Toured the Historic Biddeford Mills, Part 1: Biddeford History

Today's local blog is about an historic mill! We took a tour of the historic Biddeford textile mills in Biddeford, Maine, and this is part one of a multi-part blog about the town, the mills and the history behind it. "The Biddeford–Saco Mills Historic District," encompasses the historic mill complex that flanks both sides of the Saco River in Biddeford and Saco, Maine.

HOW DID BIDDEFORD GET ITS NAME? - English settlers named the area Saco, a contraction of the name of the river then known as Sawcotuck. By 1653 the town was incorporated, but in 1688, during King Philip's War, Saco was destroyed by Indians. It was rebuilt and renamed Biddeford in 1719, after Bideford, England.

FUN FACT ABOUT BIDDEFORD, MAINE - First visited by Europeans in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.

MILL HISTORY- In 1826 the first textile mill was built on the island. The oldest building in the mill complex was built in 1832-33 by the York Manufacturing Company. From this beginning the industrial growth of the area proceeded, occupying the entire island and a large adjacent area on the Biddeford shore.

WHAT IS THE RIVER THAT POWERED BIDDEFORD MILLS? - The neighboring cities of Biddeford and Saco were once industrial giants. The Saco River, which flows between the cities, powered enormous brick mills – including the largest cotton mill ever built in America.

THE BIDDEFORD MILLS MUSEUM- This collection reflects the lives and labors of proud people who worked in and around Biddeford's textile industry. Over the years, the mills employed thousands of people from more than 25 countries and sold products as far away as China. Production began in Biddeford before combustion engines and continued into the computer age.

NEXT MONDAY: A Walk Through Mill History