such as salary, repairs, supplies, raw material, profit and loss, etc.; and a second giving the same basic information for the companies with which Reedsburg did business. Within each section arrangement is by account and chronologically thereunder. Each volume is indexed. General Journals, 1903-1918, 1954-1962: The early volumes (1903-1918) are arranged chronologically by month and list expenditures by category such as labor, freight, supplies, repairs, raw material, etc. Also included are annual summaries of expenditures. The later journals are divided into a cash receipts and sales record, and a check register and purchase record. The receipts and sales segment lists credits under the following headings: accounts receivable, due from H.A. Caesar and Company (factors for Reedsburg goods), [1] cash on hand, scrap sales, mill outlet sales, direct sales, and factored sales. Debits are also broken down by accounts including sales returned, adjustments allowed, discounts allowed, freight, and factoring expense. The check register and record segment is a chronological listing of expenditures under categories such as wages, discounts lost, and several classifications of raw materials and supplies. Purchase Journals, 1935-1956: These annual volumes provide a detailed breakdown of expenditures under approximately twenty accounts including wool oil, dyes, chemicals, raw material, fuel, carding supplies, weaving supplies, new equipment, new construction, and cloth purchased. Each entry shows the date, source, items purchased, and price. Sales Invoices, 1902-1966: Due to a lack of records documenting Reedsburg's sales and customers, a sample of sales invoices has been preserved. The invoices, which are arranged chronologically, show the customer's name, date, description of the goods, and price, and also indicate if the goods were sold through the company's New York agent, W.A. Landry Company. The 1902-1954 invoices are in volumes and each volume has an index to customers' names. The sample represents approximately one-fifth of the original invoices. All others were destroyed. Weekly Financial Reports, 1954-1958: These reports list amount of liabilities including accounts payable, notes payable, and interest; and amount of assets including accounts receivable, amount due from the H.A. Caesar Company, stock at Caesar and cash in bank. Also included is the total value of each week's shipments. Cost of Production Reports, 1946-1961: The reports show a weekly breakdown by department of the total pounds or yards produced, total cost including wages and supplies, and the cost per unit of output. Inventories, 1954-1956, 1960-1964: The content of the inventories varies. Generally they include amounts and descriptions of raw materials, dyes, supplies, and goods in progress. Those from the 1950's also show a dollar value of goods and supplies on hand.	⇧
	General Ledgers
Box   251	1903 Jan-1909 Dec
Box   252 Folder   1	1910 Jan-1914 June
	General Journals
Box   252 Folder   2	1903-1918
Box   253	1954 April-1956 March
Box   254	1956 April-1958 March
Box   255	1958 April-1960 March
Box   256	1960 April-1962 March
	Purchase Journals
Box   63	1935-1948
Box   64	1949-1956 March
Box   65 Folder   1	, 1954-1956 (Wool & raw materials only)
Box   65 Folder   2	1956 April-1957 March
Box   65 Folder   3	1957 April-1958 March
Box   65 Folder   4	1959 April-1960 March
	Sales Invoices
Box   66 Folder   1	1902 Dec 10-1904 April 30
Box   66 Folder   2	1904 May 2-Sept 27
Box   66 Folder   3	1914 Aug 25-1916 May 19
Box   67 Folder   1	1921 Feb 1-1922 July 22
Box   67 Folder   2	1934 Dec 11-1936 March 25
Box   68	1941 May 28-Nov 17
Box   69 Folder   1	1943 July 9-1944 Jan 22
Box   69 Folder   2	1946 March 4-Oct 16
Box   70	1948 Sept 22-1949 June 10
Box   71 Folder   1	1951 Feb 26-Nov 18
Box   71 Folder   2	1953 July 16-1954 Dec 7
Box   72 Folder   1	1954 Oct 1-21
Box   72 Folder   2	1954 Oct 22-30
Box   72 Folder   3	1955 May
Box   72 Folder   4	1956 March 1-18
Box   72 Folder   5	1956 March 19-30
Box   73 Folder   1	1957 Jan
Box   73 Folder   2	1958 Sept
Box   73 Folder   3	1959 Nov
Box   73 Folder   4	1964 April-Sept
Box   74 Folder   1	1965 Feb-March
Box   74 Folder   2	1966 Jan-March
	Weekly Financial Reports
Box   74 Folder   3	1954 Dec 27-1957 April 1
Box   74 Folder   4	1957 April 8-1958 Nov 27
	Cost of Production Reports
Box   74 Folder   5	1946, 1947, 1949, 1951
Box   74 Folder   6	1955-1961
	Inventories
Box   74 Folder   7	1954, 1955
Box   74 Folder   8	1954, Dyestuffs
Box   74 Folder   9	ca. 1954
Box   75 Folder   1	1955, 1956
Box   75 Folder   2	1956, 1957
Box   75 Folder   3	1960, Cloth
Box   75 Folder   4	1960
Box   75 Folder   5	1961
Box   75 Folder   6	1963
Box   75 Folder   7	1964
