Throughout Lauderdale County's industrial history, the story of the Cherry Cotton Mill stands as a testament to the economic challenges faced by the textile industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 on Sweetwater Avenue in East Florence, Alabama, this mill played a crucial role in the region's cotton production. Led by Colonel N.F. Cherry, the Cherry Cotton Mill's journey was marked by growth, prosperity, and eventually, the crushing grip of the Great Depression.
In 1893, Cherry Cotton Mill was founded when Mountain Mills Cotton Factory relocated from Barton, Alabama in Colbert County to East Florence and reopened under the leadership of N.F. Cherry. Located on Sweetwater Avenue in East Florence, the Cherry Cotton Mill was erected at the site of an old cotton mill that dated back to 1832. Initially, the mill focused on producing high-quality yarns and various textiles, marking the beginning of its impact on the local Florence economy.
Cherry Cotton Mill provided worker housing in close proximity to the mill, as an attempt to foster a sense of community among its workforce. Specialized mechanics and skilled craftsmen earned the highest wages, but even still, the wage disparity underscored the prevailing conditions of the era.
Despite being a local economic giant in Florence, the Great Depression, as with many industries across the country, proved too much for Cherry Cotton Mill to overcome. By the mid-1930s, the mill's glory days faded, and it succumbed to the economic hardships of the era. In 1939, the mill was foreclosed on and all assets sold due to their inability to pay back debts, marking the end of an era and the loss of the largest cotton mill in Florence.
From its humble beginnings in 1893 to its heyday during the early 20th century, the Cherry Cotton Mill played a pivotal role in shaping the economic landscape of the Shoals area. While the Great Depression eventually claimed this once-thriving institution, the legacy of the Cherry Cotton Mill endures as a reminder of the challenges faced by industries in a bygone era.