One of the first things I noticed when I entered the Glove Plant was that the vast majority of people working were women. There were a few men acting as supervisors or doing the heavy lifting, but the actual work - the sewing, the attention to detail, the sitting in the same position for eight hours a day - was being done by women.
I knew a couple of the women and they, and most of the others, were glad to get the work. There weren’t many jobs available in Madison County in the late 1970s beyond farming and fabric mills provided a steady paycheck. Plus, while the work was hard and monotonous, most people knew one another so there was a sense of family and working with friends.
The Mill has been closed since the early 1990s, but is about to be reborn. The Opening is this Thursday, the 21st, from 5-8 pm. Come take a look.
Marshall Glove Plant, 1979.
Marthie Chandler, the Marshall Glove Plant, 1979.