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This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
This collection was processed with support from the Cone family.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 215.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 75,000 items) |
| Abstract | Cone Mills Corporation (and predecessor Proximity Manufacturing Company and its other subsidiary and affiliated companies) manufactured denim and other textiles chiefly in North Carolina and South Carolina. Moses Herman Cone (1857-1908), Ceasar Cone (1859-1917), and other Cone family members began investing in the textile industry in the late nineteenth century and for much of the twentieth century were world leaders in textile manufacturing. The collection consists of the records of Cone Mills Corporation, Proximity Manufacturing Company (especially Proximity Cotton Mill, Proximity Print Works, and White Oak Mill), and other companies. Materials include correspondence, reports, minute books, a variety of financial recordkeeping volumes, contracts, blueprints, photographs, and audiovisual materials. The Cone Export & Commission Company series (Series 1) and Proximity Manufacturing Company series (Series 2) document textile mill operations at every level, from plant facility planning to manufacturing costs and sales to employment and mill village welfare. The records of Bernard M. Cone (1874-1956) and Herman Cone (1895-1955) in the Executives series (Series 5) likewise relate to management of financial and business affairs at Proximity plants and also document labor and unemployment in the textile industry, public perceptions of mill business operations, segregated education and recreation in mill villages, and civic and charitable involvement outside the mill, including the founding of the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital. The Revolution and other mills series (Series 3) contains the business and financial records of textile companies and plants owned and operated in full or in part by the Cone family, including Revolution Mills, Minneola Manufacturing Company, and others. The records of Ceasar Cone II (1908-1986) in the Executives series (Series 5) document the reorganization of all of the affiliated and subsidiary companies in 1945. The Cone Mills Corporation series (Series 4) relates to the financial and business affairs of the reorganized company. Other materials in the series concern public relations functions--especially advertising, employee relations, community relations and outreach, and program sponsorship of the Miss North Carolina pageant--and audio visual materials for equipment and safety training of textile workers. The remaining records in the Executives series (Series 5) document Cone Mills Corporation policies, finances, products, and involvement in external industry-related and non-profit organizations under the leadership of Lewis Morris and his assistant Dewey Trogdon. The Photographs series (Series 6) includes photographs, negatives, and slides depicting Cone family members, Cone Mills plants, employees, schools, workplace safety instruction, recreation, and the Miss North Carolina pageant. Also included are lantern slides related to studies conducted by the research and development division of Cone Mills. The Other materials series (Series 7) contains Cone company and family history, including a scrapbook concerning labor union negotiations in the 1950s; genealogy; writings about the Cone companies and family; H. Cone and Sons Company records; and miscellaneous publications, including a film, possibly by H. Lee Waters, of people in a mill village in Greensboro, N.C. |
| Creator | Cone Mills Corporation. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Historical Information
In 1845, Herman Kahn (1828-1897), who later Americanized his last name to Cone, was a Jewish immigrant to the United States from Bavaria, Germany. In 1876, he opened H. Cone & Sons, a wholesale grocery firm. Two of his sons, Moses H. Cone (1857-1908) and Ceasar Cone (1859-1917) worked as traveling salesmen for their father's Baltimore-based company, often bartering groceries for southern textiles and selling them outside the South. Herman Cone's other children, many of whom would later be involved in Moses and Ceasar's business undertakings, included Carrie (1861-1927), Monroe (1862-1891), Claribel (1864-1929), Albert (1866-1867), Solomon (1868-1939), Sydney M. (1869-1939), Etta (1870-1949), Julius W. (1872-1940), Bernard M. (1874-1956), Clarence N. (1876-1929), and Frederick W. (1978-1944).
In 1887, Moses and Ceasar Cone invested $50,000 in the establishment of C. E. Graham Mill Manufacturing Company of Asheville, N.C., which manufactured plaid fabrics. The name of the mill was changed to Asheville Cotton Mills in 1893, and then to Asheville Fabrics Mill Inc. in 1948. In 1888, the brothers invested in Salisbury Cotton Mills of Salisbury, N.C., and Minneola Manufacturing Comany of Gibsonville, N.C., both of which also produced plaid fabrics.
