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 The original operation included a carding machine to convert raw fleece to batts which the mill sold by the roll for handspinning. The MacAuslands realized the woollen products were their best seller and in 1932 the mill produced its first blanket, now the staple of the operation.
Fred MacAuslands sons, Eddie and Reg, inherited the business. They handed
it down to their sons, Harry and Allan. Harry's son, Dale, and Allan still
run the mill today, making it a fourth generation family business.
There haven't been a lot of changes over the decades. The mill suffered a
major fire in 1949, with only one piece of  equipment
surviving, an extractor made of cast iron and a copper basket. Another
major change was one in 1973, where the entire mill converted to electric
motors to run the machines. The mill had, until then, operated by water
turbines and diesel.
That isn't to say, though, with the fire and introduction of electricity,
that the mill is operated by new machinery. A machine to wash the wool
was purchased in the last few years to replace the conventional "oversized" washing
machine they had been using. Built in 1949, the machine works better than
the washing machines they had to continually replace.
The mill still uses old fashioned machinery to produce a top quality product
woven with old fashioned charm. |
