You Had a Job for Life - Story of a Company Town

In the book "The Last Mill: A Story of Industrial America," Jamie Sayen explores the decline of a paper mill in Groveton, New Hampshire, highlighting the impact of absentee owners, profit-driven management, and hostile takeovers on the community. The mill's history, including the smells, injuries, and struggles of workers, is reconstructed based on interviews with former mill workers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 05 November 2023
Publisher: Brandeis University Press

A captivating local tale with far-reaching national consequences, now available in paperback format with a fresh preface penned by the author.

The decline of America's industries is a tale that is all too familiar, yet remains difficult to comprehend fully. Jamie Sayen dedicated years to conducting in-depth interviews with residents of Groveton, New Hampshire, delving into the century-long history of their company town. The community's paper mill had served as its economic backbone since the early 20th century, undergoing ownership changes and revitalization efforts in the postwar decades. In 1968, the mill merged with Diamond International, only to face a hostile takeover by Anglo-French financier James Goldsmith in 1982. This marked the beginning of a series of ownership transitions, with subsequent owners lacking deep connections to the local community. Eventually, the mill closed its doors in 2007, leaving a lasting impact on the town.

Sayen's work reconstructs the human history of the mill, encompassing the aromas of pulp and wood, the injuries and fatalities that occurred, the struggles of women for equal pay and fair treatment, and the devastating toll of global capitalism on a small New England town. This is a poignant and heart-wrenching narrative that sheds light on the devastating consequences of industrial America's decline.

Weight: 482g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781684581849