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Willcoxon Manufacturing Co. photographs

 Collection
Identifier: LH-0030

Scope and Contents note

The collection consists of 54 Kodachrome color transparencies date-stamped 1982 and a set of black and white prints made from the slides, as well as black and white 35mm negatives for the pictures; however, the photos appear to have been taken much earlier--around 1960, based on clothing and cars in the photos. Perhaps the Kodachrome film was only processed in 1982 after the film rolls had been stored for years. The occasion of the photographs might have been the centennial anniversary of the mill or perhaps marking the new ownership of Bibb Manufacturing in 1963. The images in this collection are of interior plant operations such as thread spindles, raw cotton, and power apparatus. There are some images of exteriors, and most images feature a person or people, white and African American (all unidentified).

Dates

  • 1955

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users; no restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use note

Rights have been transferred to the University of West Georgia.

Biographical/Historical note

The Willcoxon family owned 1000s of acres in Newnan County and operated a gristmill in Lodi, along Wahoo Creek. In 1866, Captain J.H. Sargent and George Sargent joined the Willcoxon family and built the first cotton mill in Newnan County. The community where the mill was built was subsequently named Sargent.The town grew up around the mill activity. In 1888, the company changed hands and was named Wahoo Manufacturing Co. The plant was destroyed by fire in 1906, but was rebuilt in 1907. In 1919, the mill was sold and named Arnall Mills. The Bibb Manufacturing Co., known for numerous mill operations in Georgia, bought the plant in 1963, but the Bibb companies started divesting themselves of their mill operations in the 1960s, and the company declared bankruptcy in the 1970s. In 2005, the mill town and plant in Sargent were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The period of significance was 1850-1974.

Extent

0.21 Linear feet (1 box)

Language

English

Overview

This collection consists of images from circa 1960 of the cotton manufacturing mill in Sargent, Georgia, originally named Willcoxon Manufacturing Co. The Coweta County plant was founded in 1866 and changed hands several times over the next century. The complex of mill buildings and the town that grew up around have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sargent Historic District.

Arrangement

Arranged by record type.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Collection donated by Frank Westbrook, Newnan, GA, 1982?; Westbrook's name is listed on one folder with a telephone number. When contacted in 2008, Westlake confirmed he had been employed at the mill, but had no knowledge of these slides and photographs.

Related Archival Materials

Related collections in this repository: Banning Mills, Center for Public History, University of West Georgia; Mandeville Mills (LH-0033), Ingram Library.

Processing Information note

Processed by Suzanne Durham in 2008. Volunteer Patricia Gerard went through this collection in February 2016 in order to provide detailed descriptions of each photograph.

Title
Guide to the Willcoxon Manufacturing Co. photographs LH-0030
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Written by Suzanne Durham and Patricia Gerard
Date
2008
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English

Repository Details

Part of the University of West Georgia Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Special Collections, Ingram Library
University of West Georgia
1601 Maple Street
Carrollton GA 30118-2000 United States