What was happening when mill construction began?

Construction of buildings 15, 16, 17, and 30 began in 1845. We wanted to know what else was happening while these now historic buildings were going up. The list below highlights some major world events that took place while these buildings were going up.

• James Polk was inaugurated at the 11th President of the US
• Florida was admitted as the 27th US State.• Texas is admitted as the 28th US State.
• The rubber band was invented in England
• The US Congress appropriated $30,000 to send camels to the western US
• A great fire destroyed much of the city of Pittsburgh

As illustrated by these historic facts, the U.S. was still in its infancy when construction of the mills began in 1845. As you will see in future blogs, the mill complex in Biddeford grew in steps along with the U.S. as it continued to grow as a nation.