The history of the textile industry that developed along the banks of the Saco River in Biddeford and Saco, Maine is complicated by a complex web of interconnectedness. A core group of businessmen show up repeatedly in the development of each of the various companies. None of these companies was completely separate from the others, from their incorporations forward – for example: Samuel Batchelder appears in the incorporation papers for all three Biddeford companies; William Dwight was the treasurer of both the Saco Water Power Company and the Laconia Company; York Manufacturing begat Saco Water Power Co. which begat Saco Water Power Machine Shop, Laconia Company and Pepperell Manufacturing Company; Pepperell later absorbed two of its predecessors.

Finding Aid contains histories of the following: 

• The Saco Water Power Company (1837 – 1915).
• Laconia Company (1841 – 1899).
• Pepperell Manufacturing Company/WestPoint-Pepperell/WestPoint Stevens/WestPoint Home (1844 – 2009) – [also Biddeford Textile Company].
• J.S. & E. Wright Co./Wright, Bliss and Fabyan/Bliss, Fabyan & Co. (1864 – 1940).

ONLINE ACCESS:
Finding Aid
McArthur Library Catalog