Porterdale Mill on the Yellow River NAMED for

Long Live  Porterdale!!!

Porterdale Mill on the Yellow River
NAMED for: Oliver S. Porter, Mill Owner

 

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Dear Porterdale Sisters & Brothers

 I never met Prentis Ollis but I will always remember him.  As we were working on the second issue of The Bobbin & Shuttle magazine, I came across his Porterdale website.  The old photos and testimonials that he had lovingly gathered about his home town made us know we were kindred spirits---despite being several states away.

 I know now, from Kay Piper, that he was already awfully sick when we first met on the phone.  Nevertheless, he arranged permission from Anita Millwood Fuqua for us to publish her memoir about growing up there and to use of some Porterdale website pictures. 

 Eventually, I got to visit and see the wonderful things happening at the mill and know more of your determined effort to rekindle the town's spirit and physical well being. Someday, I will meet Kay Piper and more of you.

 Please write up your memories of this far-sighted man.  By May, 2007, I hope there are enough so that we can do a feature on him and the website in the fourth issue of the magazine.  And, I am so glad that Mr. Ollis' fine work, which links Porterdale to the world, will continue.

 Because of people like Prentis Ollis the hard-working cotton mill people and the communities they established will have their page in history.

 With warm greetings,

Lynn Rumley
Director
Textile Heritage Center at Cooleemee
www.textileheritage.org