In Search of H.P. Hammett

In March 1876, Piedmont Manufacturing Company roared to life.  This factory was not your usual textile factory, but possibly the first modern textile in the Southern United States.  Henry P. Hammett led this endeavor that sought to prove that a Southern textile factory constructed by New England standards operating the latest machinery could not only compete with Northern textile mills but could also dominate them.  Within the first six months of official operations, Hammett reported a 19.25% profit to his investors, and immediately Piedmont’s board of directors instructed Hammett to increase operations to full capacity.  Over the next fifteen years, Piedmont Manufacturing Company under Hammett’s leadership, consistently reported 20% annual profits.  Based on the example of Hammett and his textile mill, numerous other mills were constructed within the Greenville County, South Carolina area.  As Hammett believed, the Southern textile mills did dominate their New England competition.  By the 1920’s Southern textile mills surpassed New England textile productions.  As a result, during the 1940’s Hammett’s Greenville County was named, “The Textile Center of the South, and in 1962, Greenville County was named “the Textile Center of the World”.  Despite these contributions to the textile industry, Hammett and Piedmont Manufacturing Company have been largely forgotten or ignored.  

              Research for this dissertation will tackle five primary questions.  The overall goals of these questions are to determine H.P. Hammett’s impact within the history of Southern textile manufacturing as well as properly frame his contributions within the larger history of American manufacturing.   To determine Hammett’s role in the development of the southern textile industry, requires research into the overall question, “what was his actual impact on the industry?”  There are three primary schools of thought presented by previous historians on this issue.  Early historians, Present Hammett as either “the” or at least one of the top industrialists of the southern textile campaign.  Later historians and academics have viewed Hammett as just one of the many contributors to the industry, while more recent academics have largely ignored Hammett and his role.   

              Furthermore, there several secondary questions to answer.  The first of these is if Hammett’s Piedmont Manufacturing Company was the first “modern” textile factory in Greenville County.  While some sources, including Hammett, stated that it was the first modern textile factory, other sources claim that other mills were the first modern mill.  While this question may appear trivial as to “who was first”, the South’s investment into the modernization of its textile industry is what directly led the South to become the world leader in textile production.  If Hammett’s mill was truly the first modern mill, it would properly position Hammett’s role in this industry.   

              Additionally, Hammett heavily relied on Northern capital to finance his Piedmont Manufacturing Company.  What importance of Hammett’s use of Northern investment into his mill led to the rise of the Southern textile industry.  Hammett built his Piedmont Manufacturing during Reconstruction, a period of time when Southern businessmen avoided Northern involvement in the South, including financial investment.  Despite Southern resentment of Northern money, Hammett turned towards Northern investors to supply additional capital.  Stock ledgers from the archives of the University of South Carolina show Northern investment funded over 20% of Hammett’s factory by October of 1877.  This was three years before the other mills of the Southern textile boom of the 1880’s began.               

              Lastly, in 1880, Piedmont was seen as a jewel in South Carolina’s industrial crown.  Early 20th century Southern textile historian and textile businessman referred to Hammett as a pioneer that led the rise of the South Carolina textile industry.  Despite these early statements, Hammett and his Piedmont Manufacturing are rarely mentioned in most modern histories of Southern textile manufacturing.  The question is, “was Hammett truly a pioneer that led the Southern textile industry, or has his legacy been exaggerated through local tradition and historical narrative?”

Research up to this point has demonstrated that not only Hammett and his mill have been overlooked or forgotten.   Much of the general written histories on Hammett, Piedmont Manufacturing Company and the textile history related to Greenville County, are full on inaccuracies and continual regurgitation of these inaccuracies.  To answer the questions on Hammett’s position with the Southern textile industry and due to inaccurate published material, research will heavily rely on original source material.   Research will include original source material primarily derived from H.P. Hammett’s personal and business records maintained with the Piedmont Historical Preservation Society.  Additionally, further research will include source material held within various repositories, as well as first-hand accounts and scholarly sources of books and publications related to H.P. Hammett, Piedmont Manufacturing Company and the overall textile manufacturing industry.   Lastly, research will incorporate nineteenth and early twentieth century newspaper articles. 

If original source material proves the research questions correct on Hammett and Piedmont Manufacturing Company’s impact, this would substantiate that Hammett and his mill overall role.  Research may also possibly prove that Hammett was the pioneer that early writers stated, as well as his role that initiated the rise of the Southern textile industry.  By correctly placing Hammet and his Piedmont Manufacturing Company correctly in history, will provide a clearer picture of the overall Southern and American textile industry.