A woolen manufacturer in Thornton, R.I., the Pocasset Worsted Co. was established in 1897 by Charles Fletcher and his youngest son, Frederick C. Fletcher. Charles Fletcher was a major figure in the woolen industry and was a pioneer in worsted manufacture. He was born in Thornton, England, and trained in the mills in Bradford; he came to the United States in 1864. In 1875, he started his own mill in Thornton, R.I., which by the 1890's had grown to a seven-mill complex known as the National and Providence Worsted Mills. He was one of the first directors of the American Woolen Co., which included a number of his mills. The Pocasset Combing Co., located in Providence, R.I., was incorporated in 1903 with Charles Fletcher as president and Frederick Fletcher as treasurer. After 1909, Pocasset Combing no longer seems to have existed; in the same year, Pocasset Worsted was incorporated and enlarged. In the 1920's, Frederick Fletcher sold the mill. The collection also includes records from the Lawton Spinning Company, a cotton manufacturer in Woonsocket, R.I., which belonged to Frederick C. Fletcher when these records were created. This company was incorporated in 1898 and closed in 1934.
From the description of [Business records] / Pocasset Worsted Company and Pocasset Combing Company. 1891-1909. (American Textile History Museum Library). WorldCat record id: 49311044