In 1891, Moses and Ceasar Cone established the Cone Export & Commission Company as a northern selling agent for southern textiles. Chartered in New Jersey, the company's headquarters was located on Worth Street in New York, N.Y., and Moses Cone served as president. In 1893, the Cones built one of the first finishing plants in the South, Southern Finishing & Warehouse Company, in Greensboro, N.C.
In 1895, the Cones built in Greensboro their first denim manufacturing plant, the Proximity Cotton Mills, named for its close location to cotton fields, warehouses, and rail lines. Nearby they constructed a building that was to serve as a headquarters for Proximity Cotton Mills and other cooperative plants controlled by the Proximity Manufacturing Company. Ceasar Cone served as president. In 1899, the Cones partnered with Emanuel and Herman Sternberger of South Carolina to build Revolution Mills, a flannel production plant, in Greensboro. In 1905, the Cones built White Oak Mill, another denim plant in Greensboro under Proximity Manufacturing Company. In 1912, the Cones opened Proximity Print Works, one of the earliest cloth printing facilities in the South.
In 1927, the Cones acquired Cliffside Cotton Mills, which included both the terry cloth-producing Cliffside Mill of Cliffside, N.C., and the chambray-producing Haynes Plant of Avondale, N.C. By 1929, they had aquired Holt-Granite Puritan Mills Company of Haw River, N.C., which for the Cones served as the corduroy-producing Granite plant, and Tabardrey Manufacturing Company. By 1932, the Cones had gained controlling stock of Eno Cotton Mills of Hillsborough, N.C. In 1941, they bought the Florence Mills of Forest City, N.C., and its subsidiary, American Spinning Company of Greenville, S.C. In 1945, many of the manufacturing companies, mills, and various subsidiaries owned by the Cones underwent a major reorganization in which the separate business operations of Proximity Manufacturing Company (including Proximity Cotton Mills, Proximity Print Works, White Oak, and Granite), the Cliffside Mills (including the Cliffside and Haynes plants), the Florence Mills (including American Spinning Company), Minneola Manufacturing Company, Salisbury Cotton Mills, Tabardrey Manufacturing Company, and Cone Export & Commission Company, were all organized under Proximity Manufacturing Company. In 1948, another major merger occured, this time beween Revolution Mills and Proximity Manufacturing Company, and the consolidated company was named Cone Mills Corporation. While operating as Cone Mills Corporation, the company was known as the world's largest producer of denim. In 1950, Cone Mills Corporation announced a merger with Dwight Manufacturing Company of Alabama, a twill and drill manufacturer, and the following year purchased the company outright. Also in 1951, Cone Mills Corporation went public, beginning trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and created Guilford Products Company to manufacture cloth diapers to meet the demand of the postwar baby boom.
From 1958 to 1969, Cone Mills Corporation was involved with the annual Miss North Carolina Pageant. The company provided fabric for wardrobes that were given to each year's winner and also for the presentation gown that each winner wore to represent North Carolina in the annual Miss America Pageant. For many of these years, Cone's public relations department collaborated with local clothing designer Luther Self to produce the wardrobes. Cone Mills Corporation discontinued its involvement in 1970 due to a dispute between the 1962 Miss America winner from North Carolina and the Miss North Carolina runner-up over rightful ownership of the wardrobe that had been provided by Cone.
Cone Mills Corporation continued to expand by acquiring John Wolf Textiles in 1961, which marketed decorative home fabrics, and organizing Olympic Products in 1962, which made foam products.
When faced with a potential takeover by Western Pacific Industries in 1983, the company went private again until 1992. In 2003, Cone Mills Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. By 2004, all of Cone's assets had been acquired by W. L. Ross and Company and were then combined with what remained of Burlington Industries to form International Textile Group Incorporated.
