Charles B. Nichols Collection of Textile Industry Memorabilia

Charles B. Nichols' family was involved in the textile industry for at least three generations. His great-grandfather is the first known member to work in the textile mills. Nichols, known by his nickname "Carl" or "Karl", grew up in the mill city of Lowell, MA. During his college years Charles Nichols worked summers at the Bay State Cotton Corporation and the Massachusetts Corporation. After graduation, he took his first job at the Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham, MA. He wrote of his regard for the work, but it rapidly became too routine for his taste. Upon leaving the Boston Manufacturing Company he took a position with the United States Department of Commerce. Later in life, Nichols was involved in many business enterprises, including the Appleton Company, Inc., a milling company, and Old Sturbridge Village, a MA "living museum" devoted to recreating life in the nineteenth century. He also served as director of the Locks and Canals at Boott Mills in the 1970's. He collected many books on milling throughout the course of his life.