| Sources |
- [S47] Sevier County, Tennessee and its Heritage, Sevier County Heritage Book Committee, (1994, Don Mills, Inc.), 34, 229, 265, 266.
- [S94] Sevier County, Tennessee Census, 5-Dist, Series: T624 Roll: 1518 Page: 89, 6 May 1910.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 30 Jan 2015.
Upland Chronicles: Hosiery mill building has rich history
CARROLL MCMAHAN
In 1920, Loudon Hosiery Mills began operating in a new building on Bruce Street in Sevierville.
A hosiery mill located on Bruce Street in Sevierville provided employment for many Sevier County residents for almost 40 years. The building has changed ownership numerous times. The renovated 95-year-old structure that housed the mill is now Mill Corner Place, a posh office building, one of the finest examples of historic preservation in Sevier County.
The early 1920s saw many changes in the way people worked. Farming was still the main industry in Sevier County and throughout the state, but many more industries moved to the South to take advantage of lower wages and more favorable regulations.
Sevierville became a prime, untapped location after the Knoxville, Sevierville and Eastern Railroad connected the town to the outside world, providing a means to transport manufactured products.
On Aug. 15, 1919, representatives of Knoxville Knitting Mills came to Sevierville to promote building a new knitting mill there. T.H. Johnsten, president of Knoxville Knitting Mills, told business leaders that if they would construct a building suitable for a knitting mill that measured 100 by 150 feet, he would lease it for at least three years.
Several businessmen pledged to invest the estimated $10,000 needed to build the mill. A lot was selected along the railroad tracks at the east end of Bruce Street near the old Murphy College. The property had once belonged to R.B. McMahan, who sold it to John R. Yett in 1900. Yett sold the property to Murphy College in 1905.
Investors included H.C. Henderson, W.T. Marshall, Hugh C. Blair Sr., John L. Marshall, Stanley McMahan, C. L. Thurman, John S. Ballard, Ronald J. Ingle, Sr., A.T. Seaton, L.E. Shepherd, John B. Waters Sr., J.N.G. Fox, James P. Love, Cleo Burchfiel, E.E. Creswell, T.M. Wynn, Sr., Victor Stafford, Alton O. Delozier, W.A. Dixon and J.R. Yett, as well as Murphy, Cox, & Murphy; Bailey & Fain Hardware; and Sevierville Hardware Company.
Using bricks made nearby from local clay and burned on the grounds, J., F., & N. McMahan Construction Company, owned by skilled African-American brothers James, Fred and Newt McMahan, built the sturdy building.
The completed building measured 119 by 132 feet. The mill was put into operation as soon as equipment was installed and supplies were delivered. On Aug. 1, 1920, Loudon Hosiery Mill rented the mill.
Loudon Hosiery Mills, headquartered in Loudon, Tenn., produced nylon, cotton and silk hosiery in the modern, brick building, and employed around 10 men and 75 women. Many of the females were still in their teens, some as young as 13 or 14. Colonel Charles H. Bacon was president and Carmichael Green was plant manager. Loudon Hosiery Mill purchased the stockholders’ interest in 1924.
On Nov. 10, 1938, Argus Hosiery Mils Inc. of North Carolina purchased the business and ran the operation until April 19, 1948, when it sold the Sevierville entity to Artcraft Hosiery Mills Inc., a corporation based in Delaware. Artcraft changed its corporate name on Dec. 4, 1948, to Sanson Hosiery Mills Inc.
Herbert Flynn was 18 when he and his brother started working at the mill in 1937. “It was good wages at the time,” recalled Flynn. “I started out making 15 cents an hour which was a pretty good salary back then.” Flynn left his job to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II but returned when the war ended and worked until the mill closed in 1950s.
Flynn stayed on and in the ensuing years was promoted to a position as fixer, working on the graveyard shift keeping the machines in working order. “It was a good place to work, but talk about hot in the summer,” Flynn said. “I’ve seen some new hires come in there and quit before lunch.”
Beecher Loveday met his future wife, Lucille Cusick, while working at Sanson Hosiery Mill. The couple had been married 61 years when Lucille died in 2012. During the time the mill operated in Sevierville, hundreds of local women and men worked there. It was one of the first businesses to offer employment opportunities for women in Sevier County.
Fred C. Atchley and Dr. Ronald Ingle purchased the property on June 11, 1954. In the agreement, the grantor was given six weeks from the date of sale to move machinery and other equipment from the building.
