HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL EDITION OF THE GASTON PROGRESS
Fifteen
TRENTON COnON MILLS
MANUFACTURERS OF FINE YARNS
J. K. DIXON, President and Treasurer
L,, L,. JENKINS, Vice-President
E. N. PEGRAM, Secretary
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9 M
ONE CORNER OF THE EXTENSIVE TRENTON COTTON MILLS
One of the oldest, and at the same
time one of the most modern and pro
gressive of the cotton mills of Gastonia
is the Trenton, having always remain
ed modern because it has fully kept
pace with every improvement made in
cotton manufacturing machinery.
The Trenton Cotton Mills plant con
sists of two mills. The original struct
ure, built in 1894, when the enterprise
was established, is one story high and
fronts 50 feet on west Main street, ex
tending back a distance of 237 feet,
and contains 11,850 feet of floor space.’
The new building, two stories in
height, is 55x165 feet, and contains
15,150 feet of floor space. The plant
in both buildings is equipped with all
the latest improved machinery and
8,448 spindles are operated. Only
fine yarns are made at the Trenton,
N^' 36’s to GO’S, one, two and three-
ply in skeins, warps, cones and tubes,
combed and carded. About 200 opera
tives are employed in the bright, w^ell
ventilated rooms of the mills, most of
l^-^m living in the immediate neigh-
b(>i-hood in houses owned by the com
pany.'vrits-officers are: J. K. Dixon,
president and treasurer; L. L. Jenkins,
vice-president and E. N. Pegram, sec
retary. Mr. Dixon is one of the best
known citizens of Gastonia, and has
always taken a keen interest in everj'-
thing that concerns its present and
future. He served as mayor of the
city four terms and during his admin
istration the place grew as it had
never done before, and many of the
public improvements were made. He
has also been a member of the board
of aldermen. Mr. Dixon is a native
of historic King’s Mountain, and was
mayor of that town before coming
here to live. He was for a number of
years the representative of the South
ern railroad here, and also at one
time resided in Georgia, where he was
with the Seaboard road. Mr. L. L.
Jenkins, the vice-president, is one of
the pioneer cotton manufacturers of
the city, but is now a resident of Ashe
ville, w'here he is president of the
American National Bank. He has
always retained, however, the greatest
interest in his native county, and is
president of the First National Bank,
the Arlington and Flint Cotton Mills,
and is connected with a large number
of other enterprises. Mr. E. N. Peg
ram, the secretary, is well known as a
business man here in Gastonia, where
he has a wide circle of friends. The
superintendent of the mills is Mr. A.
M. Dixon, a son of the president.
Few young men hold such a respon
sible position, but he has proven him
self to be entirely capable and has
already won his spurs. He has been
about cotton mills all his life and
knows every detail of the business.
J. K. DIXON
THE GASTONIA GAZETTE.
The Gastonia Gazette was establish
ed thirty-three years ago, the first is
sue appearing on Saturday morning,
February 21, 1880, since which time it
has been issued without interruption.
A steady growth, commensurate with
the growth of the town and county, has
marked its career. The first issue of
The Gazette contained four six-column
pages, was neatly printed, and an
nounced the subscription price as
$1.50 per year. Mr. George W. Chalk,
of Spartanburg, S. C., was editor. It
continuing as editor and publisher. In
April 1883, Mr. J. E. Page, at present
senior member of the firm of Page &
Company, Gastonia, became proprietor
of the paper, the name of T. G. Chalk,
a brother of the former editor, appear
ing at the masthead as editor. This
management continued until some date
between November 21st and December
12th, 1885, when Mr. Chalk retired, re
linquishing the entire control to Mr.
Page, under whose charge the paper
enjoyed marked popularity and pros
perity. January 6th, 1888, Mr. Page
sold The Gazeete to J. T. Bigham &
Grier, of Due West, S. C., bought the
paper from Mr. Mrashall and the latter
repurchased it in December 1900. The
Gazette became a semi-weekly in 1903.
In October, 1906, The Gazette was pur
chased from Mr. W. F. Marshall by the
Atkins estate, which still owns and
operates it, Messrs. E. D. and J. W.
Atkins being the managers and editors.
Recently Mr. Otto O. Baber, who has
been with the paper for a number of
years as foreman of the job depart
ment, was made a member of the firm.
Mr. Hugh A. Query is assistant editor
D. M. JONES & COMPANY.
Cotton Brokers.
Cotton is as much king in Gastonia
today as it ever was in the palmist
he is considered an authority. Mr.
Cleveland has also given many years
to the business, and the firm is thus
splendidly equipped to save its cus-
tomert;.
made clothing is to a ready-made one.
Fronting 30 feet on Main street, the
establishment extends back a distance
of 95 feet, providing a floor space of
nearly 3,000 square feet, equipped with
every kind of improved machinery
r^arrni
pupils
IDEAL ROLLER COVERING SHOP,
Progress Building.
