Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Mill Town shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Mill Town offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Mill Town at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Mill Town? Wrong! If the Mill Town is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Mill Town then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Mill Town? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Mill Town and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Mill Town wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Mill Town then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Mill Town site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Mill Town, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Mill Town, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
A
Mill town, also known as
factory town or
mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories (usually
cotton mills or factories producing textiles).
United Kingdom
in Greater Manchester,
England is an archetypal United Kingdom "Mill town". Although its textile producing days are over, it is still home to many historic
cotton mills.In the United Kingdom, the term "Mill town" often refers to the
19th century textile towns of Scotland and
Northern England, particularly those in Lancashire (
cotton) and
Yorkshire (wool). Likewise the northern English city of
Manchester was bestowed with the name
Cottonopolis as its region was considered a metropolis of cotton processing mills. One of the most famous references to the early mills was in the poem/hymn "Jerusalem" by William Blake, in which "those dark satanic mills" were used to symbolise the injustice that a new Jerusalem ought to replace.
The British textile industry never fully recovered after the
Great Depression, and its decline continued after the Second World War when it was unable to compete with the growing Indian textile industry. It is said that
Gandhi was jeered when he visited mill towns on his 1931 tour of Britain, as many locals blamed his policies for causing unemployment.http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MC900S05544AU00011C01 There are still a minority of mills left in operation today however. In addition, many mill buildings have conservation orders on them, and some have been converted into blocks of flats.
The term
mill town has seen something of a revival in the British media since the debate over relations between Muslims and non-Muslims began in the aftermath of riots in several mill towns. The term conveniently groups together towns on both sides of the Pennines that suffer from racial segregation and sometimes significant Racism.
Bradford has seen several riots in recent years whilst Burnley, Dewsbury and
Oldham have all had suffered one riot each (see Oldham Riots and
Bradford Riot). After the
Second World War, thousands of migrants from both the
Caribbean and the
Indian subcontinent settled in the mill towns to fill the labour shortage in the industry; they often moved to the traditional working-class areas whilst the White working-class moved out to the newly built estates after the war.
Many mill towns have a symbol of the textile industry in their town badge. Some towns may also have statues dedicated to textile workers (e.g. Colne) or have a symbol in the badge of local schools (e.g. Ossett School).
The list below includes some towns where textiles was not the predominant industry. For example, mining was also a key industry in Leigh and Wigan in Lancashire, and in Ossett in Yorkshire.
Cheshire mill towns
Lancashire mill towns
† - denotes as a town from the Historic counties of England of Lancashire, but now in
Greater Manchester.
Yorkshire mill towns
== United States ==Beginning with technological information smuggled out of England by Francis Cabot Lowell (businessman), large mills were established in New England in the early to mid
19th century. Mill towns, sometimes planned, built and owned as a
company town, grew in the shadow of the industries. The region became a manufacturing powerhouse along rivers like the Housatonic River,
Shetucket River,
Blackstone Valley,
Merrimack River, Nashua River,
Cochecho River, Saco River,
Androscoggin River, Kennebec River or
Winooski River.
"In the nineteenth century, saws and axes made in New England cleared the forests of Ohio; New England
ploughs broke the prairie sod, New England scales weighed wheat and meat in
Texas; New England serge clothed businessmen in San Francisco; New England cutlery skinned
Rawhide to be
Tanning in Milwaukee and sliced apples to be dried in
Missouri; New England whale oil lit lamps across the continent; New England blankets warmed children by night and New England textbooks preached at them by day; New England guns armed the troops; and New England
dies,
lathes, looms,
forges, presses and screwdrivers outfitted factories far and wide." -
Jane Jacobs,
The Economy of Cities, 1969
In the
20th century, alternatives to water power were developed, and it became more profitable for companies to manufacture textiles in southern states where cotton was grown and winters did not require significant heating costs. Finally, the
Great Depression acted as a catalyst that sent several struggling New England firms into
bankruptcy.
