Collections
MF 055 Russell Carey / American Thread
Company Interviews
Number of
Interviews: 14
Dates When Interviews Were Conducted: 1992-1993
Time Period Covered: 1930s-1970s
Principal Interviewers: Russell Carey
Finding Aides: transcripts
Access Restrictions: none
Description: A collection of fourteen accessions deposited by
University of Maine graduate student, Russell Carey, featuring
interviews with workers at the American Thread Company’s wooden
spool mill in Milo, Maine. The collection also includes a copy of
Carey’s Master’s thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden
Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) and a paper describing his
methods of collecting and recording information for this thesis. The
collective oral history of the mill’s workers documents conditions,
issues, history, occupational lore, and people’s feelings about the
spool mill from the 1930s through the 1970s.
2282 Carey, Russell. (AY 425) Fall 1992. Maine: Milo. 87pp.
Video: 1 VHS tape with transcript. Two interviews with Clyde and
Yvonne Angove of Milo, Maine recording their experiences as
employees of the American Thread Company in the early 1900’s.
Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect
Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V53
2329 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) Fall 1993. Maine: Milo. 301pp.
Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools: An oral
history of the American Thread Company and its spool factory in
Milo, Maine."
2330 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) Fall 1993. Maine: Milo. 12pp.
Paper describing Russell Carey’s methods for collecting and
recording the materials used in his thesis on the history of the
American Thread Company’s spool mill in Milo, Maine. Relates to
Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools"
(University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329).
2331 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) November 1993. Maine: LaGrange.
33pp. Video: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Lawrence Bryer
talking about his work as a sawyer for the American Thread Company
in Milo, Maine during the 1950’s. Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis
entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools" (University of Maine,
1994) (See NA 2329). V62
2332 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) April 1992. Maine: Milo. 37pp.
Video: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Alasco Carey talking
about his work for the American Thread Company in Milo, Maine from
1939 to the 1960’s. Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled
"3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994)
(See NA 2329). V63
2333 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) October 1993. Maine: Milo.
50pp. Video: 1 w/ transcript. Interviews with Margaret Carey
and Doris Decker talking about working for the American
Thread Company in Milo, Maine. No picture on the Video - audio only.
Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect
Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V64
2334 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) April 1992. Maine: Milo. 34pp.
Video: 1 w/ transcript. First ten minutes of video is the end of an
interview with Ralph Carey (see NA 2337, V-70). The majority of the
video is an interview with Mary Tyler talking about her work
as a secretary in the main office of the American Thread Company
operations in Milo, Maine from the 1940’s to the 1960’s. Relates to
Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools"
(University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V65
2335 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) October 1993. Maine: Milo.
38pp. Video: 1 (1 hr) w/ transcript. Interview with Earl Rhoda
talking about his work in various positions in the sawmill, spool
mill, and Head Mtn. for the American Thread Company and Spool Mill
in Milo, Maine from 1948 thru 1963. Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis
entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools" (University of Maine,
1994) (See NA 2329). V66
2336 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) March, October and November
1992. Maine: Milo. 116pp. Video: 3 w/ transcript. Interviews with
Clyde and Yvonne Angove talking about their work for the
American Thread Company and Spool Mill in Milo, Maine from the
1930’s to 1976. Included also is home movie footage from 1976 about
the production of spools at the company in Milo, Maine. Relates to
Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools"
(University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V67 - V69
2337 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) April 1992. Maine: Milo. 55pp.
Video: 1 (2 hr) w/ transcript. Interview with Ralph Carey
talking about his more than 20 years at the spool mill working as a
master mechanist and other positions for the American Thread Company
in Milo, Maine. Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled
"3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994)
(See NA 2329). The end of this interview is on V65 with NA 2334.
V70
2338 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) April & October 1992. Maine:
Bangor and Milo. 126pp. Video: 2 w/ transcript. Two interviews with
Woodrow Decker talking about his work for the American Thread
Company’s spool mill in Milo, Maine for over 30 years. Mr. Decker
retired as manager of the mill. Also included is footage of Mr.
Decker watching and commenting on 8mm movie strip showing the mill’s
operations. Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000
Perfect Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329).
V71 & V74
2339 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) March 1992. Maine: Milo. 45pp.
Video: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Roy Monroe, a local
Milo historian talking about the role of the American Thread Company
and how its spool mill played in Milo’s history. Relates to Carey’s
M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden Spools"
(University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). RESTRICTED: No release
from the interviewee. V72
2340 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) April 1992. Maine: Milo. 70pp.
Video: 1 w/ transcript. Interview with Ken Nutter talking
about his work as a master wooden spool maker at the American Thread
Company’s spool mill in Milo, Maine from the 1920’s to the 1960’s.
Relates to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect
Wooden Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V73
2341 Carey, Russell. (AY 597) March, May and October 1992.
Maine: Milo. 124pp. Video: 3 w/ transcript. Three interviews with
Gardiner Osgood talking about his work for the American Thread
Company’s spool mill in Milo, Maine from the 1930’s to 1970. Relates
to Carey’s M. A. Thesis entitled "3,750,000,000 Perfect Wooden
Spools" (University of Maine, 1994) (See NA 2329). V75 - V77
