WWII History

Excerpts from History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Counties, 1937-1950, by Clarence W. Griffin, Inland Press, Asheville, NC. Copyright © 1952 Clarence W. Griffin

Page 29:

“Cliffside Mills at Cliffside and Haynes Mill at Avondale had a remarkable war record. The largest plant in Rutherford county, the Cliffside Mills produced towels and terry products for the armed forces. An average of 70 percent of the total manufactured products went to service. For a time they also produced a huge quantity of osnaberg products, used by the army for sandbags and other purposes.”

“Haynes Mill was 100 percent on war production during hostilities, producing tent twill for the army and herringbone twill for work uniforms, fatigue uniforms and other army clothing.”

Page 76:

“It is estimated that Rutherford county textile plants produced for the war program during the three and one half years of war more than $125,000,000 worth of goods—and all on the cuff until the finished product was delivered.”

“…no one should for a moment forget the part played by those thousands of faithful employees of those [Rutherford County] plants. It is said that during the first two years of war Rutherford was at the top of the list in the State in the small percentage of absenteeism. Day and night these men and women stood by their looms and spinning frames, many doubtless inspired by the thought that they were making a vital contribution toward winning the war.”

“Most of the employees of these plants, after May 1942, participated in the payroll deduction plan, the money being used to buy war bonds.”

“In the first year the employees of the Haynes Mill plant, Avondale, purchased $21,731.25 worth of bonds and at Cliffside during the same period the employees purchased $65,418.75 worth of bonds.”

“In addition to this they bought a large number of bonds from Haynes Bank and through the post office.”

“During the second war loan drive from April 12 through May 7th, $212,071.50 worth of bonds were purchased in Cliffside, and $116,737.75 worth in the Avondale community. This was an average of 50 $25 bonds for each man in service from Cliffside and vicinity, and 41 $25 bonds for each man from Avondale and vicinity.”

“Since the vital program of the government was to collect all available scrap metal for war purposes, the Cliffside Mills and the Haynes Mill at Avondale, disposed and put into war production channels 2,510,520 pounds of scrap iron and more than 12,000 pounds of scrap brass, zinc and copper and 37,000 pounds of waste paper.”

“The Boy Scouts of Avondale, under the leadership of their scoutmaster James E. Hill, Jr., collected 9,000 pounds of scrap metal, while at Cliffside the Cliffside high school with S. E. Richbourg in charge, collected 92,000 pounds of scrap metal.”

Page 86:

“Industries which accepted the payroll savings plan, whereby their employees permitted the deduction of a given amount per week for war bonds were given quotas. When these quotas had attained a certain goal or percentage of employees contributing, were entitled to a Minute Man flag and a Treasury ‘T’ award.”

Among the many Rutherford county companies who received the Minute Man flag were Cliffside Mills Haynes plant at Avondale; Cliffside Mills, Cliffside; Duke Power Company’s Steam Plant, Cliffside; and Henrietta Mills, Henrietta. (paraphrased)

Page 28:

“The end of the war brought new joy to the people of Rutherford. A total of over 5,000 men had taken part in the gigantic struggle, or about twelve percent of the total population. Nothing else had ever approached these figures, except in the days of the Civil War when about sixteen percent of the population was engaged in the conflict…” Of the 21 counties of western North Carolina, Rutherford had furnished the second largest number of men to the God of Mars, being excelled only by Buncombe.”