On Aug. 26, 1899, the small town of Kosciusko, with a capital investment of $167,000, approved construction of the town’s first large industry. Just two years later, August 1901, west of downtown at the end of Aponaug Road, the Kosciusko Cotton Mill began operations and would be in production for 52 years.
Officers first chosen were C.L. Anderson, president; W.B. Potts, vice president; Walter Burgress, secretary; along with W.L. Anderson, John Fletcher, J.A. Gilliland, C.C. Kelly, F.Z. Jackson and N.O. Thompson as Board of Directors.
Workers were hired, and the mill was in full production. It was powered by a single steam engine and employed 100 workers to operate the 5,000 spindles. By 1907, a second steam engine was added, 320 looms and 12,500 spindles were installed to produce more white cloth. The employment had increased to 175.
By 1909, stock shares were being sold to help finance the mill. Many residents of Kosciusko and surrounding areas could proudly purchase and show their certificate of purchase.
By 1911, Mississippi’s cotton economy was struggling, and this affected the production of the mill. There was a need for a change. James Sanders bought the 12-year-old mill and immediately expanded the facility. He hired more than 350 employees, increased spindles to 30,572, and added 1,131 extra looms. The name was changed to Aponaug Manufacturing Company and would now produce not only white cloth, but also chambray, gingham and bed ticking. Sanders saved the mill and provided jobs for more people. It was said that he also hired the children of workers during this time, but there are no proven records to support this as a fact. An internet search shows pictures of children walking down streets of “cotton mill villages,” however, that doesn’t prove that children were working at the Kosciusko mill.
Working conditions, especially in the summer months was stifling, no matter how many fans there were. Lint from the cotton and cloth production would be seen in the hair of workers, and probably also in their lungs. For this reason, they were often referred to by many as “lint heads.”
Sanders later purchased mills at Starkville, Natchez, Winona, Yazoo City, and Mobile, but the Kosciusko mill was the largest with production. By this time, it had over 400 workers, operated 24 hours a day, and an annual payroll of $175,000.
Most of the mill workers lived in a “village” near the mill. The houses were small, often without electricity and running water, but they provided convenience for workers. Others not living along Aponaug Road, resided on Peeler and Burdine roads. This was a distance from the mill, and after a 10-hour day, the walk home was long. Electricity and water came available by the 1940s.
Near the mill, there was a small grocery and hamburger shop operated by John and Bud Feldler. Other stores were owned by Mr. Meggs and Mr. Porter. There was a school with classes through the eighth grade. The teachers were Mrs. Alva Thomas, her sisters Anne and Lois, and Christine Paine. At least two churches were near this area. Although the village stores provided the necessities for the workers, Saturday was a big shopping day, when most would come to downtown Kosciusko. Sadly, the mill workers were only welcomed for the money they would be spending shopping.
Near the mill, there were three ponds. One called the “cold” pond had fish. The “hot pond” was used by the mill, and the “dye” pond was also used as a run-off of textile waste. Depending on what color was being used, the dye pond had a different color water, and children loved to go see what color it was, with red being a favorite.
In 1920, Robert Sanders, after serving as Captain in WW1, and graduating from A&M College in Starkville, joined his father in the textile industry.
It was during the next 10 years that the workers joined the United Textile Workers of America, with the hopes of better working conditions and more money. By 1934, one of the largest single strikes of mill workers in history was started, but luckily it only lasted two weeks. During this time, several mills were being protected by the National Guard. Attala County Sheriff W.T. Blanton asked for protection for the workers and the million-dollar mill. There were 125 soldiers with machine guns, tear gas, and tents set up camp surrounding the mill. The strike ended with no real problems when President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to establish a Textile Labor Board to handle labor problems.
James Sanders died in 1937. His son Robert was now the full owner of the mill. His corporate office was in Jackson but he would fly his twin-engine plane to Kosciusko to check on production. He would be greeted by managers Preston Newell and Choice Massengill to inspect the facility. The airstrip was right behind the mill.
By 1953, the mill had been in production for 52 years, and Robert Sander’s health was failing. The decision was made to close the Kosciusko mill, and workers were forced to relocate as all the village homes were sold. Work was found at other mills, and many Kosciusko workers were transported by bus to that facility. Robert Sanders died of a fatal heart attack in 1954, and the story of the “Cotton Mill” and Aponaug Manufacturing Company was brought to a sad ending.
The mill was gone, never to re-open, but the history and stories of many good families once called the slang term, “lint heads” need to be remembered for this history is part of what made the town of Kosciusko great.
