Clifton Manufacturing Records

The Clifton Manufacturing Company was formed in 1880 by Dexter Edgar Converse, with South Carolina business associates and some northern financial support, on the Pacolet River site of the South Carolina Manufacturing Company iron works. Clifton Manufacturing Company also bought water rights on the Pacolet River.

There were ten major stockholders, including Mr. Converse and A. H. Twichell. Mr. Twichell was the first secretary-treasurer and was the Company's second president. In all of the Clifton Manufacturing Company's history there were only four presidents: Dexter Converse (1880-1899); A.H. Twichell (1899-1916); J. Choice Evins (1916-1945); and Stanley Converse (1945-1971).

The first mill began operation in the summer of 1881. The Clifton Manufacturing Company drew heavily upon both northern financial support, northern textile experience, and northern textile machinery. The Mill No. 1's plans were drawn by A. D. Lockwood, of Providence, Rhode Island and the machinery was purchased from the Kitson Machine Company, Lowell, Massachusetts and the Saco Water Power Machine Company of Biddeford, ME.

The first mill superintendent was J. Longee, of Providence, RI, formerly at the Fitchville Manufacturing Company of Connecticut.

In 1893 the Clifton Manufacturing Company employed 1,500 people to manufacture cotton cloth, notably sheetings, shirtings and drills. The Company's selling agents were Wheelwright, Eldrede and Co. and O. H. Sampson and Co. (Davisons' The Blue Book Textile Directory, 1893-1894).

The second mill was built in 1896, and the third mill, called the Converse Mill was built in 1896; though the 1903 flood waters swept it away and damaged No. 1 Mill and No. 2 Mill. The Company repaired the other two mills and completely rebuilt the Converse mill on higher grounds. A fourth mill was added in 1949, a fifth mill for weaving was added in 1952, and a sixth mill was built in 1957.

The Knights of Labor organized the Clifton Manufacturing Co. in 1886. The first strike was a year later, 1887, and in 1914 there was another strike. The Textile Workers Union of America organized a major strike at Clifton during 1949-1950.

The Clifton Manufacturing Company was seemingly profitable until the 1960's period of foreign competition. In 1965 Dan River Mills bought the Clifton Manufacturing Company, and it became a division of the Dan River Mills. Dexter Edgar Converse stayed on as president of the Clifton Division of the Dan River Mills until retiring in 1969.

The information for this Historical Note is from, A Place Called Clifton: A Pictorial History of Clifton, South Carolina by Michael Hembree and David Moore (Jacobs Press, 1987) and the companion volume, Clifton: a River of Memories.