Beautifully printed certificate #8 from the
Greene and Daniels Manufacturing Company printed in 1877. This historic document was printed by and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of ships next to a dock. This item has the signatures of the Company’s President, Annie H. Greene and Secretary, and is over 135 years old. Issued to H. Frank Greene as Guardian for Mary A. Green and signed on the back by H. Frank Green.
Certificate Vignette
As reported around 1890:
The Greene & Daniels factory is one of the oldest enterprises in Pawtucket, and it is a question if the firm was
not the first to make spool cotton in this country. It was
one of the pioneers, at all events. Benjamin F. Greene,
the father of the present president of the corporation,
worked as second hand in a mill of 700 spindles for
seventeen years previous to 1840. At that time with
four other persons he leased a room 80x36, in Central
Falls, and with 600 spindles began the manufacture of
cotton yarn or thread. In 1845, he removed to Maple-
ville, R. I., where he had a larger mill, and in 1850
he again removed to Richmond, R. I., at which place he
was running 2,000 spindles. That year, 1850, Horace
Daniels was employed as book-keeper and assistant super-
intendent of the mill. Mr. Daniels was a practical man,
and observed that Mr. Greene was selling his cotton yarn
to people who were winding it on spools. Mr. Daniels
suggested that Mr. Greene wind his own cotton, and put
it on the market in this form. The business increased and
in 1853 Mr. Daniels became a partner in the firm. In
1855 Mr. Greene decided to return to his old home in
Central Falls, and the machines were transferred to the
present location. About this time Mr. Daniels took out
a patent for dressing the thread which became very pop-
ular, and the Greene & Daniels ivory finish spool cotton
was sold everywhere. In 1860, an enlargement was
made, and in 1865 it was necessary to repeat the opera-
tion, and at one time the firm was making 35,000 dozen
per week of this celebrated cotton. In 1876, Mr. Daniels
died, and July i, 18771 the firm became an incorporated
company under the name of the Greene & Daniels Manu-
facturing Company, with Benj. F. Greene, president, E.
A. Greene, treasurer, and George P. Grant, agent. In
1886, Benj. F. Greene died, and the officers of the
company became E. A. Greene, president, and George
P. Grant, treasurer.
When General Daniels died, this spool cotton was being
manufactured, and it continued till about ten years ago,
when the use of the sewing machine brought the soft-fin-
ished six-cord threads, like the Willimantic and Coats,
into more extended use. The ivory finished cotton of
Greene & Daniels was a three-cord thread, and while it
is still manufactured to some extent, the demand has
been superseded by a different class of goods. But the
production of cotton yarns and threads for manufacturing
purposes has not been diminished at the works of this
company. In 1876 the extent of the industry was 22,000
spindles ; in 1890 it was 32,000. The company does
bleaching and coloring, as well as the spinning of the
yarn, and has done considerable coloring for the woolen
people. Since 1876 and 1877 a specialty has been made
of a high grade of yarns, in the different colorings, for
ladies' dresses, and this grade of goods is sold to manu-
facturers for many purposes. Since that time there has
been a complete revolution in the methods of manufac-
turing yarns, and the company has put in new machin-
ery, using the English system of carding and combing.
About four hundred people are employed, and all the yarn
used for the manufacture of spool cotton from the outset
has been spun at the mills.