	Series: Specifications and Samples Scope and Content Note Raw Material Samples, 1939, 1960-1967: The samples collected here include a variety of grades and types of wool, both virgin and re-processed; nubs; silk; rayon; orlon; etc. The wide range of types of wool and their peculiar characteristics as well as the properties of the other fibers constitute an important input into the design of the fabric; they are also an important factor in the cost of the finished product. Picking Records, 1952-1965: These records are the specifications for carding, the initial processing of raw materials. At the end of the carding process raw material can be spun into thread. Information shown includes style number, dyes, type of raw material, and the cost of each. Carding Blends, 1952-1960: These samples are the finished product of the carding operation. At this stage raw materials have been cleaned, combed, and mixed and are ready to be spun into a specific style of thread. Arrangement of the 1952-1954 samples is by year. Those from 1955-1960 are organized by style number. This style number corresponds to the style number on the picking records; consequently it is possible to trace the exact recipe for many of the samples in this series. Yarn Samples, ca. 1940-1960, 1966-1967: Small samples of yarns spun at Reedsburg or available for sale to the mill. The first box contains samples probably dating from the 1940's and early 1950's. The remaining samples are organized by year. Design Sheets, 1922-1967: A design sheet shows the complete specifications for the production of a particular style of fabric. These include the color and size of yarn, weaving drafts (color arrangement and fabric structure), weight, and width of the finished cloth. In many cases a sample of the finished cloth is also attached. The 1922-1962 design sheets are organized by year and within each year range numbers are designated. Due to the changing and somewhat confusing pattern of range numbers, sheets are not always in order by range number within each box. The 1963-1967 sheets are on file, cards and are organized strictly by range number. Fabric Samples, 1877-1878, 1939-1942, 1952-1963: One fabric sample book dates from 1877-1878, shortly before the Reedsburg mill was erected. The balance of the samples are primarily from Reedsburg's own products and provide a visual cross-section of the mill's products. Most prominent are samples of men's overcoating and top coating, women's coating and suiting, children's coating, blankets, and plaids for “buffalo shirts” (heavy outdoor sportsmen's shirts). The samples are woolens or blends of wool with other fibers such as rayon, nylon, orlon, or silk. The term woolen is used in a techical sense as opposed to worsted, both products being made from wool but spun according to different systems. Much time and effort went into identifying these samples, but many of the dates are still just approximations. Like the design sheets, the samples are organized by year and range numbers are identified. The range numbers correspond to those on the design sheets making it possible to find the weaving specifications for many of the specific samples. Also included are a few samples from other domestic and foreign mills. Comparing these with Reedsburg's own designs shows that the products of competitors were an important source of ideas for the company's designers. Dye Records, 1941, 1947, 1954-1963: These records include the results of several dye analysis tests, dye formulas from Reedsburg and other companies, and a large number of dye record cards. The cards are the specifications for raw material and piece dyeing. They show the quantity of material, names of dyes and chemicals used, and amounts. The piece dyeing records also show the style number which corresponds to the range numbers of the fabric samples. Arrangement within each category (raw materials and piece dyeing) is chronological.	⇧
	Raw Material Samples
Box   76	1939, ca. 1960-1962
Box   77	ca. 1964
Box   78	United Waste Co., 1966-1967
Box   79	1967
Box   80	Lowenthal Co., n.d.
	Picking Records
Box   81 Folder   1	1911-1914
Box   81 Folder   2-5	1952-1955 Feb.
Box   82	1955 Feb-1957
Box   83	1959 April 3-Aug 26
Box   84	1959 Sept 8-1960 Jan 26
Box   85	1960 Jan 26-May 11
Box   86	1960 May 11-Aug 31
Box   87	1960 Sept 20-1961 March 3
Box   88	1961 March 4-July 24
Box   89	1961 July 24-1962 Jan 11
Box   90	1962 Jan 27-July 18
Box   91	1962 July 18-1963 Jan 11
Box   92	1963 March-July 15
Box   93	1963 July 16-Oct 15
Box   94	1963 Oct 16-1964 Feb
Box   95	1964 March-June
Box   96	1964 July-Nov
Box   97	1964 Dec-1965 Dec
	Carding Blends
	In form of roving
Box   98	1952
Box   99	1953
Box   100-103	1954
Box   104	1955
	1955-1960
Box   105	6-171
Box   106	173-368
Box   107	370-529
Box   108	530-668
Box   109	670-829
Box   110	834-987
Box   111	1003-1177
Box   112	1181-1365
Box   113	1374-1557
Box   114	1560-1797
Box   115	1807-1997
Box   116	2000-2197
Box   117	2200-2637
Box   118	2644-2967
Box   119	2971-3297
Box   120	3303-3798
Box   121	3802-4996
Box   122	5100-9017
Box   123	n.d.
