The Bates Manufacturing Company was established in Lewiston, Maine in 1850 by Benjamin Bates. It quickly became one of the largest textile manufacturers in New England and transformed Lewiston from a struggling agricultural town into a booming industrial city. By 1857, the Bates Mill in Lewiston ran 36,000 spindles, employed 1,000 hands, and annually turned out 5.7 million yards of the best quality of cotton goods. Even after winning multiple achievements and awards for his textiles, including “Best Pantaloon Stuffs” and “Best Plain and Fancy Cotton Fabrics”, Bates wanted more. Accordingly, in 1858 the Bates Manufacturing Company wove the first Bates bedspread.

Upon the start of the Civil War, most New England mills started selling their cotton stock, assuming that the war would only last 90 days. Instead, Benjamin Bates bought as much cotton as he could find (despite the skyrocketing prices) and became the main supplier of Union textiles during the 4 year war. Even afterward, despite post-war depression, the Bates Manufacturing Company prospered and continued to expand. It was at this time that the French-Canadian population began to immigrate to Lewiston for work; even today the city of Lewiston continues to have a great French-Canadian influence (and many of the current mill workers have French-Canadian ancestors that began their American lives as mill workers).

Throughout the Civil War and both World Wars the Bates Manufacturing Company continued to weave its fine quality cloths, with bedspreads being the main focus for the past 50 years. The company was running for more than a century when it was sadly forced to close its doors in 2001 like many of its peers in the world of American manufacturing.

Former Bates President and Founder of Maine Heritage Weavers, Fred Lebel, recognized the historic significance of Bates Mill and was not willing to let the cherished tradition fade into the past. With this in mind, Lebel and his daughter, Linda Cloutier (current President of Maine Heritage Weavers), salvaged the necessary equipment from closing mills to create Maine Heritage Weavers in 2002 in the likeness of the historic manufacturer that so many people had come to rely on both for its loved, quality bedding as well as for employment. Lebel further kept the weaving tradition alive by hiring former Bates Mill employees who had lost their jobs when the Mill closed.

Today, Maine Heritage Weavers maintains the high quality and standards of New England’s historic textile tradition and continues to weave many of the original designs under the famous Bates name. To this day, the products are truly “loomed to be heirloomed.”

It all started with a bright blue picnic table at the family camp on the ocean in Gouldsboro, Maine. The table had held hundreds of my relatives over the years as they cracked fresh crabs and retold old stories. After many decades, repairs, and repaints, the time came when the table was no longer safe to sit at. It would be sacrificed to the bonfire gods that weekend. That just struck me as heartbreaking. Hundred-year-old relatives had fed the first bites of lobster to their babies and grand babies on it. Countless gooey marshmallows sticks were laid on it while campfire songs were sung around it. Thousands of sunsets were shared by distant cousins reconnecting over cocktails while gathered at it. All that history and it would just be destroyed? I convinced them to let me take it home instead.
With no prior history of power tool use, I watched countless Youtube videos and taught myself some basic but necessary skills. I cut away the rotted ends, sanded off the rough spots and chopped it down to sturdy smaller pieces. Then I made my first sate of Maine sign. I kept the blue weather worn chippy paint and used one of the old bolts to mark the camps location on the coast of Gouldsboro. I brought it back up to the camp and hung it on the hundred-year-old wall by the family tree. It is a treasured piece still, one that preserves the history of the family that came there before us and the beauty of the traditions they left as a legacy.
Maybe I romanticize it all, but I see stories in the discarded wood I find. Old pine flooring makes me think of chubby baby feet taking first steps, worn walls bring thoughts of family laughter and holiday gatherings, fences with etched writing brings a glimpse of lovers first moments together. It always seems a shame to just discard the history and the memories. I want it to go on. I want the piece to become part of someone else’s story and continue gathering memories. By putting customized words on each one, I feel like I am somehow connecting the old life and the new life and giving each piece a fresh place in history.

Crafted Downeast is the thoughtful joining of two Maine companies; The Carpenters’ Workshop and Maine Coast Creations. Now located in the chapel at the former Navy Base in Cutler, Crafted Downeast creates handsome, rugged, heirloom pieces from native cherry and maple hardwoods. From butcher block islands to shaker inspired benches, cribbage boards and cutting boards their designs are functional and timeless. Custom engraving is available on most pieces to use as corporate gifts/promos and that personalized touch for friends and family..