Connecticut mill towns
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Danbury, Connecticut
- Enfield, Connecticut
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Killingly, Connecticut
- Manchester, Connecticut
- Middletown, Connecticut
- Naugatuck, Connecticut
- New Haven, Connecticut
- New London, Connecticut
- Norwich, Connecticut
- Seymour, Connecticut
- Shelton, Connecticut
- Torrington, Connecticut
- Vernon, Connecticut
- Waterbury, Connecticut
- Winchester, Connecticut
- Windham, Connecticut
- Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Maine mill towns
- Anson, Maine
- Auburn, Maine
- Biddeford, Maine
- Brunswick, Maine
- Chisholm, Maine
- Corinna, Maine
- Lewiston, Maine
- Lincoln, Penobscot County, Maine
- Lisbon Falls, Maine
- Livermore Falls, Maine
- Millinocket, Maine
- Milo, Maine
- Newport, Maine
- Old Town, Maine
- Orono, Maine
- Pittsfield, Maine
- Rumford, Maine
- Sanford, Maine
- Skowhegan, Maine
- Waterville, Maine
- Westbrook, Maine
Massachusetts mill towns
- Amesbury, Massachusetts
- Athol, Massachusetts
- Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Chicopee, Massachusetts
- Clinton, Massachusetts
- Dalton, Massachusetts
- Fall River, Massachusetts
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- Gardner, Massachusetts
- Grafton, Massachusetts
- Greenfield, Massachusetts
- Haverhill, Massachusetts
- Holyoke, Massachusetts
- Hudson, Massachusetts
- Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Lowell, Massachusetts
- Lynn, Massachusetts
- Maynard, Massachusetts
- Methuen, Massachusetts
- Milford, Massachusetts
- Millbury, Massachusetts
- Monson, Massachusetts
- New Bedford, Massachusetts
- North Adams, Massachusetts
- Orange, Massachusetts
- Pittsfield, Massachusetts
- Russell, Massachusetts
- Southbridge, Massachusetts
- Springfield, Massachusetts
- Taunton, Massachusetts
- Uxbridge, Massachusetts
- Waltham, Massachusetts
- Webster, Massachusetts
- Winchendon, Massachusetts
- Worcester, Massachusetts
New Hampshire mill towns
- Belmont, New Hampshire
- Berlin, New Hampshire
- Claremont, New Hampshire
- Dover, New Hampshire
- Franklin, New Hampshire
- Gorham, New Hampshire
- Greenville, New Hampshire
- Groveton, New Hampshire
- Harrisville, New Hampshire
- Keene, New Hampshire
- Laconia, New Hampshire
- Lancaster, New Hampshire
- Lebanon, New Hampshire
- Lincoln, New Hampshire
- Manchester, New Hampshire
- Milford, New Hampshire
- Milton, New Hampshire
- Nashua, New Hampshire
- Newmarket, New Hampshire
- Newport, New Hampshire
- Penacook, New Hampshire
- Pittsfield, New Hampshire
- Rochester, New Hampshire
- Somersworth, New Hampshire
- Suncook, New Hampshire
- Tilton, New Hampshire
- Troy, New Hampshire
- Wilton, New Hampshire
Rhode Island mill towns
- Bristol, Rhode Island
- Slatersville
- Central Falls, Rhode Island
- Coventry, Rhode Island
- Cumberland, Rhode Island
- Lincoln, Rhode Island
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Westerly, Rhode Island
- West Warwick, Rhode Island
- Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Valley Falls, Rhode Island
Vermont mill towns
- Bellows Falls, Vermont
- Bethel, Vermont
- Brattleboro, Vermont
- Bridgewater, Vermont
- Burlington, Vermont
- Ludlow (town), Vermont
- Newport (city), Vermont
- Springfield, Vermont
- Winooski, Vermont
- Vergennes, Vermont
Elsewhere in the United States
Arkansas mill towns
North Carolina mill towns
Museums & Historic Sites
- American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA
- Belknap Mill Society Museum, Laconia, NH
- Blackstone Valley
- Lowell National Historic Park, Lowell, MA
- Lynn Heritage State Park, Lynn, MA
- The Millyard Museum, Manchester, NH
- Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Historic Corridor
References
A
Mill town, also known as
factory town or
mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories (usually cotton mills or factories producing textiles).
