Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company Records - Accession 368

This collection is a valuable source on the history of the textile industry in Rock Hill and particular the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company’s role in its development. Of particular interest is a scrapbook containing nearly a 100 photographs of the construction of the plant including aerial views. The scrapbook also contains many newspaper clippings from the period 1928-1935 that details the construction of the plant and its early operation. Also included in the collection are copies of the newsletters, Newsy Notes and Reporter, a 1943 publication picturing employees serving in the armed forces, and sixteen photographs taken at the foremen’s outing at Joslin Park in May of 1958. Subjects of interest include the founding of the Lowenstein plant in Rock Hill, the direct effects of the New Deal on the workers of Rock Hill, and the strikes of the 1930’s.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1469/thumbnail.jp

Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company Videos - Accession 1587

This collection consists of two digital video files created by the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company to show to clients and explain the printing and finishing process and capabilities of the plant to their prospective clients. These professionally produced videos are an important part of Rock Hill’s textile history and offer a glimpse into the Rock Hill company’s day to day work filmed in the early 1990s. The Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company Plant was built in 1929 and was one of the most important industries in Rock Hill, SC throughout most of its history. The Bleachery as it was affectionately called was a dominate figure in the Southern Textile industry and at its height of operation employed over 4000 people from Rock Hill and the surrounding area. The plant like many of today’s textile companies has been shut down, formally closing its doors in 1999. Its history is permanently intertwined in the history of Rock Hill and these videos donated by Emile Russett the last General Plant Manager of the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company are an invaluable source for researchers searching for information about Rock Hill’s history or that of Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/2598/thumbnail.jp

Bleachery Beacon Newsletter Collection - Accession 196

The Bleachery Beacon Collection consists of the irregularly published employee newsletter of the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company, known locally as The Bleachery was one the nations largest textile finishing plants at it\u27s height. The Rock Hill plant bleached, dyed, printed and finished cloth and employed nearly 5,000 workers at its height in 1965. The plant site was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 2013.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1347/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Stephen Turner - OH 548

In his June 28, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Stephen Turner detailed his involvement in the revitalization of the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Tuner spoke of the history of the Bleachery and the plans for the future to redevelop and transition Rock Hill into the future.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1625/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Emile Russett - OH 545

In this June 28, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Emile Russett detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Russett spoke of the time period of the 1970s through 2017 and on the follow topics: layoffs, day to day job responsibilities and actions including ways he tried to communicate with the workers, technology changes, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery, involvement on the Bleachery Heritage Committee and the new changes with University Center.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1622/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Earl Honeycutt - OH 541

In his May 26, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Earl Honeycutt detailed his thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Honeycutt spoke of the time period of 1955 through 1977 and on the follow topics: race relations, day to day job responsibilities and actions, union, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1618/thumbnail.jp

Interview with William Easley - OH 538

In his July 7, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, William Bill Easley detailed his thoughts and memories of his time associated with the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Easley spoke of the time of the 1920s through 2017 and on the follow topics: Race relations, his father Joseph Easley Assistant Plant Manager of the Bleachery and his childhood around his father, day-to-day job responsibilities and actions when he began work for Springs, technology changes, the buyout of the Bleachery by Springs, the decline of the Bleachery, his work as a Springs employee, his thoughts on the redevelopment of the Bleachery site into University Center at Knowledge Park and his activities until 2017. Also Easley offered his opinions on how Rock Hill was impacted by the Bleachery from the 1930s to 2017.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1615/thumbnail.jp

William H. Grier, Sr. Scrapbooks - Accession 567

The William H. Grier, Sr. Papers include correspondence, clippings, memoranda, copies of the company newsletter, telegrams, and other papers, relating to the history of the Rock Hill Printing Company (RHPFC) and to the career of William H. Grier, Sr. (1901-1983) who was a company executive and trustee to Winthrop College (1953-1975). The Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company was founded in 1929 in Rock Hill, SC and was known locally as “The Bleachery.” It was one the nation’s largest textile finishing plants at its height. The Rock Hill plant bleached, dyed, printed and finished cloth and employed nearly 5,000 workers at its height in 1965. The plant site was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 2013. From 1936 to 1976 William H. Grier kept scrapbooks relating to his activities and the activities of the company. These materials are an excellent source for the history of “The Bleachery” and the textile industry in general. The 24 bound scrapbooks contain plant memoranda, newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards, correspondence, promotional material, fabric samples, and other material relating to RHPFC. The memoranda and correspondence include information about raises, incentives, the annual Christmas Tree Celebration for the children of the workers, and other topics. The newspaper clippings relate such information as advances by the plant as well as trouble with organized labor. The photographs are of the plant, the workers, Grier and other officers, the area around the plant, and Rock Hill. “The Bleachery” printed and finished the first Rayon woven and printed in the South in 1938. There are fabric samples of the rayon in one of the scrapbooks. RHPFC put forth a great effort on the home front during WWII. They not only had a large number of their workers volunteer for military service but they also printed American flags and contributed other textile products to the war effort. The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s were a time of change for the textile industry and these issues are reflected in the scrapbooks as well.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/1681/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Vivian Zeiders - OH 552

In her June 6, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Vivian Zeiders detailed her thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Zeiders spoke of the time period of the 1970s through 2017 and on the follow topics: race relations, day to day job responsibilities and actions, technology changes, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery, family, her other occupations up until the year 2017. Zeiders also offered her opinions on the Bleachery compared to other textile jobs.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1629/thumbnail.jp

Interview with Leoda Starnes

In her May 26, 2017 interview with Alex Windham, Leoda Starnes detailed her thoughts and memories of his time at the Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company referred to locals as the Bleachery. Starnes spoke of the time period of the 1940s through 2017 and on the follow topics: race relations, day to day job responsibilities and actions, technology changes, worker attitudes, the decline of the Bleachery, family, her other occupations up until the year 2017. Zeiders also offered her opinions on the Bleachery compared to other textile jobs.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/oralhistoryprogram/1623/thumbnail.jp