A sketch of the early days of the woolen industry in North Andover, Massachusetts

An address traces the emergence and growth of woolen manufacturing in North Andover from a 1787 town vote promoting wool and flax through the establishment of small water-powered mills. It describes early experiments with carding and spinning machinery introduced by the Scholfield brothers, the founding and succession of mills at Sutton’s Falls and along Cochichewick Brook, and the roles of families such as the Marlands, Suttons, Hodges, and Stevens in expanding production. The narrative highlights changes in ownership, technological adoption, and the mills’ social and economic influence on the local community across the nineteenth century.