Ralph C. Perkins Papers

Ralph C. Perkins was born on March 2 1888 in Calais, ME. He was the first child of John A. Perkins and Maud Chamberlain Perkins. His father, John A. Perkins, had a successful career in the textile industry. John A. began his career at the Lockwood Mill in Waterville, ME in 1889 and continued at the St. Croix Cotton Company in Milltown, New Brunswick. He was also employed at the Lower Pacific Mills, in Lawrence, MA in 1891, and at the Naumkeag Mills, Salem, MA in 1895. He was the overseer of weaving at Naumkeag Mills for close to fifteen years. From 1911-1913, John A. Perkins served as Superintendent of the Atlantic Mills in Lawrence, MA. He then became the General Superintendent of the Utica Steam & Mohawk Valley Cotton Mills in Utica, NY from 1913-1917. In the early part of 1917, he became the General Manager of the Harmony Mills in Cohoes, NY. He held this position until his death on December 12, 1930.

Ralph C. Perkins, like his father, had a successful career in the textile industry. As a teenager and young adult, he worked in several New England mills including the Naumkeag Mills, Salem, MA; the Lower Pacific Mills, Lawrence, MA; the Lockwood Company, Waterville, ME; the Meredith Linen Mills, Meredith, NH, and the Franklin Mills, Unionville, MA.

In those early years, Ralph Perkins worked mainly in the weaving department serving as a weaver, clerk, loom-fixer, second-hand, overseer and designer. For short periods of time he worked in the carding and spinning departments. He also held positions as a cost-accountant, superintendent and buyer, and salesman. During this time, he completed a two year night program at the New Bedford Textile School. From 1915-1925, Perkins was employed in New Bedford by the Stephen M. Weld & Co. of Boston where he began as a cotton broker and resigned as the New Bedford agent in December 1925.

In 1924, Perkins and John B. Strongman of New Bedford, MA formed the Perkins-Strongman Corporation in Putnam, CT to produce curtain cloth and other rayon and cotton specialty goods. Perkins served as Treasurer and Director and President. The company was liquidated in 1935. Perkins-Strongman maintained an office in New Bedford, MA and c/o the Pilgrim Mills in Fall River, MA. In 1924, the two also purchased the property and machinery of the Morse Mills in Putnam (Nightingale-Morse Mills, Inc.).

In November 1925, Ralph C. Perkins was elected Treasurer and Director of Stafford Mills in Fall River, MA. Stafford Mills was established in 1891 and manufactured printed cloth. He left in November 1926 after a disagreement with other Directors of the corporation over the impending liquidation of the company. Perkins felt losses suffered would have been reduced if liquidation had commenced immediately. There are no records from this period.

In February 1932, Perkins became Treasurer, Director, and member of the Executive Committee of Pilgrim Mills in Fall River, MA. Pilgrim Mills was established in 1910 and manufactured broadcloths and voiles. It was liquidated in 1942. Their Fall River plant produced plain cotton cloth. About the same time, in March 1932, Perkins was elected as Treasurer, Director, and member of the Executive Committee of Queen City Cotton Company established in 1894 in Burlington, VT. Queen City produced fine cottons, sateens, twills, and shirtings. The company was liquidated in 1941.

In December 1938, Perkins became President and Director of the newly established Naushon Mills, New Bedford, MA. The company manufactured airplane fabrics, book cloth, broadcloths, carded cottons, corset cloth, crepes, curtain cloths, dimities, gabardine, oxfords, piques, pongees, poplins, sateens, umbrella cloths, fine cloths and rayon. Perkins held this position while the mill was being established and then was succeeded by an officer from New York in the spring of 1939. During his career, Perkins’ selling agents included A. Emerson & Co., Green Hamilton & Co., James Talcott, Inc. and Jamison Textile & Commission Corp.

For several years, Perkins was also Director and Vice-President of the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers and Director of the Cotton-Textile Institute.

Following the liquidation of Pilgrim Mills in 1942, little information about Ralph Perkins’ life is available. Letters written by Perkins following the Pilgrim Mills liquidation indicate that he became a consultant in the textile industry. Perkins worked in Washington, D.C. as a United States Deputy Member of the Textile Committee of the Combined Production and Resources Board from May 1944 until September 1945. Upon completion, he was offered jobs in Germany and Japan, but chose not accept them.