‘Factory Girls’ talk
at Historical Society

Author Elizabeth DeWolfe, history professor and co-founder of women’s and gender studies at the University of New England, will speak when the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society meets at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at its headquarters at 100 Main St., Buxton.

DeWolfe’s topic will be “The Great Turnout of 1841: Factory Girls and Maine’s First Labor Strike.”

“In 1841, nearly 500 female factory workers walked out of the male-dominated hierarchy prevalent at Saco’s York Manufacturing Co. (and in the culture at large) bringing the mills to a halt for three plus days as they made their demand for fair wages, fair rules, and better housing,” the historical society said in a press release.

DeWolfe will explore with illustrations the lives of New England factory girls, the opportunities that mill work brought and the difficult challenges of labor.

Suggested donation is $10 and for seniors, $8.

The meeting replaces the society’s traditional annual potluck dinner meeting with hors d’oeuvres and desserts. A short business meeting to elect officers will precede the program.

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