Biddeford History & Heritage Project

The Pepperell Mill in Biddeford was the life blood for the small city during the 1800’s and early 1900’s as the textile industry in Maine thrived. Like ice, this industry was international and products shipped all the way to India and Sri Lanka. The Laconia Mills were one of the earliest established textile mills on the Biddeford side of the Saco River. The Laconia Mills were a critical asset to the city during the war but were unable to recover from the economic hardships they faced during and after the Civil War. They were later bought by Pepperell Manufacturing Company by 1900 and became Laconia Division of the Pepperell Mills.