Chatham Mills to hold Reunion June 14

By Cameron Barnett
Posted Friday, June 6, 2008

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Pittsboro, NC - Music, tours, a small exhibit and inexpensive gourmet lunches will be available to the public at a June 14 reunion for former Chatham Mills employees and their families. The reunion will be held from 12 Noon to 3 p.m. at 480 Hillsboro Street.

During the event celebrating the 70 years that the mill made woven clothing labels and helped give much needed jobs to Chatham County residents, local musicians will provide entertainment, and current mill owner Tom Roberts will sponsor tours of the building. Memorabilia from the mill's operational years will be available for viewing. Media and historians will be on hand to record the occasion; notebooks and cameras will be available for guests to record moments and reminiscences.

Chatham Marketplace, a tenant of a portion of the Mill that once housed management offices, will provide lunch at $5.00 per plate. Desserts and beverages will also be available for purchase at the store.

Talk of a reunion has already sparked support from former workers, many of whom share fond memories of the long-time mainstay of Chatham County's economy. Mr. Ralph Riddle of Pittsboro worked at the plant for 44 years, and served as Plant Superintendent of the Mill from 1955 until his retirement in1976.

A native of Chatham County, Riddle credits Chatham Mills with helping pull Pittsboro through the Great Depression as the plummeting cost of cotton brought residents off their farms looking for work. Mr. Riddle notes that in 1968 the mill's owner, Mr. Willard Kluge of New Jersey, called Chatham Mills the largest woven labels manufacturer in the world.

Mr. Riddle said, "This will give us the opportunity to see again the places and share the experiences where we worked. Hope to see you at the old Chatham Mills plant June 14th.