GRANITE FALLS, NC (July 30, 2019) — The Granite Falls Historical Association is sponsoring a reception for persons who can remember what life was like when our town was a mill village – the home of Shuford Mills, Falls Manufacturing, and Southern Manufacturing (aka Paradise Mill). We want to interview individuals who either worked at these mills or who have secondhand memories from parents and other loved ones who worked there. For our research, we are including employment at other yarn and fabric mills, including Burlington Industries, Hudson Cloth, and Valdese Weavers. We want to celebrate the legacy of textile workers – their skills, their culture, and their way of life. We want to record precious memories before they are gone and forgotten.
The reception will be held Saturday, August 3, 2019 from 2 until 4 p.m. at the Granite Falls History and Transportation Museum located at 107 Falls Avenue. The public is invited to share this experience. The GFHA Board of Trustees will serve refreshments as people mix, mingle, and reminisce. There will be a roundtable discussion, a display of Shuford Mills memorabilia (including copies of the Yarn Spinner, the Shuford Mills newsletter) and one on one interviews in front of a video camera. Persons willing to be interviewed may call Linda Crowder at (828) 396-1066 or email her at lrdrcrowder@gmail.com. Recording memories will be an ongoing project so persons unable to attend this particular event may call to arrange another date and time.