James Thompson Mill
VALLEY FALLS, NY

The James Thompson textile mill in Valley Falls, NY, caught fire on April 22, 2009. A good part of the mill appears to have been completely destroyed, based on photos sent by Fred Rieck. I haven't been there at all this year, but I passed through Valley Falls (northern Rensselaer County) when I spent a weekend in August 2007 exploring western Massachusetts, the Bennington, VT area, and that stretch between Bennington and Saratoga, NY. I spied the mill while driving on the bridge over the Hoosic River, and turned around to check it out more closely. It was a brief look-see, and I never did get back for a more thorough visit.
 
James Thompson opened up his mill here in 1860, largely providing fabrics to hat makers in the northeast. The company soon added finished products including twine and netting. In the 1950s, the mill catered to home sewing enthusiasts. The  Thompson firm opened a new mill in Delaware in the 1970s and another factory in Mexico in the 1990s. The Valley Falls site seems to have closed for good in the 1980s or 1990s. Some more information can be found at the company website.

More photos of the fire and its aftermath can be found at News 10 Albany and the Albany Times-Union; 

ABOVE: April 23, 2009. Photograph courtesy of Fred Rieck. 





This, and all other images, unless otherwise noted: August 2007.



















More James Thompson Mill Photos - Page 2