Who was the Dana in the Dana Warp Mill?

The Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook, Maine, operated under the direction of Woodbury K. Dana from 1866 to 1957. By definition, warp is the cotton thread that is used for weaving textiles. My grandfather, Auguste "Gus" Albert, also founded a textiles business not as a manufacturer but as a retailer. It was incorporated in 1923 with the name, The Men's Shop. Both men became prominant members of the Westbrook business community.

Auguste Albert married Bernadette Gagnon in 1924. Auguste's father and Bernadette's parents immigrated to Westbrook from Canada to work in the mills. Many of our ancestors worked at the Dana Warp Mill. Here are a few found in city directories: Antoinette Albert (1919), Yvonne Albert (1921), Exilia Gagnon (1919 and 1921). Antionette and Yvonne were Auguste's sisters and Exilia was Bernadette's sister. In an interview in 1990, Josephine Gagnon (Auguste's sister-in-law) recalled operating machines at Dana Warp Mill working 6 am to 6 pm earning $7 a week. At the same interview, Bernadette shared that at age 15, she worked sorting paper at another mill in Westbrook, S. D. Warren.

Now more on Mr. Dana. He was born in Portland, Maine in 1840. As a young man, he took the opportunity to learn the business of manufacturing by working 12 hours a day in the Lincoln Cotton Mill in Lewiston. He also worked for a time as a card grinder at the Westbrook Manufacturing Company. Soon after, he served in the Union Army from 1863-1865.

In 1866, Mr. Dana formed a partnership with Thomas McEwen for the manufacture of cotton warps at Saccarappa Falls in Westbrook. Mr. McEwen was an inactive partner and sold out his interest a few years later. A major fire in 1893 motivated Mr. Dana to build a larger and better plant. In the archives at the Westbrook Historical Society, there is a report that speaks to a high standard and quality of product that the mill produced. I think of my grandfather again because he was also known to have a high standard for quality of product and for superior customer service as well.

Woodbury K. Dana anniversary celebration, Westbrook, 1916

The Westbrook Board of Trade honored Mr. Dana on June 7, 1916, his 76th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Dana Warp mill. A large military and civic parade followed. The celebration culminated with an event held that evening at the Star Theatre, which featured an orchestra, singing, slide shows and a movie reel of Westbrook scenes that featured Dana in many of the scenes. Woodbury Dana died on May 18, 1924 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Westbrook.

Credits: The first image shown in this post came from the Facebook group, Portland Maine History 1786 to Present. The source for the other photographs and for the detailed description of the 50th anniversary celebration is the Maine Memory Network. The source of the Dana Warp Mill advertisement is the Directory of Westbrook, Gorham, and Windham, 1915-16.

Westbrook Memories

1912 Postcard of Bridge Street

What comes to mind when you think of the town that the Alberts and Gagnons decided to raise their families?  Both these families were deeply rooted in the very traditions that shaped the city to what it is today - industry and businesses. The Alberts created one of Westbrooks longest and most successful businesses, the Men's Shop, Inc., of which I intend to write a longer story about. The Gagnons worked the mills and bettered their families in the process. Westbrook can also be remembered by its buildings. Remember the Star Theatre shown here and the old classic and westerns that were shown on its stage?

...and before my time, the theater had another history:

The Star Theater was built on the corner of Main and Central Streets in 1912. It hosted stage and minstrel shows until the advent of motion pictures when a large screen was built over the stage and movies were shown. Many a Westbrook child spent his or her Saturday afternoons at the Theater. Hubert Prior Vallee, later known as Rudy Vallee, worked as an usher here before going on to star in the movies himself.

Photo and text courtesy of Westbrook Historical Society and  Mike Sanphy.

If you ever wanted to know the stories of the people of Westbrook's past, pick up a copy of "Remembering Westbrook" by Andrea Vasquez. I purchased a copy on Amazon. The book's cover is shown here.

The stories comprise many of the names that bare locations and businesses in the city today. For example, the man who founded the Dana Warp Mill, Woodbury K. Dana (1840-1924), overcame learning disabilities to finish school and also served in the Civil War. This man could have served as a mentor to my grandfather who would become a successful businessman in his own right. A picture of the Dana Warp Mill and Falls is shown below. The first school I attended in Westbrook, the Warren School, was named after Cornelia L. Warren (1857-1921). A woman born into money, she became very educated and influenced Westbrook by her philanthropy. An advocate of recreation, she even financed tennis courts for the city maybe even the ones I played on as a youth.

Dana Warp Mill

 Source: epodunk.com

Westbrook became its own town in 1814 after breaking away from the area that was called Falmouth. The name originated from an early settler, Thomas Westbrook, who was also a mill worker matching the lasting image that the mills would provide for the town over the years. In 1871, the town's size was reduced by the formation of Deering which later became part of Portland. Finally in 1891, Westbrook became incorporated as a city. 

The city seal of Westbrook above shows a ship said to be a rough sketch of the boat Colonel Westbrook used to travel to Maine. The armored boot on the top is copied from the Westbrook family crest of England.

Source of Bridge Street postcard image: Wikipedia