Company Newspaper for Springs Cotton Mill Now Available Online (07/23/26)

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University made available online the Springs Bulletin issues from 1943 to 1983.
• The Springs Bulletin generally was published bimonthly for the employees, offering news and information about each of the plants, departments, employees and general information about the cotton industry.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - For much of the 20th century, textile mills provided the lifeblood for residents in York, Chester and Lancaster counties.

The Fort Mill Manufacturing Co. opened its first plant in Fort Mill, South Carolina, in 1888. Evolving into Springs Cotton Mill and opening more S.C. plants in nearby Lancaster, Chester and Kershaw, the company compiled a bimonthly newspaper called the Springs Bulletin to capture what was going on in the plants and in its mill towns. At one time, Springs was the largest industrial employer in South Carolina.

Recently, the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University made available online the Springs Bulletin issues from 1943 to 1983.

The Springs Bulletin generally was published bimonthly for the employees, offering news and information about each of the plants, departments, employees and general information about the cotton industry. It documented highlights from the lives of Springs employees, including the results of company sports teams, births, deaths, marriages, employee and family birthdays, and events in the mill communities. During World War II, it included news about hometown soldiers in different campaigns across the world. In many ways, the Springs Bulletin served as a community newspaper, covering the people, activities and events that shaped the lives of Springs employees and their families.

By 2001, Springs began an association with the Brazil-based company Coteminas and merged with Coteminas in 2005, forming Springs Global. By 2007, Springs had ended all manufacturing in South Carolina.

Winthrop's Director of Archives Gina Price White '83 said the newspaper is a treasure for those wanting to know about textile town life. "The Springs Bulletin is a very good resource for anyone interested in the textile industry and the operation and history of one of the largest industrial employers in the state of South Carolina," she said. "The newspaper is also a valuable resource for family history research."

The Springs Bulletin digitization project was made possible through the generous support of the Springs Close family.

To search the issues, go to: https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/springsbulletin_newspaper/

To browse the issues, go to: https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/exhibit/springsmills/

For more information, contact White at the Pettus Archives at [email protected].