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Scope and Content
The collection contains records of Cone Mills Corporation (and predecessor Proximity Manufacturing Company and its subsidiary and affiliated companies), manufacturers of denim and other textiles chiefly in North Carolina and South Carolina during the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century. Materials include correspondence, reports, minute books, a variety of financial recordkeeping volumes, contracts, blueprints, photographs, and audiovisual materials.
Series 1. Cone Export & Commission Company and Series 2. Proximity Manufacturing Company (chiefly Proximity Cotton Mill, Proximity Print Works, and White Oak Cotton Mill) document financial as well as business affairs of the Cone companies in the late nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century. Correspondence, subject files, and volumes detail mill operations at every level, from plant facility planning to manufacturing costs and sales to employment and mill village welfare. The records of Bernard M. Cone and Herman Cone in Series 5. Executives likewise relate to management of all financial and business affairs at Proximity plants. The records of these two executives also document labor and unemployment in the textile industry, public perceptions of mill business operations, segregated education and recreation, and civic and charitable involvement outside the mill, including the founding of the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital.
Series 3. Revolution and other mills contains the business and financial records of textile companies and plants owned and operated in full or in part by the Cone family, including Revolution Cotton Mills, Asheville Cotton Mills, Minneola Manufacturing Company, Salisbury Cotton Mills, Cliffside Mills, Eno Cotton Mills, Granite Finishing Works, Tabardrey Manufacturing Company, and Florence Mills and American Spinning Company. This series chiefly contains financial records, but materials in Series 3.1. Revolution Cotton Mills and Series 3.4. Minneola Manufacturing Company contain more extensive documentation of other business affairs, similar to the materials relating to Proximity Manufacturing Company described above. The records of Ceasar Cone II (1908-1986) in Series 5. Executives document the reorganization of affiliated and subsidiary companies in 1945.
Series 4. Cone Mills Corporation includes business, financial, and other materials that relate to the affairs of the reorganized company. Other materials in the series document Dwight Manufacturing Company; public relations functions, especially advertising, employee relations, community relations and outreach, and program sponsorship of the Miss North Carolina pageant; and audio visual materials for equipment and safety training of textile workers. The remaining records in Series 5. Executives document the Cone Mills Corporation under the leadership of Lewis Morris and his assistant Dewey Trogdon. Their files include internal Cone Mills Corporation communications regarding various company mills, divisions, policies, finances, products, and involvement in external industry-related and non-profit organizations.
Series 6. Photographs includes photographs, negatives, and slides depicting Cone family, Cone Mills plants, employees, schools, ceremonies, workplace safety instruction, recreation, and Miss North Carolina in fashions made of Cone Mills fabrics. Also included are lantern slides related to studies conducted by the research and development division of Cone Mills.
Series 7. Other materials contains Cone company and family history, including a scrapbook concerning labor union negotiations in the 1950s; genealogy; writings about the Cone companies and family; H. Cone and Sons Company records; volumes of unidentified ownership; and miscellaneous publications, including a film, possibly by H. Lee Waters, of people in the mill village associated with White Oak Plant in Greensboro, N.C.
Folder titles and original order have been maintained throughout the collection with minor exceptions.
Please note that there is considerable overlap among the types of materials and subjects covered in the series. Researchers should therefore investigate all possible locations when searching for materials of interest to them.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Cone Export & Commission Company 1891-1961.
Business records of the Cone Export & Commission Company. Series 1.1. Chronological files are chiefly business and some personal correspondence between executives and representatives of Cone Export & Commission Company and with other textile manufacturing companies, customers, salesmen, and competitors. Primary correspondents include Saul F. Dribben, Lacy H. Sellars, Frederic W. Cone, Herman Cone, Julius Cone, Ceasar Cone (1859-1917), David Dryfuss, Clarence M. Guggenheimer, and Benjamin Cone. Series 1.2. Subject files includes deeds, board minutes, financial statements, correspondence, contracts, and other business records that document production costs, inventories, mill construction, stocks, financing, assets and liabilities, and relationships with other textile companies. Series 1.3. Volumes include minute books and a variety of financial recordkeeping volumes.