United Kingdom
in
Greater Manchester,
England is an archetypal United Kingdom "Mill town". Although its textile producing days are over, it is still home to many historic
cotton mills.In the United Kingdom, the term "Mill town" often refers to the
19th century textile towns of Scotland and Northern England, particularly those in
Lancashire (
cotton) and Yorkshire (wool). Likewise the northern English city of
Manchester was bestowed with the name
Cottonopolis as its region was considered a
metropolis of cotton processing mills. One of the most famous references to the early mills was in the poem/hymn "Jerusalem" by William Blake, in which "those dark satanic mills" were used to symbolise the injustice that a new Jerusalem ought to replace.
The British textile industry never fully recovered after the Great Depression, and its decline continued after the Second World War when it was unable to compete with the growing Indian textile industry. It is said that Gandhi was jeered when he visited mill towns on his 1931 tour of Britain, as many locals blamed his policies for causing unemployment.http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personalisation/object.cfm?uid=021MC900S05544AU00011C01 There are still a minority of mills left in operation today however. In addition, many mill buildings have conservation orders on them, and some have been converted into blocks of flats.
The term
mill town has seen something of a revival in the British media since the debate over relations between Muslims and non-Muslims began in the aftermath of riots in several mill towns. The term conveniently groups together towns on both sides of the Pennines that suffer from racial segregation and sometimes significant
Racism.
Bradford has seen several riots in recent years whilst
Burnley,
Dewsbury and
Oldham have all had suffered one riot each (see
Oldham Riots and
Bradford Riot). After the Second World War, thousands of migrants from both the Caribbean and the
Indian subcontinent settled in the mill towns to fill the labour shortage in the industry; they often moved to the traditional working-class areas whilst the White working-class moved out to the newly built estates after the war.
Many mill towns have a symbol of the textile industry in their town badge. Some towns may also have statues dedicated to textile workers (e.g. Colne) or have a symbol in the badge of local schools (e.g.
Ossett School).
The list below includes some towns where textiles was not the predominant industry. For example, mining was also a key industry in Leigh and Wigan in Lancashire, and in Ossett in Yorkshire.
Cheshire mill towns
- Congleton
- Hyde, Greater Manchester
Lancashire mill towns
† - denotes as a town from the Historic counties of England of Lancashire, but now in
Greater Manchester.
Yorkshire mill towns
== United States ==Beginning with technological information smuggled out of
England by
Francis Cabot Lowell (businessman), large mills were established in New England in the early to mid 19th century. Mill towns, sometimes planned, built and owned as a
company town, grew in the shadow of the industries. The region became a manufacturing powerhouse along rivers like the Housatonic River,
Shetucket River,
Blackstone Valley, Merrimack River,
Nashua River,
Cochecho River, Saco River,
Androscoggin River,
Kennebec River or Winooski River.
"In the nineteenth century, saws and axes made in New England cleared the forests of Ohio; New England ploughs broke the prairie sod, New England scales weighed wheat and meat in Texas; New England
serge clothed businessmen in
San Francisco; New England cutlery skinned Rawhide to be
Tanning in Milwaukee and sliced apples to be dried in Missouri; New England
whale oil lit lamps across the continent; New England blankets warmed children by night and New England textbooks preached at them by day; New England guns armed the troops; and New England
dies,
lathes, looms,
forges,
presses and screwdrivers outfitted factories far and wide." - Jane Jacobs,
The Economy of Cities, 1969
In the
20th century, alternatives to water power were developed, and it became more profitable for companies to manufacture
textiles in southern states where
cotton was grown and winters did not require significant heating costs. Finally, the Great Depression acted as a catalyst that sent several struggling New England firms into bankruptcy.
