Sagendorph Woolen Co.

The Sagendorph Woolen Company of East Brookfield, located about sixty miles southwest of Boston in Worcester County, Massachusetts, maintained sixteen looms and specialized in the carding of shoddy and the manufacture of cashmeres, repellents, and suitings. There is some evidence that Sagendorph also spun raw materials for other companies and sold some textile goods on commission.

The mill transactions include other local businesses of historical interest such as the Boston and Albany Railroad Company, Putnam, Davis & Company, and J. Marble and Company.

The daybook contains daily transactions between the Sagendorph Woolen Company of East Brookfield, Massachusetts and other businesses, local residents, and the company’s labor force. These detailed entries present a dynamic picture of the company’s manufacturing operations ranging from the purchase of raw materials to the sales of finished products.

Also included are many of Sagendorph’s intermediate expenses including equipment purchase and repair and standard mill purchases such as stationery and boxes. There is some evidence that Sagendorph spun raw materials for other named companies and sold some goods on commission.

Although the extant records cover only a brief period of the mill’s history (November 1885- October 1887), this 400 page volume provides a detailed record of how textile mills operated during the late 19th century.

For materials related to the history of the textile industry, see:

• Loom Fixers Association Records, 1895-1917
• Cook Borden and Company Account Books, 1863-1867, 1894-1896, 1913-1914
• Rodney Hunt Company Records, 1862-1943, 1987
• Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, Boston Joint Board Records, 1926-1979
• Samuel H. Rundlett Daybooks, 1873-1879
• William Weatherby Personal Accounts, 1835-1837