Auburn, Kentucky
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Auburn, Kentucky
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Auburn Hosiery Mills Inc.
The following synopsis of the history of Auburn Hosiery Mills appeared in Gerber's Newsletter to their employees in the Spring of 1998. It was written by F. Marie Foley shortly after Gerber's purchase of Auburn Hosiery Mills (Auburn & Adairville plants) and their sister company in Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry, Ireland. The history of the Mills was further updated in 2005. "It was in 1937 that Auburn Hosiery Mill went into operation as a company engaged in the manufacture of women’s silk hosiery. Only the knitting was done locally; the production of the Auburn plant was sent to Belding, Michigan for dyeing and finishing. The building occupied by the company was an example of cooperation between the city and industry. Constructed by the Auburn Industrial Foundation, one of the first in the state, it was leased to the company until 1946, at which time the Mill purchased the building and launched an expansion program which was to take several years and more than double the floor space. Roger Kimball, President of the Company was known to Logan Countians as a man with a restless, energetic mind who set for him and his company high standards of performance. As early as 1944, the company set up a profit sharing plan. The company made all contributions to the fund. By 1962 the fund contained more than $265,000.00, which was available to employees as loans for construction of homes. Company contributions at the time were being made at the maximum allowed by the U.S. Treasury Department, 15% of wages paid to employees. Many employees were able to buy or construct homes as a result of this plan. Most of this history is very familiar to me. My father after retiring from farming was an employee of Auburn Hosiery Mills for many years. In 1978 Roger Kimball sold the business to Mr. James P. Manning and Mr. Hugh Sears, which at this time was still a sheer hosiery operation. In November 1988 the Adairville plant was expanded by 30,000 sq. ft. to house the facilities for manufacturing Wilson Sport Socks for the United States and European markets. This expansion went into production on July 5, 1989. In April 1989 James P. Manning became the sole owner of Auburn Hosiery Mills, Inc. Also in 1989 the company began to phase out the sheer operation and changed over to socks, which was completed by 1995. During this period there has been phenomenal growth experienced by the company. The city of Auburn and Auburn Hosiery Mills have had a long
and fruitful relationship. We have every reason to believe that this relationship will
grow and prosper in the future with Gerber Childrenswear."
********************************************** The Auburn Times - August 6, 1937 Auburn Hosiery Mill is Auburn's latest Industrial achievement, at which tentative operations began Monday (August 2, 1937). It was constructed at a cost of $18,000 by the Auburn Industrial Foundation of which the officers are as follows: President, K. F. Shannon; Vice-President, Garnett Robbins; Secy.-Treasurer, Gaston Coke: Directors, Garnett Robbins, Gaston Coke, C. B. Peart, Dave Scott, K. F. Shannon. The building contract was performed in a very credible manner by C. B. Peart.
The Auburn Times - Friday Jan. 5, 1940 Annual Christmas party for Employees The annual Christmas party for employees of the Hosiery Mill was given Saturday night, December 30th, at the Helm Hotel in bowling Green, opening with a turkey dinner at 7 o'clock. An elaborate and well-balanced program was planned by the committee composed of Edna Mae Cooper, Tom Angell, Paul Woodward and Ed (Monk) Miller. Miller acted as master of ceremonies at the dinner. Following the dinner a program consisting of contests between Neil Bomhoff and Roger Kimball and members of the Brotherhood of Hosiery Mill Workers. The committee desiring to find out which of the pair knew the most about women, presenting each with a life size dummy and a box of clothing containing articles usually worn by members of the fair sex. The prize for the one dressing his dummy correctly was presented to Mr. Kimball and was a pair of rayon bloomers. Bomhoff, in a speech following the contest, placed the blame for losing on the fact that he was unfamiliar with some of the garments in his box of clothing. Following the contest, which provoked many a laugh from the crowd, a "Honeymoon in Kentucky" contest, participated in by Paul and Alleyne Woodward and Paul and Charlotte Milton, was won by the former and they were presented a set of serving plates. Rodney Milligan and Thomas Lee Adams then engaged in a "Happy Though Married" contest, the result of which was decided by a draw and each contestant received a carton of cigarettes. Climaxing the program of entertainment was an amateur vaudeville hour, participated in by Raymond Pillow, Thurston Hall and Noble Stewart. Stewart was awarded a $3 prize for the best performance. Following the dinner and program, the attendants were entertained at a dance in the hotel.