	Yarn Samples
Box   257	ca. 1940's-1950's
Box   124	1958-1960, 1966
Box   125	1966
Box   126	1967, n.d.
	Design Sheets
Box   127	1922
Box   127	1924
Box   127	1925
Box   127-129	1926
Box   129	1928
Box   129	1929
Box   129	1930
Box   129-130	1931
Box   130	1932
Box   130	1933
Box   130	1934
Box   130	1935
Box   130	1936
Box   131	1937
Box   131-132	1938
Box   131-133	1939
Box   133-134	1940
Box   134-136	1941
Box   134, 136-137	1942
Box   137-138	1943
Box   138	1944
Box   138-139	1945
Box   138-139	1946
Box   139-140	1948
Box   140	1949
Box   140-141	1950
Box   141	1951
Box   141	1952
Box   141-142	1953
Box   142-143	1954
Box   143-144	1955
Box   144-145	1956
Box   145	1957
Box   145	1958
Box   146	1960
Box   146	1961
Box   146	1962
	1963 Sept-1967 March
Box   147	Ranges 1-720
Box   148	Ranges 721-1433
Box   149	Ranges 1434-2094
Box   150	Ranges 6217-6999
Box   151	Ranges 7000-7699
Box   152	Ranges 7700-8399
Box   153	Ranges 8401-8998
Box   154-156	n.d.
	Fabric Samples-Reedsburg
Box   258	1877-1878
Box   157	1939
Box   157	1940
Box   259	1940, Men's wear
Box   158	1941
Box   158, 260-261	1942
Box   262	1942, Plaid backs
Box   159, 263	1952
Box   159, 264	1953
Box   159, 265-266	1955
Box   159-160, 265-266	1956
Box   160-164, 267	1957
Box   165-166, 169-170	1958
Box   167	1958, spring
Box   168	1958, fall
Box   169-170,173-177, 268-269	1959
Box   171	1959, spring
Box   172	1959, fall
Box   175-182, 187-189, 268-269	1960
Box   183-184	1960, spring
Box   185-186	1960, fall
Box   177, 187-191	1961
Box   192-194	1962
Box   194-195	1963
	Fabric Samples-Other Mills
Box   196 Folder   1	Amana Woolens, 1958-1961
Box   196 Folder   2-4	American Woolen, n.d.
Box   197 Folder   1-2	American Woolen, continued
Box   197 Folder   3-4	Foreign, 1961 & n.d.
Box   198 Folder   1	Wool Institute, Inc.
Box   198 Folder   2-5	Misc., n.d.
	Dye Records
Box   199 Folder   1	Dye Analysis, 1941
Box   199 Folder   2	Dye Analysis, ca. 1959
	Dye Formulas
Box   199 Folder   3	Sandoz Laboratories, 1947
Box   200 Folder   1	Greigy Co., n.d.
Box   200 Folder   2	Newport Chemical Works, n.d.
Box   200 Folder   3	Garnet Dye Formulas, Reedsburg, n.d.
Box   200 Folder   4	Wool Dye Formulas, Reedsburg, n.d.
Box   200 Folder   5	Woonsocket Color and Chemical Co., n.d.
	Dye Record Cards-Raw Materials
Box   201	1954 April-Sept
Box   202	1954 Oct-1955 March
Box   203	1955 April-Aug
Box   204	1955 Aug-1956 Jan
Box   205	1956 Feb-June
Box   206	1956 July-Dec
Box   207	1957 Jan-June
Box   208	1957 July-1958 March
Box   209	1958 April-Sept
Box   210	1958 Oct-1959 April
Box   211	1959 May-Oct
Box   212	1959 Nov-1960 March 16
Box   213	1960 March 17-June
Box   214	1960 July-Dec
Box   215	1961 Jan-May
Box   216	1961 May-Sept
Box   217	1961 Oct-Dec
Box   218	1962 Jan-April
Box   219	1962 May-Aug
Box   220	1962 Aug-Dec
Box   221	1963 Jan-April
Box   222	1963 May-Aug
	Dye Record Cards-Piece Dyeing
Box   223	1954 Aug-1955 April
Box   224	1955 May-1956 Feb
Box   225	1956 March-Dec
Box   226	1957 Jan-July
Box   227	1957 Aug-1958 Jan
Box   228	1958 Feb-July
Box   229	1958 Aug-Dec
Box   230	1959 Jan-May
Box   231	1959 June-Sept
Box   232	1959 Oct-1960 April
Box   233	1960 May-Oct
Box   234	1960 Nov-1961 May
Box   235	1961 June-Nov
Box   236	1961 Dec-1962 June
Box   237	1962 July-Dec
Box   238	1963 Nov-Jan