Gadsden (Ala.)

Garrett discusses the textile workers' strike of 1934.

Garrett discusses the AFL-CIO campagin to organize the Dwight Manufacturing Company after the end of the textile worker's strike of 1934.

Garrett discusses his childhood, his education, coming to work in a cotton mill, the impact of the textile workers' strike of 1934, organizing a labor union in the 1940s at Dwight Manufacturing Company, and why people in Gadsden are more willing to discuss the strike. Ellis talks about her childhood living in public housing.

The Records, 1943-1972, of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Local 291 (Anniston, Alabama) consist primarily of correspondence, financial documents and minutes. The collection includes records of the organizing activity of District Lodge 178, 1953-1969, and those of the routine operations of defunct Lodge 1677 (Anniston, Gadsden, Talladega, Ala.), 1961-1963.

Hoffman and Irons discuss the "Gadsden Times" coverage of the textile workers' strike of 1934, including discussions of the labor day parade and how nationwide events effected the strike at Dwight Manufacturing Company. Kilgro discusses an incident where strikers blocked a train at Dwight Manufacturing Company and what his work was like when he started at the mill.

Hoffman discusses his reluctance to talk about the strike, the local reluctance to discuss the strike, the history of Dwight Mill, his feelings on working conditions in cotton mills, and the newspaper accounts of the strike.

Hoffman discusses the relationship between the textile workers' strike in Gadsden, Ala., and in the rest of the nation, what employees at Dwight Manufacturing Company wanted from the strike, how unions were perceived in Gadsden, the lack of a strike fund, paternalism, and why it is difficult to tell this history in Gadsden.

The first section of this video looks at photos of Gadsden in the 1920s and 1930s at Jerry's Discount Pharmacy.

Beard discusses her participation in the union and the activities and people who contributed to union efforts. She describes family life as a female mill worker, working conditions for women in mills, and the racial diversity of mill workers and union members.

Beard discusses organizing in Gadsden, the day to day routine in the mill, and other topics. The last third of the video is shots of various industrial sites.

Beard discusses her work as a spooler, union organizing, being blacklisted, being evicted from mill housing, and being a single mother.

Beard discusses the textile workers's strike of 1934, union organizing, the aftermath of the strike, her family, and other topics.

Melton Ballard discusses the impact of the textile workers' strike on his father, and on his family. James Ballard discusses working conditions in the textile mills with his father, and the circumstances surrounding his grandfather's dismissal.

Ballard discusses the textile worker's strike of 1934, the impact of the NRA, the breaking of the strike, and other topics.

Ballard discusses the textile worker's strike of 1934, and local reactions to the strike.

Jame Ballard and Melton Ballard discuss organizing the union local, the textile worker's strike of 1934 and blacklisting after the strike. Scarboro discusses the story behind Dwight Mills coming to Gadsden Ala., and the photographs he has in his collection.

Onzelow Adair and Corine Adair discuss their childhoods, unionization in Gadsden, the Textile Workers' Strike of 1934, the Civil Rights Movement, and other topics.

This video consists of several unidentified people reading letters written by textile workers between 1933 and 1934 to various people and agencies in Washington DC. The letters focus on conditions in the textile mills, the stretch-out, violations of the National Recovery Act and other topics.

The interview looks at photographs preserved by the photo shop as well as interviews with two men on their memories about the mill, mill life, unions, strikes, and the photographs.

The collection contains fourty-four contracts dated 1943-1973.