Cater, Henry A., 1923-

Henry Cater (March 11, 1923- ) collected material related to the Courtenay Manufacturing Company in Newry, South Carolina. The textile village in Newry, South Carolina was founded by Captain William Ashmead Courtenay in 1893. In April of 1893, Courtenay was authorized by charter to establish a factory in Oconee County for the "manufacturing, spinning, dyeing, printing, and selling of all cotton and woolen goods." The charter was signed by then Secretary of State J.E. Tindal. In June of the same year, the Company purchased 350 acres of land and right-of-way privileges from John C. Cary. This was the first of many land purchases that took place in the years following.

Textile operations began at Newry on June 14, 1894. By the early 1900s, the town contained a school, church, boarding house, company store, post office, meat market, and barber shop. Courtenay died in 1908, leaving two of his sons, Ashmead and Campbell, as president and general manager of the Courtenay Manufacturing Company. The Courtenay family continued to run the mill until the 1920s when the company sold all of its stock and property to the Isaqueena Mills of Central, South Carolina. In 1930, the stock and property were sold to Cannon of North Carolina. The Abney Company bought the mill in 1939. In 1959, the Abney Company sold the mill houses, mainly to the families living in them, and the Mill closed in 1975.