Auburn Hosiery Mill Strike:Monday Aug 28, 1950 Park City Daily News - Strike Closes Hosiery Mill Production at the Auburn Hosiery Mills, Inc., here came to a complete halt this morning as the result of a union demand for higher wages. Approximately 80 employees of the plant, all members of the American Federation of Hosiery Workers, failed to report for work at 6 a.m. The concern employees some 95 persons, half of them women. Picket lines were thrown up around all entrances to the building and these were respected by all union members. R. N. Kimball, president of the nylon hose manufacturing plant, said this afternoon that "a dispute over wages" was the principal cause of the walkout. A representative of the U.S. Conciliation Service arrived here this morning to assist in negotiations for a new contract, which are now going on. Mr. Kimball declined to venture a guess as to how long it will take plant officials and the union to reach an agreement.
******************* Auburn, Ky. August 29 1950 Park City Daily News - Striking Hosiery Mill Workers Hurl Tomatoes At Non-Union Personnel No end to the strike of union employees at Auburn Hosiery Mills, Inc., was seen today as union representatives and plant officials temporarily broke off negotiations. The first trouble since approximately 80 members of the American Federation of Hosiery Workers began their walkout yesterday broke out this morning, but quickly subsided. A plant official, who declined use of his name, said several tomatoes were hurled by strikers, but no damage was caused. Bobby Hutcheson, non-striking electrician, and several office girls were targets for the missiles, but only Hutcheson was struck. The tomatoes were thrown when the non-union employees crossed picket lines to enter the plant. Union representatives and plant officials broke off negotiations last night after spending all yesterday in talks without reaching an agreement. "We are still quite a piece apart," said a plant official, R. N. Kimball, president of the concern which manufactures some 2,400 dozen pairs of nylon hose a week, yesterday said wages were the main reason for the strike.
********************* Auburn, Ky., September 8, 1950 Park City Daily News - Seven Striking Hosiery Mill Workers Indicted By Logan Grand Jury. Seven striking Auburn Hosiery Mill workers are under indictment in Logan Circuit Court on charges of banding and confederating to intimidate a non-striker. One of those indicted is Urey Marshall, about 33, who also has been indicted on a charge of assault and battery as result of an alleged attack on Harry Gillum, maintenance worker at the plant. Marshall is alleged to have been the leader of a group which accosted Gillum 10 days ago and knocked him down. The other six indicted, all alleged to have been with Marshall at the time, are listed as Roy Webb, 48; Herb Morehead, 33; Walter Rohrer, 29; Wendell Miller, 26; Reed Lee, 26; and Bennie Ward, 24. Their trial is expected to be docketed for the February term of court. The original charge of breach of the peace against Marshall was not pressed.
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Auburn, Ky., January 10, 1951 Park City Daily News - Picket Line In Front of Kimball Home Removed. Russellville, KY., .....Picket lines in front of the home here of R. N. Kimball, president of the strike-bound Auburn Hosiery Mills, have been removed at the suggestion of the union's attorneys. A young woman employee of the Auburn concern, which has been shut down by a strike of American Federation of Hosiery Workers since last August 28, walked for two days in from of the Kimball residence. She carried a placard, charging Mr. Kimball with being "unfair to labor.' In addition, a car filled with male strikers was reported to have remained parked across the street from the residence while the lone picket walked her beat. Attorneys of Auburn Hosiery Mills advised union officials that court action would be instituted against the strikers on grounds they had no legal right to picket the home, unless the picketing was discontinued immediately. Mr. Kimball had no comment to make on the situation when contacted today by a reporter. He said he had not been to Auburn in several days and does not know of the situation there. Picket lines have been maintained intermittently at the Auburn plant since union employees walked off their jobs more than four months ago. They were removed during the Christmas holidays, but have appeared several times since.