Nearly all of the industries of Gas
tonia thus far in its brief history have
centered about the great cotton manu
facturing interests that have done so
much for the growth of the city and
111 ousirn?BS7-tifie “Hia ne''has aiwa^'S^
promises tdVdo‘So-SSS 'S?,?..e ,
thrrV"."» in the case of
the Ideal Roller Covering Shop, which
AirlTne t ^^e-'ess building on
Anl.ne avenue. This is one of the
pioneer industries of the city, and
was brought into existence wh;n the
cotton niills were established here
P H “““'“tiu-ers exclusively
Heal Roller Covers for use in cotton
repair work, and through the
energy and enterprise of its p.o
prietors, together with the fact that
ey make a superior article, a large
and constantly growing business hfs
•ana
E. D. ATKINS
succeeded The Enterprise, a small
sheet with four 6x9 pages, published
by Mr. R. M. Martin. This paper had,
in turn, been preceded by The Herald
a much larger sheet, published by Mr’
E. M. Evans, of Chester, S. C the
capital stock of the company ’being
$42o, held by himself and four or five
other citizens. Mr. Chalk bought up
the old plant at a reduced price, added
about $aOO worth of equipment, and
Company, with Mr. J. T. Bigham as
editor. Mr. Bigham had previously
been associated with Prof. j p Reid
‘i® «aston
my. This firm continued the
pub ication of the paper and the con
duct of a job printing plant until
April 1st, 1891, when Mr. Bigham sold
the paper to Mr. W. P. Marshall, now
PnhT-“r-‘ “anager of the Mutual
Pubhshmg Company, of Raleigh, N. C.
If
A ROOM OF THE IDEAL RC^LLER COVER COMPANY
J- W. ATKINS
launched The Gazette. Some time be- Mr
23nd, 1882, Mr. John C. Tipton, now of
X-iO U ] s 1 Ti o Vk . .1.,
Louisiana.' became editor' m™’ "cLlk '
■ ^nalk lecently. in August 1899, Mr. W,
ouup now does
work for 30 miles, and is excellently
equipped with the latest improved
machinery for the manufacture of its
special product. The shop has a floor
space of 2,400 square feet, in which to
carry on operations. The present
enterprise is the successor to the Gas-
toma Roller Covering Company,
which began operations 20 years ago
when this city was scarcely more than
a village of a few hundred inhabit
ants, and continued until 4 years ago
when it passed into the hands ol^
Messrs. G. W. Smith, his brother, P
H. Smith, and C. B. Newton, who
have, through their energy, largely
mcl eased the business. Mr. G W
Smith was for several years connect
ed with the old company in an im
portant capacity, and when the change
was made his present partners joined
him m making the new enterprise a
success. All of them are practical
men who thoroughly understand the
Bigham moved back to South ™en who
Carolina and edited The Chester (S. the froft'^^Th”'*''**"*'*
c.) Lantern for many years, until very natives If c ! are
vpponfiTr T„ * latives of Gaston county while Mr
B .
M.
^ the
equiPDed with fh^ . y V CK bone of the entire industrial nrns
Pei-ity Of this City and section. Tht
city IS a big center of the trade, and in
Inis.ness here are a large number of
bickers who sell to the 65 factories
ocated in the county, more it is said
The M ““e South
he “West firm of brokers doing busi
ness here is that of D. M. Jones &
^^“^^/“cated at 328 west Main
• It IS the pioneer brokerage
firm Of the City, having been establish
ed 12 years ago, and does a larger and
constantly increasing business with
oTtZT ""'"■csenting as they do some
of the leading planters and dealers in
the South. They make a specialty of
long staple Philips cotton, but also
handle all grades. The senior mem
ber of the firm is Mr. D. M. Jones a
native of Abingdon, Va, and
associated with him is Mr H M
Cleveland, who formerly li™,
Spartanburg, s. C., but is now a resi
dent of Gastonia. He became inter
ested m cotton in 189.5. Mr. Jones for
a time . ived at Greenwood and West
Point, Miss., and Columbus, and made
a thnrniTP-h iudue
OFFICE OF D. M. JONES COMPANY
CRAIG i HEAD.
Harness, Collars, Bridles and Saddles.
Every horse lover is aware that this
wel as fcnioy as
“ ‘deserve, a properly fitted set
of harness quite as much as his owner
does a good suit of clothes. He is
uncomfortable and does not do his best
unless he is properly supplied w'ith a
.lerfect fi, and it is real economy on
he part of the owner to give his strict
attention to this most important mat-
te. Located here in Gastonia is one
o the largest and most complete sad-
in ihirrT- ““ti'acturers
m this section of North Carolina and
tte firm of Craig & Head, 109 east
Mam street, has built up an enviable
reputation as makers of high-class
arness at reasonable prices. They
rto'flrth"'*’''''® “ey sell and make
t to fit the animal it is intended for,
and their goods are as much superior
Tv mTh”’"'’® taetories entirely
by machinery, as a suit of custom
needed by the high-class
constantTv “d is
constantly increasing. ThP
-mpesedo,B.H.cUan, W "
Head both Of whom are practical men
S I • ““C Of Rev
L- Head, a Baptist minister He
moved here with his father when only
8 months old, when there were bit
bought a^lM
part Of th f "'Wch a
of the city stands, paying S7 5n
a front foot. He has been ,
20 years, and was one of the
too™ preachers in this section.
w. L. Head learned his trarto v.
under J.H Nueler \
it for 22 years He
years. He is a Mason
ber of the Odd Fellows
Knights of Pythias.
harness
extending
L dead about
the best
action. Mr.
trade here
'ked at
1 mem-
and the
^ouaiy wnile 3
Newton comes from Union county.
XT. '-'v^iuiuuus, and made
a thorough study of cotton on which
store OF CRAIG &