Waterbury Mill

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

c. 1900 - 1915; 1969 - 1970

Historical Context

Oriskany has been home to the Waterbury Mill, which manufactures felts specifically for papermaking, since the 19th century. Henry Waterbury purchased the mill, which was formerly a woolen mill, in 1878. The firm’s original name was H. Waterbury and Sons Company. The company prospered and doubled in size in less than 10 years. Its success is in part to the Mill’s location on the Erie Canal and near the New York Central Railway. The Waterbury Felt Company, as it was later known, was a major employer in the Oriskany region. The Company developed a process to create an endless belt of woven felt which was used in papermaking to dry the paper stock. It closed in 2013.

Scope of Collection

This collection includes business correspondence, price sheets, reports, and undated photographs of the mill processes & tools. There are 19th and 20th century portraits of the Waterbury family who founded the Mill. Most of the photographs are undated.