The spinning and weaving of cotton cloth gets all the attention in the history of the Industrial Revolution. But running parallel to cotton mills were small woolen mills, especially in Massachusetts. These early mills produced satinet, a cloth with a cotton warp and a woolen weft. This was cheaper and easier to produce than all-wool cloth at the time, and often used local wool. In 1845 in Buckland there were 2,524 sheep, but they were listed as “common sheep” (as opposed to 4,340 merino in Colrain).

In our area in 1850, there were satinet mills in Shelburne, Rowe, Greenfield, Cummington, and Northampton, as well as further west in Williamstown, Pittsfield, and North Adams.

Peggy Hart will talk about the history of satinet, and Joanne Semanie will share her research into the Franklin Manufacturing Company for the Rowe Historical Society.

The program is followed by a pie social.

Admission: $6.00 adult, $3.00 12 & under.