Connecticut mill towns
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Danbury, Connecticut
- Enfield, Connecticut
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Killingly, Connecticut
- Manchester, Connecticut
- Middletown, Connecticut
- Naugatuck, Connecticut
- New Haven, Connecticut
- New London, Connecticut
- Norwich, Connecticut
- Seymour, Connecticut
- Shelton, Connecticut
- Torrington, Connecticut
- Vernon, Connecticut
- Waterbury, Connecticut
- Winchester, Connecticut
- Windham, Connecticut
- Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Maine mill towns
- Anson, Maine
- Auburn, Maine
- Biddeford, Maine
- Brunswick, Maine
- Chisholm, Maine
- Corinna, Maine
- Lewiston, Maine
- Lincoln, Penobscot County, Maine
- Lisbon Falls, Maine
- Livermore Falls, Maine
- Millinocket, Maine
- Milo, Maine
- Newport, Maine
- Old Town, Maine
- Orono, Maine
- Pittsfield, Maine
- Rumford, Maine
- Sanford, Maine
- Skowhegan, Maine
- Waterville, Maine
- Westbrook, Maine
Massachusetts mill towns
- Amesbury, Massachusetts
- Athol, Massachusetts
- Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Chicopee, Massachusetts
- Clinton, Massachusetts
- Dalton, Massachusetts
- Fall River, Massachusetts
- Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- Gardner, Massachusetts
- Grafton, Massachusetts
- Greenfield, Massachusetts
- Haverhill, Massachusetts
- Holyoke, Massachusetts
- Hudson, Massachusetts
- Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Lowell, Massachusetts
- Lynn, Massachusetts
- Maynard, Massachusetts
- Methuen, Massachusetts
- Milford, Massachusetts
- Millbury, Massachusetts
- Monson, Massachusetts
- New Bedford, Massachusetts
- North Adams, Massachusetts
- Orange, Massachusetts
- Pittsfield, Massachusetts
- Russell, Massachusetts
- Southbridge, Massachusetts
- Springfield, Massachusetts
- Taunton, Massachusetts
- Uxbridge, Massachusetts
- Waltham, Massachusetts
- Webster, Massachusetts
- Winchendon, Massachusetts
- Worcester, Massachusetts
New Hampshire mill towns
- Belmont, New Hampshire
- Berlin, New Hampshire
- Claremont, New Hampshire
- Dover, New Hampshire
- Franklin, New Hampshire
- Gorham, New Hampshire
- Greenville, New Hampshire
- Groveton, New Hampshire
- Harrisville, New Hampshire
- Keene, New Hampshire
- Laconia, New Hampshire
- Lancaster, New Hampshire
- Lebanon, New Hampshire
- Lincoln, New Hampshire
- Manchester, New Hampshire
- Milford, New Hampshire
- Milton, New Hampshire
- Nashua, New Hampshire
- Newmarket, New Hampshire
- Newport, New Hampshire
- Penacook, New Hampshire
- Pittsfield, New Hampshire
- Rochester, New Hampshire
- Somersworth, New Hampshire
- Suncook, New Hampshire
- Tilton, New Hampshire
- Troy, New Hampshire
- Wilton, New Hampshire
Rhode Island mill towns
- Bristol, Rhode Island
- Slatersville
- Central Falls, Rhode Island
- Coventry, Rhode Island
- Cumberland, Rhode Island
- Lincoln, Rhode Island
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Westerly, Rhode Island
- West Warwick, Rhode Island
- Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Valley Falls, Rhode Island
Vermont mill towns
- Bellows Falls, Vermont
- Bethel, Vermont
- Brattleboro, Vermont
- Bridgewater, Vermont
- Burlington, Vermont
- Ludlow (town), Vermont
- Newport (city), Vermont
- Springfield, Vermont
- Winooski, Vermont
- Vergennes, Vermont
Elsewhere in the United States
Arkansas mill towns
North Carolina mill towns
Museums & Historic Sites
- American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA
- Belknap Mill Society Museum, Laconia, NH
- Blackstone Valley
- Lowell National Historic Park, Lowell, MA
- Lynn Heritage State Park, Lynn, MA
- The Millyard Museum, Manchester, NH
- Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Historic Corridor
References