Maine's First Strike

Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society

Meeting and free program - Public Invited.

In keeping with our theme of commemorating the 100^th anniversary of Maine ratifying the 19^th Amendment, we are presenting a program entitled:

The Great Turn-Out: Factory Girls and Maine’s 1st Strike

An illustrated talk by History Professor and award-winning author Elizabeth DeWolfe

In 1841, nearly 500 female factory workers walked out of Saco’s York Manufacturing Company and paraded up Main Street, chanting and singing.  They gathered at a local church, formed a committee and sent the factory owner a document articulating their complaints about wages, housing, and paternalistic rules.  In this illustrated talk, we’ll explore the life of New England “factory girls,” the opportunities mill work brought, and the challenges of this difficult labor. We’ll see how a strike in one Maine town connected to national agitation for women’s rights, including suffrage. Don’t miss it!

Saturday, July 27, 2019 @ 2:00

(after a brief business meeting.)

At History House

92 Main Street in Kezar Falls Village (Rt. 160)

FMI phone 625-7019