Reedsburg Woolen Mill Records, 1877-1878, 1902-1967

Container Title
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