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Subseries 1.1. Chronological files, 1902-1937.
Arrangement: alphabetical within chronological sets of year ranges (1902-1905, 1906-1920, 1921-1925, 1926-1930, 1931-1934, 1935-1937).
Note that original order has been maintained; many files within each year range are missing.
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Subseries 1.2. Subject files, 1890-1953.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 1.3. Volumes, 1891-1961.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Series 2. Proximity Manufacturing Company, 1895-1977.
Business records of Ceasar Cone (1859-1917) and Proximity Manufacturing Company, including correspondence, reports, contracts, budget data, deeds, awards, ledgers, journals, and other records. Series 2.1. Subject files chiefly concerns mill finances and production, but also documents some aspects of mill life in the early- and mid-twentieth century. Of particular note are subject files relating to budgeting for mill operations; contracts with businesses, utilities, and individuals for goods and services; the Textile Bank redemption, in which the Cone family redeemed the holdings of every investor after the company bank failed in 1933 (see also series 5.1. Bernard M. Cone); and records of night school and other welfare programs. Series 2.1. Volumes chiefly concerns finances and production, including payroll, purchases, customer orders, and sales records at Proximity Cotton Mill, White Oak Mill, Proximity Store Company, Proximity Print Works, and Cone Finishing Company.
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Subseries 2.1. Subject files, 1895-1977.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 2.2. Volumes, 1895-1945.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Series 3. Revolution and other mills, 1858-1960.
Business and financial records of textile companies and plants owned and operated in full or in part by the Cone family, including Revolution Cotton Mills, Asheville Cotton Mills, Minneola Manufacturing Company, Salisbury Cotton Mills, Cliffside Mills, Eno Cotton Mills, Granite Finishing Works, Tabardrey Manufacturing Company, and Florence Mills and American Spinning Company. Note that in many cases the records of a company may pre-date the Cones' ownership of the company.
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Subseries 3.1. Revolution Cotton Mills, 1899-1953.
Contracts, deeds, ledgers, minutes, and other records of the flannel-producing Revolution Cotton Mills and its executives. Series 3.1.1. Subject files documents a variety of business affairs, including stocks, leases and agreements, and salaries. There are some records relating to mill equipment, regulations and policies, and the hiring of welfare workers. Series 3.1.2. Contracts documents agreements with businesses and individuals for goods and services, including railroads, chemicals, utilities, machinery, lunch concessions, a church, and insurance. Series 3.1.3. Volumes chiefly concerns finances and production, including payroll, purchases, customer orders, sales records, and salaries. Also included are company minute books.
Original folder titles and order have been retained with a few exceptions to clarify alphabetical arrangement.
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Subseries 3.1.1. Subject files, 1899-1953.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.1.2. Contracts, 1900-1951.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.1.3. Volumes, 1899-1953.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.2. Asheville Cotton Mills, 1888-1953.
Financial, business, and other records relating to the Asheville Cotton Mills (called C. E. Graham Mill Manufacturing Company until 1893 and renamed Asheville Fabrics Mill Incorporated after 1948). The series is arranged into two subseries: 3.2.1. Subject files and 3.2.2. Volumes.
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Subseries 3.2.1. Subject files, 1888-1953.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949.