************************** Auburn, Ky., January 16, 1951 Park City Daily News - Auburn Men Charged With Flourishing Deadly Weapons. Auburn, Ky., Jan 16........ Examining trial for two Auburn men charged with flourishing a deadly weapon is scheduled for Jan. 27 before County Judge Homer Dorris at Russellville. The two were identified as Harry Gillum, about 38, non-union knitter at the strike-bound Auburn Hosiery Mill, and John A. Graham about 42, furniture shop operator. Charles Dickerson, Auburn, swore out warrants against both men after he said they showed pistols at a restaurant. Joe Butrum, service station operator here, also took out a warrant against Gillum. Butrum said the knitter flourished a pistol at his service station Gillum was released on $500 bond and Graham on $250 bond. State police were called to Auburn and took the men to Russellville where the warrants were sworn out.
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Auburn, Ky., February 23, 1951 News-Democrat- Hosiery Mills, Union RE-Open Negotiations. Progress Being Made, States R. N. Kimball "Progress is being made," stated Roger N. Kimball, president of Auburn Hosiery Mills, when asked to make a statement on negotiations reopened Monday between representatives of management and labor. Mr. Kimball made the statement following an all-day session Monday in Auburn, at which were present Mr. Kimball; his attorney, P. M. Harris of Louisville, J. Goldberg, Philadelphia, attorney for the American Federation of Hosiery Workers; Garth Ferguson, U. S. Conciliation Service; a local bargaining committee and others. Monday's bargaining session was the first since early in December, when plant and union officials met in Louisville. After that unsuccessful attempt to reach an agreement, Mr. Kimball had state that no more offers would be made by the management, and any further move to end the strike would come from the American Federation of Hosiery Workers. At Monday's session, it was agreed to adjourn until Saturday, February 24, when bargaining would be resumed. Mr. Kimball refused to divulge how far apart officials were, but added he hoped to have something further to report after Saturday. At present, he said, there are no plans for reopening the plant, which has been idle since August 28, when the 80 workers walked off their jobs in a strike for higher wages and other concessions. Strike breakers are not being used to resume production, Mr. Kimball said. "We have no plans ready for announcement as to what we will do, if negotiations with the union fail' he said. Several major acts of violence which took place in Auburn last fall were attributed to the strike; no arrests were made in connection with any of the offences, which included shooting into a home and a business house, and setting off a charge of dynamite inside the hosiery plant. The mill had a large payroll, normally employed 95 workers, and turned out 1200 pairs of nylon hose a week.
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Auburn, Ky., February 26, 1951 Park City Daily News - Auburn Mills Negotiations Broken Off Again. Russellville, Ky., Feb 26 ... N broken off again. R. N. Kimball, president of the concern who resides here, today said no date has been set for another bargaining session. "We are a little closer together than we were at the start, but not much," he declared. The plant, which manufactured nylon hose, has been closed almost six months because of the strike called by the American Federation of Hosiery Workers. Some 80 union members walked off their jobs last August 28, and several attempts have been made to settle differences between the union and plant officials, but to no avail. Negotiations were reopened last Monday and slight progress was made before the session adjourned until Saturday. "We were unable to make any headway at all on Saturday," Mr. Kimball declared. Monday's bargaining session was the first in more than two months. The two principal differences still to be settled are questions of union shop and wages. Mr. Kimball said the union is seeking wages comparable to those paid in northern plants.
************************** Auburn, Ky., March 30, 1951 News-Democrat- Tempers Cool Off On Picket Line At Auburn Plant. The American Federation of Hosiery Workers maintained their picket lines in front of the Auburn Hosiery Mill this week, but tempers apparently are cooling down, Sheriff D. D. Johnson said Wednesday night. The Plant resumed operations with a few over two dozen employees last week after being closed since August by a labor dispute. Sheriff Johnson said he has received no complaints this week over slashed tires or physical violence. Logan County Judge Homer Dorris postponed indefinitely last Saturday a hearing on an assault and battery warrant sworn out by Ralph Ryan, union member against Earl Gray Rogers, contractor. This action was taken at the request of the Louisville attorney for the labor union, who informed Judge Dorris he was ill. The charge was brought against Mr. Rogers after a fist fight in an Auburn cafe "during which I understand a few blows were struck," Judge Dorris said.
Auburn Times - August 9, 1940 VICISSITUDES OF WAR ARE FELT BY AUBURN MAN
That war is a terrible thing everyone knows in a general way, but the truth of this
statement has been demonstrated rather painfully to a local citizen of Auburn, Neill
Bomhoff, foreman of the Auburn Hosiery Mills, recently.
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