Ballston Knitting Mill Women's Work 1940's - 1950's
All Available Item Data
Title
Ballston Knitting Mill Women's Work 1940's - 1950's
Subject
Knitting
Saratoga County (N.Y.)
DuRoss, Anita
Ballston Spa (N.Y.)
Description
Interview with Anita DuRoss discusses women working in the sock mill in Ballston Spa 1946-1968.
Creator
DuRoss, Anita
Source
Saratoga County Historical Society at Brookside Museum
Publisher
Saratoga Springs Public Library
Date
1993-05-20
Rights
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
Format
MP3
Language
English
Type
Oral History
Identifier
SCOH022
All Available Item Data
Interviewer
Vaitis, Jennifer
Interviewee
DuRoss, Anita
Location
Saratoga County Historical Society
Transcription
Available from repository upon request
Original Format
Cassette tape
Time Summary
1:30 Mill build/started by Mr Shutts who cam from Amsterdam. Brought Miss Kean with him as secretary/administrative assistant
2:25 Mrs. DuRoss came to Ballston Spa in 1944 and started working in the mill in March 1946. Pay rate was piece rate but set at $.40/hr - $16.00/week (which was NYS minimum wage) plus 5% bonus at end of year if your production exceeded piece rate minimum
4:00 Very few men worked in the mill. Most that did work there were mechanics,
working condiitons: No prescribed breaks, Usually smokers took a break. Work theory by the emplyees was if you didn'y work, you don't make as much money.Christmas part paid by the canteen money. Year end bonus based on company profits. Time clocks used
Building layout: basement plus 3 floors. Basement - wash and dry room for laundering the material. 1st floor offices, 2nd and 3rd floors were production
9:30 Production departments: Inspection, stapling - attach paper labelto each pair of socks, Bundler - pacl sock into lots of a dozen, Baggers and shippng
15:40 at one time this mill was one of the world's largest producer of men's worlk socks
Mentiones other stores in Ballston in 1940's and 1950's - Clark Dept store, Beators, Fashon Shop, Outlet shop, Buchdalls Mens store, Steiners Dept store, Tracy Brothers Hardware, Ballston Hardware, 4 or 5 drug stores including Lattimore's which became O'Briens.
mentioned the Akshand Mill that made gloves and mittens. Also gave a brief comment about the George West mill which became the Bishoff Chocolate factory.
2:25 Mrs. DuRoss came to Ballston Spa in 1944 and started working in the mill in March 1946. Pay rate was piece rate but set at $.40/hr - $16.00/week (which was NYS minimum wage) plus 5% bonus at end of year if your production exceeded piece rate minimum
4:00 Very few men worked in the mill. Most that did work there were mechanics,
working condiitons: No prescribed breaks, Usually smokers took a break. Work theory by the emplyees was if you didn'y work, you don't make as much money.Christmas part paid by the canteen money. Year end bonus based on company profits. Time clocks used
Building layout: basement plus 3 floors. Basement - wash and dry room for laundering the material. 1st floor offices, 2nd and 3rd floors were production
9:30 Production departments: Inspection, stapling - attach paper labelto each pair of socks, Bundler - pacl sock into lots of a dozen, Baggers and shippng
15:40 at one time this mill was one of the world's largest producer of men's worlk socks
Mentiones other stores in Ballston in 1940's and 1950's - Clark Dept store, Beators, Fashon Shop, Outlet shop, Buchdalls Mens store, Steiners Dept store, Tracy Brothers Hardware, Ballston Hardware, 4 or 5 drug stores including Lattimore's which became O'Briens.
mentioned the Akshand Mill that made gloves and mittens. Also gave a brief comment about the George West mill which became the Bishoff Chocolate factory.
Physical Format
Oral histories
Tags
Citation
DuRoss, Anita, “Ballston Knitting Mill Women's Work 1940's - 1950's,” Saratoga Room Digital Exhibits, accessed May 19, 2024, http://digitalarchive.sspl.org/items/show/245.