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/105 |
C. E. Graham Manufacturing Company: Stock certificates, 1888-1948 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/105 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/99 |
Journal, 1902-1911 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/99 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/100 |
Current ledger, 1897-1911 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/100 |
Oversize Volume SV-5247/101-102
SV-5247/101SV-5247/102 |
General ledger, 1911-1947, 1947-1949 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/101-102 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/103 |
General ledger transfers, 1911-1944 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/103 |
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/104 |
Transfer ledger, 1897-1907 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." SV-5247/104 |
| Folder 678 |
Standard Cost Control, 1940 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." Folder 678 |
| Folder 679 |
Stock register, 1888-1923 #05247, Subseries: "3.2.2. Volumes, 1888-1949." Folder 679 |
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Subseries 3.3. Salisbury Cotton Mills, 1887-1958.
Correspondence, ledgers, board minutes, financial statements, reports, and other records documenting the business and financial affairs of the Salisbury Cotton Mills. The series is arranged into two subseries: 3.3.1. Subject files and 3.3.2. Volumes.
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Subseries 3.3.1. Subject files, 1887-1947.
| Folder 680 |
Minutes, 1942-1943, 1947 #05247, Subseries: "3.3.1. Subject files, 1887-1947." Folder 680 |
| Folder 681 |
Historical notes #05247, Subseries: "3.3.1. Subject files, 1887-1947." Folder 681Copied from North Carolina Herald, November-December, 1887 |
| Folder 682 |
Standard Cost Control System, 1940 #05247, Subseries: "3.3.1. Subject files, 1887-1947." Folder 682 |
| Folder 683 |
Statement of C. S. Morris regarding Salisbury Cotton Mills minute books #05247, Subseries: "3.3.1. Subject files, 1887-1947." Folder 683 |
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Subseries 3.3.2. Volumes, 1887-1958.
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Subseries 3.4. Minneola Manufacturing Company, 1864-1951.
Records documenting the business and financial affairs of the Minneola Manufacturing Company. Series 3.4.1. Subject files includes correspondence, financial reports, and other materials documenting mill operations, including manufacturing costs, customer relations, wages and payroll, employment rules and regulations, inventory, taxes, fuel and machinery expenses, real estate sales and purchases, and profit forecasts. Series 3.4.2. Contracts includes agreements for goods, services, and land with businesses and individuals. Series 3.4.3. Volumes includes one financial recordkeeping ledger and three volumes related to stocks.
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Subseries 3.4.1. Subject files, 1885-1951.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.4.2. Contracts, 1864-1919.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.4.3. Volumes, 1888-1951.
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/108 |
General ledger, 1950-1951 #05247, Subseries: "3.4.3. Volumes, 1888-1951." SV-5247/108 |
| Folder 767 |
Stock ledger, 1888-1917 #05247, Subseries: "3.4.3. Volumes, 1888-1951." Folder 767 |
Oversize Volume SV-5247/109-110
SV-5247/109SV-5247/110 |
Stock certificates, 1888-1948 #05247, Subseries: "3.4.3. Volumes, 1888-1951." SV-5247/109-110 |
Folder 768-769
Folder 768Folder 769 |
Stock certificates, 1912-1945 #05247, Subseries: "3.4.3. Volumes, 1888-1951." Folder 768-769 |
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Subseries 3.5. Cliffside Mills, 1890-1952.
Financial and business materials relating to the Cliffside plant and Haynes plant of Cliffside Mills. The series is arranged into three subseries: 3.5.1. Subject files, 3.5.2. Contracts, and 3.5.3. Volumes. Of particular note are subject files documenting textile production during World War II and mill rules and regulations found in the laws file.
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Subseries 3.5.1. Subject files, 1909-1952.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 3.5.2. Contracts, 1890-1947.