The new owners leased the property to the Sevier County Board of Education, which used the building as a book depository. For a short time, a music school was located in part of the building.
On April 15, 1985, Sevier County Utility District obtained ownership of the building. By this time, the old mill was in need of much repair. SCUD was authorized to spend almost $200,000 to renovate the structure.
Blalock Brothers was awarded the contract and given six months to complete the project. A new roof and new windows were installed. The roof was made to duplicate that of the new Sevierville Community Center, which was within site of the building.
In December 1998, SRM LLC, a company owned by attorneys Ronald Sharp and James Ripley and an engineer, Gary McGill, purchased the old building and began a massive renovation. They stripped the interior back to the brick walls and concrete floors, which were built on solid concrete piers.
Once the renovation was completed, the investors moved their offices there and rented out office space to others. Although the facade looks similar to the way the original mill looked, the interior now appears stylish while maintaining remnants of the original purpose of the building, such as the exposed, incomparable masonry work.
Carroll McMahan is special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and serves as Sevier County historian.
The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics or would like to submit a column, contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S112] Census, 1900.
Name: Fredric Mcmahan
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1900
Event Place: Civil District 5 (north, east part), Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Marital Status: Single
Race: Black
Race (Original): B
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son
Birth Date: Jun 1892
Birthplace: Tennessee
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
P Witt Mcmahan Head M 50 Tennessee
Louiza Mcmahan Wife F 42 Tennessee
Newton Mcmahan Son M 21 Tennessee
Mattie Mcmahan Daughter F 18 Tennessee
Florence Mcmahan Daughter F 16 Tennessee
Samuel P Mcmahan Son M 13 Tennessee
John Mcmahan Son M 10 Tennessee
Fredric Mcmahan Son M 8 Tennessee
Mamie C Mcmahan Daughter F 7 Tennessee
Fannie V Mcmahan Daughter F 2 Tennessee
Arthur Mccown Boarder M 22 Tennessee
Mamie Brabson Lodger F 11 Tennessee
- [S112] Census, 1910.
Name: Fedrick Mcmahn
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1910
Event Place: Sevierville, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Marital Status: Single
Race: Mulatto
Race (Original): Mulatto
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son
Birth Year (Estimated): 1893
Birthplace: Tennessee
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Pulitt Mcmahn Head M 57 Tennessee
Louiza Mcmahn Wife F 53 Tennessee
Sam P Mcmahn Son M 22 Tennessee
John Mcmahn Son M 19 Tennessee
Fedrick Mcmahn Son M 17 Tennessee
Manny Mcmahn Daughter F 14 Tennessee
Anna Mcmahn Daughter F 12 Tennessee
Lessie Mcmahn Daughter-in-law F 19 Tennessee
Parris Mcmahn Grandson M 0 Tennessee
- [S121] Draft Registration.
Name: Frederick S Mcmahan
Event Type: Draft Registration
Event Date: 1917-1918
Event Place: Knoxville City no 1, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Nationality: United States
Birth Date: 24 Jun 1892
Birthplace: Lewisville, Tennessee, United States
- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Fred S Mcmahan
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1930
Event Place: District 05, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Marital Status: Married
Race: Negro
Race (Original): Negro
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1893
Birthplace: Tennessee
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Fred S Mcmahan Head M 37 Tennessee
Mary B Mcmahan Wife F 35 Tennessee
- [S112] Census, 1940.
Name: Fred Mcmahan
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Civil District 5, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 48
Marital Status: Married
Race (Original): Negro
Race: Negro
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Birthplace: Tennessee
Birth Year (Estimated): 1892
Last Place of Residence: Same House
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Fred Mcmahan Head M 48 Tennessee
Mary B Mcmahan Wife F 45 Tennessee
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 10 Oct 1980.
Mc Mahan, Fred Stewart June 28, 1893 Sevier Co. Oct 10, 1980
Spouse: Bond, Mary
Father: Mc Mahan, Paris Witt
Mother: Dockery, Mary Lawson
Cemetery: Pleasant View
Brothers: In-Law Fred Bond
Sisters: Fannie M. Graves, In-Law Ruth Donnahue
- [S34] In the Shadow of the Smokies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (1993), 320.
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 25528862).
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name: Paris Mc Mahan
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Louisa Dockery
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 20 Feb 1873
Marriage Place: , Sevier, Tennessee
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M51968-1
System Origin: Tennessee-ODM
Source Film Number: 969965
Reference Number:
Collection: Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950
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