Items

• Matt Hines blueprints for Renfro Hosiery Mill

  Plan and Section for Elevator for Renfro Hosiery Mill
  

• Matt Hines blueprints for Renfro Hosiery Mill

  Drawings of Architectural Components for Renfro Hosiery Mill
  

• Matt Hines blueprints for addition to Renfro Hosiery Mill

  Details of Roof Framing - Lintels - for Addition to Renfro Hosiery Mill
  

• photograph of Sparger Brothers Tobacco Factory No. 2 which became Spencers Infant and Children's Wear corner of West Oak Street and Willow Street

  photograph of Sparger Brothers Tobacco Factory No. 2 which became Spencers Infant and Children's Wear corner of West Oak Street and Willow Street
  

• photograph of Renfro Hosiery Mills Company Plant No. 2 built in the 1920s. The old Globe Warehouse where Adams-Millis Corporation Plant No. 2 was located

  Renfro Hosiery Mills Company Plant No. 2. The old Globe Warehouse where Adams-Millis Corporation Plant No. 2 was located
  

• photograph of Renfro Hosiery Mills employees in the finishing department

  photograph of Renfro Hosiery Mills employees in the finishing department
  

• photograph of employees of Renfro Hosiery Mills Ribber Department

  photograph of employees of Renfro Hosiery Mills Ribber Department
  

• photograph of Renfro Hosiery Mills employees

  photograph of Renfro Hosiery Mills employees
  

• Photograph of Boys Club 1949 Softball Team sponsored by Renfro Corporation

  1st row: Russell Smith, Hugh Talley, Porter Westmoreland, Egbert "Squirt" Jones, ? Humphries, Bobby McHome, Jack Brannock. 2nd row: Bobby Haymore, Jack Hardy, Penney Hollingsworth, Joe Bolen, Charlie Atkins, "Goo Goo" Watson, Erie Perry, Bobby Estes. 3rd row: Pete Barker, Jim Miller, Tony Bowman, Edward "Doc" Wall, Glen "Miffy" Smith, Smith Hardy, Harry Monday (manager) 4th row: Charlie Jenkins, Bud Monday, Jack Quesinberry
  

• photograph of men inside Renfro Hosiery Mill

  photograph of men inside Renfro Hosiery Mill. Front Row - Walter Combs, T.C. Barber, W.E. Merritt Jr., Back Row - W.A. Smith, G.C. Brannock, C.S. Brannock, Roscoe Davis
  

• envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mill Company

  envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mill Company
  

• Pay Envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mills Corporation to Maud Davenport

  Pay Envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mills Corporation to Maud Davenport dated April 24, 1926
  

• Pay Envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mills Corporation to Maud Davenport

  Pay Envelope from Renfro Hosiery Mills Company to Maud Davenport dated January 16, 1926
  

• Letter from Robert Merritt to Employees of the Renfro Hosiery Mills Company

  Letter from Robert Merritt to Employees of the Renfro Hosiery Mills Company after the Flood of 1979
  

• Flood of 79 newspaper

  Newspaper produced by Renfro Hosiery Mills Corporation detailing in photographs the flood of September 21, 1979. Photographs were taken by Renfro Corporation President, Robert E. Merritt TO: Our Employees THE FLOOD OF '79 Friday, September 21, we had an unusually heavy and persistent rainstorm in Mount Airy. On the slopes of the mountains north of here it totaled 7 1/2 inches. With the ground already saturated by earlier showers, Friday's downpour overflowed the streams that lead in to Mount Airy- the Ararat River on the east and Lovill's Creek on the west. By midnight the Ararat River was level with the floor of our Riverside Plant and main office, which is 3 feet above the highest previously recorded flood. The water kept rising like a gentle tide, and by 2:00a.m. it was 5 feet deep in our plant and office. After three more hours the tide had receded below the level of the parking lot. Miraculously no one drowned, but property damage in Surry County exceeded $40 million. Renfro's loss came to $1,700,000. I had my camera with me for the next two weeks as we cleaned up and got back into production. This sequence of photographs was printed to give you a record of these two weeks. The photograph above, looking like a white island surrounded by a beautiful lake, was made at 3 o'clock Saturday morning. At this time the rain had stopped, and the flood had subsided a foot or more from its crest. At first we did not realize the full extent of the damage. When the final count was in, we had hauled 250,000 dozen socks to the landfill. Our computer was a total loss, as was most of our office furniture, and there was damage to our building and equipment. The flood and the damage broke all records, but I will remember most concern and the efforts of hundreds of people who pulled together to get us back into business. Here were some of the events: Monday morning, September 24. Our office was open for business in temporary quarters across town. Every paycheck would be delivered on time, if slightly damp and prepared by hand rather than by machine. Friday, September 28. The partitions in the office had been ripped out, and enough new ones installed to enclose a rented computer which was on its way. Sunday, September 30. One boiler and three dye tubs were running. Shortly afterwards, several boarding machines were going, and by the end of this second week production was flowing through the plant. Friday, October 5. We shipped 7,000 dozen. Our recovery didn't end with those first shipments. By then we were two weeks behind, and orders were coming in faster than we could ship. Now, eight weeks after the flood, we are shipping over 100,000 dozen a week and reducing the backlog of unshipped orders. Robert E. Merritt President Renfro Corporation Mount Airy, N. C. 27023 November 15, 1979