Silk Mill, Lonaconing, Allegany County, 1907-1957

The silk mill in Lonaconing, Allegany County, was in operation from 1907-1957. Construction of the Klotz Throwing Mill Company was begun in 1905. Initially, silk was imported from Japan and China and the factory produced silk thread and, during World War II, rayon. In the 1920s the payroll included over 300 people, but in later years fewer than 200 worked there, and by the 1950s antiquated machines in a small mill made competition with larger facilities difficult.