The American Woolen Company was established in 1899 under the leadership of William M. Wood and his father-in-law Frederick Ayer through the consolidation of eight financially troubled New England woolen mills. At the company's height in the 1920s, it owned and operated 60 woolen mills across New England. It is most known for its role in the Lawrence textile strike of 1912. William M. Wood (1858 - February 2, 1926) Mill owner of Lawrence, Massachusetts // William Wood was born in an Edgartown cottage on Pease Point Way, in Marthas Vineyard 1858. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... For other uses, see Wool (disambiguation). ... Massachusetts militiamen with fixed bayonets surround a parade of peaceful strikers Flyer distributed in Lawrence, September 1912 The Lawrence textile strike was a strike of immigrant workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1912 led by the Industrial Workers of the World. ...

History

The American Woolen Company was the product of the era of trusts. Overproduction, competition and poor management had brought the New England textile industry to its knees by the 1890s. In particular, family trusts, the main shareholders of many of the mills, insisted on receiving high dividends instead of making necessary capital improvements. Frederick Ayer, successful Lowell merchant, purchased the Washington Mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts and hired his son-in-law, William M. Wood to run it. Wood had already successfully turned around a bankrupt mill in Fall River. With Ayer's financial backing, Wood brought together various under-performing mills in the aim of reducing competition and increasing prices. He convinced investors to permit profits to be reinvested into new plants and machinery. Wood also continued a trend of hiring immigrant labor to save costs. A trust or business trust was a form of business entity used in the late 19th century with intent to create a monopoly. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... It has been suggested that ex-dividend date be merged into this article or section. ... Nickname: Motto: Art is the Handmaid of Human Good Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex Settled 1653 Incorporated 1826 A city 1836 Government  - Type Manager-City council  - Mayor William F. Martin, Jr. ...   Settled: 1655 â€“ Incorporated: 1847 Zip Code(s): 01840 â€“ Area Code(s): 351 / 978 Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: Motto: Well Try Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Bristol Settled 1670 Incorporated 1803 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ...

In 1905, the American Woolen Company built the largest mill in the world, the Wood Mill in Lawrence, followed by the neighboring Ayer Mill.

Following the 1912 Lawrence textile strike, the AWC was forced to increase wages. The company reached its apogee in the 1920s, when it controlled 20% of the nation's woolen production. However, its water-powered mills were unable to adapt to produce new fabrics in response to changing consumer demand, and non-unionized Southern mills were able to produce staple woolen products like blankets more cheaply. The two world wars were a boon to the AWC, keeping the company prosperous into 1945. Following the end of the Korean War, government contracts ended. Virtually bankrupt, the American Woolen Co. was purchased by Textron and incorporated into its Amerotron division in 1955. For other uses, see Blanket (disambiguation). ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... The United States Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4), authorizes Congress to enact uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States. ... Founded in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company by Royal Little, Textron NYSE: TXT, today is a multi-industry company with a portfolio of familiar brands such as Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Cessna Aircraft, and Greenlee, among others. ...

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