Looking west on Elm Street, with the Agawam Woolen Mill to the right, around 1895-1896. Image courtesy of the Agawam Historical Association.
Elm Street in 2015:
The former Agawam Woolen Mill building still stands on Elm Street, although it is mostly hidden behind the trees from this angle. Agawam was never a major industrial center, but this site along the Three Mile Brook had been used by mills since the early 1800s. In 1857, the Agawam Company, later renamed the Agawam Woolen Company, established its first factory here, which was rebuilt in 1875 and destroyed in a fire in 1889. The present-day factory was built around 1890, and was subsequently expanded several times after the first photo was taken. However, by the mid 1900s, New England’s once thriving textile industry began to struggle amid increased competition, and like many others the Agawam Woolen Company closed in the 1950s. The building still stands today, not all that different from the 1890s photo except for the early 1900s additions. It is a contributing property, and the only industrial building, in the Agawam Center Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
This mill is such a cool building, come visit, there are shops, a hair salon, a fitness center, a graphic designer/printer, as well as some current tradespeople.
I was told as a child that my three times great uncle,Lewis Worthington was somehow connected to the Agawam Woolen Mill.I am trying to find out if this is true.How would I go about doing this.I would appreciate any help.
Hi Jamie,
I found a reference to a Lewis Worthington on page 604 of this book, which says that he was the assistant manager of the “Agawam Company.” Not sure if it’s the same person that you’re related to, or if it’s the same company, but it might be a place to start:
https://books.google.com/books?id=GigWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA697&lpg=PA697&dq=Our+County+and+Its+People%22:+A+History+of+Hampden+County+…,+Volume+3&source=bl&ots=fiMUsXbZIT&sig=lEu2JxLXVwtIyLkQpB79u6SbeWk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF78bhwvXTAhUqwlQKHTUhDisQ6AEIRzAG#v=onepage&q&f=false
Also, you could try contacting the Agawam Public Library to see if they have any company records in their local history collection.
Jamie,
You will find Amos Worthington mentioned as part of a group of gentlemen who in 1809 incorporated the Agawam Cotton, Woollen, and Linen Manufactory in this document found in the State Library of Massachusetts archive:
http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/actsResolves/1809/1809acts0059.pdf
I’ve heard that the Agawam Mill supplied wool cloth to the Union army for uniforms during the Civil War, is that true?
I haven’t heard about that, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all – pretty much every manufacturer in the North was making products for the war effort.
I live here in Agawam, I have lived here my whole life and I like finding history. I don’t believe that history should be buried. All of the lower end of Mill street in interesting. The past few years I got into metal detecting. Is their any way I can metal detect the mill area?