TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

History

Scope and Content

Arrangement

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Series I: Administrative Records, 1734-1968

Series II: Personnel Records, 1942-1962

Series III: Labor Relations Records, 1930-1974

Series IV: Product samples, (undated, 1925-1955)

Series V: General Accounts, 1847-1927

Series VI: Blueprints, undated, 1891-1984

Cheney Brothers Silk Manufacturing Company Records

History

In 1838, six Cheney brothers established the Mount Nebo Silk Company in Manchester, CT. The company adopted the family name in 1843. Aided by booming national markets, a protective tariff, and innovative production methods, the company grew into the nation's largest and most profitable silk mill by the late 1880s. The company pioneered the waste-silk spinning method and the Grant's reel.

At the beginning of World War I, the company employed over 4,700 workers. One out of every four Manchester residents worked at the Cheney Mills in some capacity. The company was an integral part of the community, its domain taking in over 175 acres, including mills buildings, churches, houses, schools, recreation centers, utility companies, and even a railroad. The company was also known nationally for its benevolent system of welfare capitalism. It was one of the first textile mills to use Frederick Taylor's methods of scientific management.

In its early years, the company relied mostly on native-born American labor, but throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the company actively recruited both skilled and unskilled immigrant labor. By the 1920s, foreign worker dominated the labor force.

The company reached its peak in 1923, after which it quickly declined due to industry-wide overproduction and competition from new synthetic fibers such as rayon. During the Depression, the company was forced to borrow heavily to keep the mills running. In 1933, it sold its rail lines and utility companies. The 1930s was also a period of increased labor strife. The company successfully resisted unionization until 1934 when it was forced to accept the United Textile Workers as the bargaining representative of the workers. The company was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1937.

The Second World War brought a temporary recovery in the form of silk parachute production for the war effort; however, after the war, outmoded plant facilities, high labor costs, and strong competition from southern mills forced the Cheney family to sell the company to the textile giant, J. P. Stevens & Company in 1955. J. P. Stevens quickly sold off or destroyed most of the machinery and equipment which produced goods competitive with other Stevens-owned mills. Cheney Brothers was eventually sold to Gerli Incorporated of New York. In 1978, the mills and surrounding neighborhood were declared a National Historical Landmark District.

The mills lingered on in this truncated condition until 1984 when it was closed permanently. Most of the mill buildings were sold to developers who converted them into luxury apartments and offices.

Additional historical information is located in the collection file. Please contact a staff member for further information.

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Content

The collection contains materials relevant to the production and sale of silk—administrative, financial, production and employee records, in addition to fabric samples, publications, reports and photographs.

The administrative files contain minutes, historical information on the founding of the company and its growth, company produced handbooks and manuals, employee publications, sales records and a variety of publications related to textiles and labor. These files also contain information pertaining to government contract work, wages, and inter-office communications.

Personnel records contain information about Pioneer Parachute Company, a subsidiary, and its efforts to recruit employees during World War II and the early 1950s. Other files concern the cafeteria arrangements of the company, reinstated union employees and the forgery case of Henry de Wald, a company employee. Monthly and yearly accident tabulations, reports and related documents are included in this series as are wages, hiring specifications and employee records. The specifications materials describes equipment, materials and duties connected with each position within the Ribbon, Spinning and Dressing departments and the Throwing mill. Each position description includes a black and white photograph (ca. 1920s) showing the appropriate machine and its operator. The employee records cards contain detailed personal information on all non-management employees (1900-1960).

The labor files contain materials relevant to the Mill and its interaction with Local 63 of the Textile Workers Union of America. Also included are publications and information pertaining to federal labor laws and newspaper clippings.

Return to the Table of Contents

Arrangement

Series I: Administrative Records (undated, 1734-1979).

Subseries A: Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Directors (1854-1936).

Subseries B: History of the Cheney Brothers (1734-1955).

Subseries C: Employee Relations (undated, 1920-1970).

Subseries D: National and Regional War Labor Records (1942-1946).

Subseries E: Wage Stabilization Boards (1946-1952).

Subseries F: Government Contract Work (1937-1956).

Subseries G: Inter-Office Memoranda (1912-1924)

Subseries H: Sales Records (1950-1954).

Subseries I: Printed Material (1903-1979).

Series II: Personnel Records (1900-1962).

Subseries A: Subject Files (1942-1962).

Subseries B: Accidents (1920-1956).

Subseries C: Wages (1920-1962).

Subseries D: Hiring Specifications (ca. 1925-1963).

Subseries E: Employee Record Cards (1860-1960).

Series III: Labor Relations Records (1930-1974, bulk dates 1938-1953).

Subseries A: Arbitration (1930-1974).

Subseries B: Agreements and Contracts (1934-1956).

Subseries C: Arbitration Cases/Awards (1930-1953).

Subseries D: Disputes (1920-1951).

Subseries E: Local 63 (1934-1955).

Subseries F: Supreme Court of errors (1951-1954).

Subseries G: Arbitration Local 63 (1938-1974).

Subseries H: Laws (undated, 1947-1954).

Series IV: Production samples (undated, 1925-1955).

Series V: General Accounts (1847-1927).

Series VI: Blueprints (undated, 1891-1959).

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

The employee record cards are restricted to scholarly and genealogical use only. Personally identifiable information may not be recorded.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

Return to the Table of Contents

Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of materials pertaining to Connecticut business, see especially the records of Wauregan-Quinebaug Company, Belding Brothers and Company, HKH Silk Company, Slater Company. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

Additional materials and photographs are located in the holdings of the Connecticut Historical Society.

Return to the Table of Contents

Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Subjects:

Document Types:

Occupations:

Return to the Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Custodial History

J. P. Stevens & Company deposited financial and executive records at the Connecticut Historical Society in 1964.

Preferred Citation

[Item description, #:#], Cheney Brother Silk Manufacturing Company Records. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries.

Acquisition Information

The employee records and other materials were donated by Gerli and Company to the University of Connecticut in April 1984. Included in this original donation were personnel records, employee record cards, union negotiations materials, fabric samples and photographs.

The Cheney Brothers Silk Manufacturing Company financial and executive records, including minutes of Director's meetings and account books, were donated by the Connecticut Historical Society in October 1984.

Return to the Table of Contents

Detailed Description