| Box 73a |
Contracts #05247, Subseries: "3.5.2. Contracts, 1890-1947." Box 73a |
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Subseries 3.5.3. Volumes, 1901-1952.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Folder 826-828
Folder 826Folder 827Folder 828 |
Cliffside: Minute books and stock ledgers, 1901-1940 #05247, Subseries: "3.5.3. Volumes, 1901-1952." Folder 826-828 |
Folder 829-830
Folder 829Folder 830 |
Cliffside: Minute books, 1941-1952 #05247, Subseries: "3.5.3. Volumes, 1901-1952." Folder 829-830 |
| Folder 831 |
Haynes: Minute book and stock ledger, 1916-1917 #05247, Subseries: "3.5.3. Volumes, 1901-1952." Folder 831 |
Folder 1922-1925
Folder 1922Folder 1923Folder 1924Folder 1925 |
Cliffside: Deeds #05247, Subseries: "3.5.3. Volumes, 1901-1952." Folder 1922-1925Broad River Electric Power Co., Cliffside Mills, et al, High Shoals and Sulphur Springs Townships, Rutherford County, N.C. |
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Subseries 3.6. Granite Finishing Works and Tabardrey Manufacturing Company, 1858-1945.
Business and financial papers and volumes relating to Granite Finishing Works and Tabardrey Manufacturing Company. The series is arranged into two subseries: 3.6.1. Subject files and 3.6.2. Volumes.
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Subseries 3.6.1. Subject files, 1929-1945.
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Subseries 3.6.2. Volumes, 1858-1945.
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Subseries 3.7. Eno Cotton Mills, 1896-1960.
Business and financial records relating to Eno Cotton Mills. The series is arranged into two subseries: 3.7.1. Subject files and 3.7.2. Volumes.
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Subseries 3.7.1. Subject files, 1896-1951.
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Subseries 3.7.2. Volumes, 1896-1960.
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Subseries 3.8. Florence Mills and American Spinning Company, 1895-1955.
Business and financial records relating to Florence Mills and its subsidiary, the American Spinning Company, which was acquired in a hostile takeover in 1926. The series is arranged into two subseries: 3.8.1. Subject files and 3.8.2. Volumes.
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Subseries 3.8.1. Subject files, 1895-1955.
Arrangement: alphabetical by company.
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Subseries 3.8.2. Volumes, 1895-1952.
Arrangement: alphabetical by company.
| Oversize Volume SV-5247/123 |
American Spinning Company: Journal, 1895-1907 #05247, Subseries: "3.8.2. Volumes, 1895-1952." SV-5247/123 |
Oversize Volume SV-5247/124-126
SV-5247/124SV-5247/125SV-5247/126 |
American Spinning Company: Ledgers, 1895-1903, 1904-1911, 1918-1920 #05247, Subseries: "3.8.2. Volumes, 1895-1952." SV-5247/124-126 |
| Folder 887 |
American Spinning Company: Minute book, 1895-1916 #05247, Subseries: "3.8.2. Volumes, 1895-1952." Folder 887 |
Folder 888-892
Folder 888Folder 889Folder 890Folder 891Folder 892 |
Florence Mills: Minute books, 1899-1952 #05247, Subseries: "3.8.2. Volumes, 1895-1952." Folder 888-892 |
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Series 4. Cone Mills Corporation, 1870-1997.
Business, financial, and other materials documenting company affairs following reorganization of 1948, in which the Cones' two largest separate enterprises, Proximity Manufacturing Company and Revolution Cotton Mills, merged to form Cone Mills Corporation. Series 4.1. Subject files includes annual reports, contracts, minutes, stock records, guide books, and other materials that document reorganization of the company, subsidiary plants and mills, initial public offering, domestic expansion plans, international investments, plant rules, and employee relations and recreation. Series 4.2. Volumes includes ledgers, stock books, minute books, and other items relating to business, financial affairs, and employee recreation. Series 4.3. Dwight Manufacturing includes business and financial records, board minutes, and other materials. Series 4.4. Public Relations contains materials documenting the public relations functions of Cone Mills Corporation, especially advertising, archiving company history, employee relations, and community relations and outreach, including sponsorship of the Miss North Carolina pageant. Series 4.5. Audio-visual materials includes equipment and safety training materials for textile workers.
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Subseries 4.1. Subject files, 1948-1997.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 4.2. Volumes, 1949-1990.
