A Walk Through Time- Indian Head Mill, Cordova

This photo of the Indian Head Textile Mill in Cordova was taken in 1918.At the behest of Captain Benjamin M. Long, Eastern Capitol agreed to invest in the construction of a cotton mill in Cordova. Under the Nashua Manufacturing Company of Nashua, New Hampshire, Indian Head Mill opened in 1898. At its peak it employed 800-1,000 people.Nashua also built over 100 houses in the city, many of which are still standing. Because there were many husband and wife teams who worked at the mill, the company also provided a daycare and nursery program for working mothers. The old Indian Head school was constructed on the site where the Cordova Health and Rehabilitation Center now stands. The mill eventually became its own "town" and even had its own separate police force.Indian Head Mill was one of the most highly awarded textile mills during World War II. Their products, which were made from raw cotton, were found to be above all standards set forth by the government by the War Department.The Mill was referred to by the residents as the Cordova Spinners. In 1962 the mill closed, resulting in a loss of two million dollars to Walker County’s economy. In recent years, the old Indian Head Mill office had fallen into disrepair and had become a frequent target of vandals. In November of 2014, the old office was torn down. It was the last remaining trace of the mill’s existence, after the collapse of the smokestack in 1993.