Royal Mill/Union Mills, New Street, St. Johnsville, NY

Joseph H. Reaney came to St. Johnsville in 1892. After arriving in St. Johnsville, Mr. Reaney purchased a small plant on North Division Street where he started manufacturing textiles with six knitting machines. He managed to survive the 1893 financial panic of the nation, and in fact, even expanded. In 1895, in company with Clarence Taylor, the Lion Mill on Lion Avenue was built. The association with Mr. Taylor was short lived, and Mr. Reaney began for himself in 1897, manufacturing in the Petite Bijou Plant on South Division Street. In 1900 be built the Royal Mill on New Street. Two years later his vision extended to Herkimer where be bought the Gem Mill, and incorporated under the name of Royal Gem Mill Co.

In 1906 Reaney took over the Union Mills at Hudson and Mechanicville, New York. Four years later he purchased two more mills in Catskill and another in Herkimer. Mr. Reaney now had eight mills with a production of 50,000 dozens of undergarments per week operating under the name Union Mills. The New Street building is now home to Sentinel Polyolefins.

Other Links:
Historic photo

 

The I Spy games and Website was supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Mohawk Valley Library System and participating member libraries.

Mohawk Valley Library System - About I Spy - Visit Our Kids' Website