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Subseries 4.3. Dwight Manufacturing Company, 1870-1951.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Folder 978-981
Folder 978Folder 979Folder 980Folder 981 |
Board of Directors meeting minutes, 1945-1948, 1950-1951 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951." Folder 978-981 |
| Folder 982 |
Charter, 1870 (copy, 1913) #05247, Subseries: "4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951." Folder 982 |
| Folder 983 |
Contract, 1895 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951." Folder 983 |
| Folder 984 |
Exhibits to Form S-2, 1943 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951." Folder 984 |
Folder 985-986
Folder 985Folder 986 |
Stockholders meeting minutes, 1949-1951 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.1. Subject files, 1870-1951." Folder 985-986 |
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Subseries 4.3.2. Volumes, 1932-1951.
| Folder 987 |
Minute book, 1932-1934 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.2. Volumes, 1932-1951." Folder 987 |
Folder 988-989
Folder 988Folder 989 |
Minutes and other records, 1938-1944, 1950-1951 #05247, Subseries: "4.3.2. Volumes, 1932-1951." Folder 988-989 |
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Subseries 4.4. Public Relations, 1933-1996.
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Subseries 4.4.1. Subject files, 1947-1996.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Materials documenting individual mills and plants; special events, including the centennial anniversary; product promotions; employee relations; and community relations with regard to schools, recreation, and the environment.
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Subseries 4.4.2. Advertising materials, 1949-1996.
Arrangement: chronological.
Printed advertising posters and clippings, drafts and sketches of advertisements, and binders of collected advertisements and related materials targeting both trade and consumer audiences. Brands include Cacharel, Bill Blass, Landlubber, Liz Claiborne, Bonjour, JouJou, Sassoon Men, Brittanica, Gunne Sax, Levis Jr., and others. There are a small number of items included with the loose advertisements that represent other textitle companies, such as Burlington Mills.
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Subseries 4.4.3. Miss North Carolina pageant, 1957-1971.
Arrangement: chronological.
Materials relating to the Miss North Carolina pageant, including correspondence of Lelah Nell Masters, assistant director of public relations for Cone Mills Corporation, contestants, pageant organizers, and clothing and dress designers, especially Luther Self. Also included are press kit photographs of the winners modeling their Cone wardrobes and presentation gowns; photographs of Luther Self, Lelah Nell Masters, and contestants; pageant brochures; flyers and catalogs; fabric samples; records regarding the selection and transfer of fabrics; and loose clippings and a clipping scrapbook. Note that each chronological folder may also contain materials relating to the winner of the previous year. There is a small amount of material relating to advertising in the 1970 Miss Black North Carolina pageant program. See also Series 6.2. Public Relations Department for more photographs.
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Subseries 4.4.4. Clippings, 1942-1991.
Arrangement: chronological.
Collected clippings about, or of interest to, Cone Mills Corporation. Note that original arrangement has been preserved where present.
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Subseries 4.4.5. The Textorian, 1933-1995.
Arrangement: chronological, then alphabetical.
The Textorian, founded by executive Marion Hess in 1927, was a publication for Cone employees. Included are issues of The Textorian , mill-specific supplements, related correspondence, negatives, and other materials.
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Subseries 4.5. Audio-visual materials, circa 1970s-1980s.
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Series 5. Executives, 1898-1980.
Business files and some personal materials of Cone Mills Corporation executives: Bernard M. Cone, Herman Cone, Ceasar Cone II (1908-1986), Lewis Morris, and Dewey Trogdon.
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Subseries 5.1. Bernard M. Cone, 1898-1956.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Business and personal papers of Bernard M. Cone, president of Proximity Manufacturing Company from 1917 to 1938, including correspondence, financial records, reports, and contracts. Materials document mill school education, including administration, teacher reports, segregation, outline of work; mill-based welfare programs; Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital; water, sewage, and waste disposal planning; and salaries, payroll, and retirement plans for mill employees.
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Subseries 5.2. Herman Cone (1895-1955), 1917-1935.
Business and personal papers of Herman Cone, treasurer (1917-1938) and president (1938-1950) of Proximity Manufacturing Company and chair of the board (1950-1955) of Cone Mills Corporation. Series 5.2.1. Business files is chiefly correspondence concerning the affairs of Proximity Manufacturing Company and various subsidiary and affiliated mills, including salaries and payroll; plant operations and development; annexation of a mill village; labor and unemployment in the textile industry; public perceptions of mill business operations; and welfare work of the mills, especially Cone Memorial YMCA (the White Oak, Proximity, and segregated branches), Camp Herman, night school, and employment of nurses. Materials also document Herman Cone's involvement in state and regional cotton and textile associations, the Mill Workers Mutual Benefit Association, and Summit Avenue Building Company. Note that the business files also contain a significant amount of personal materials, including speeches, materials relating to the development of the Blowing Rock, N.C., property and correspondence concerning charitable giving and civic activities. Series 5.2.2. Personal files contains personal receipts and correspondence relating to Herman Cone's service in the Naval Reserve.
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Subseries 5.2.1. Business files, 1917-1935.
Arrangement: chiefly alphabetical, then chronological.
Note that original file arrangement has been preserved.
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Subseries 5.2.2. Personal Files, 1917-1934.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Folder 1889-1891
Folder 1889Folder 1890Folder 1891 |
Naval Reserve, 1919-1922 #05247, Subseries: "5.2.2. Personal Files, 1917-1934." Folder 1889-1891 |
Folder 1892-1908
Folder 1892Folder 1893Folder 1894Folder 1895Folder 1896Folder 1897Folder 1898Folder 1899Folder 1900Folder 1901Folder 1902Folder 1903Folder 1904Folder 1905Folder 1906Folder 1907Folder 1908 |
Receipts: A-Z #05247, Subseries: "5.2.2. Personal Files, 1917-1934." Folder 1892-1908 |
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Subseries 5.3. Ceasar Cone II (1908-1986), 1941-1972.
Business and financial records of Ceasar Cone II (1908-1986), president (1956-1965) and chair (1965-1973) of Cone Mills Corporation. Series 5.3.1. General files are primarily business materials, including correspondence, stock records, balance sheets, and plans and records regarding the company's reorganization in 1945. Series 5.3.2. Financial materials includes statements, summaries, audit reports, and reports on examination, arranged chronologically and by mill.
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Subseries 5.3.2. Financial materials, 1945-1971.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 5.4. Lewis Morris, 1945-1980.
Business and personal files of Lewis Morris, president and chief executive officer (1965-1973) and chair of the board and chief executive officer (1973-1980) of Cone Mills Corporation. Folder titles and original order have been maintained wherever possible. Series 5.4.1. Correspondence files and Series 5.4.2. Department files include correspondence, reports, and other materials that document communications with other Cone Mills Corporation officers, managers, and board members, chiefly regarding company policies, finances, and products. Series 5.4.3. External subject files contains correspondence, reports, and other materials documenting external affairs of Lewis Morris and Cone Mills Corporation, including involvement in civic, charitable, and other non-profit organizations and institutions and in cotton and textile manufacturers' associations. Note that some files in this subseries pertain to internal affairs at Cone Mills Corporation, including staff meetings, tours of plants, and sales conferences. Series 5.4.4. Internal subject files I and Series 5.4.5. Internal subject files II both contain correspondence, reports, and other papers relating to various mills and divisions within Cone Mills Corporation.
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Subseries 5.4.1. Correspondence files, 1963-1980.
Arrangement: two alphabetical runs.
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Subseries 5.4.2. Departmental files, 1963-1980.
Arrangement: alphabetical
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Subseries 5.4.3. External Subject Files, 1945-1980.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
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Subseries 5.4.4. Internal Subject Files I, 1960s-1970s.
Arrangement: alphabetical.