ODWODL - Jenelle Thelen 03/23/2026

Smooth as Silk: Working Women of the Belding, Michigan Silk Mills (1902–1908)

In 1904, Michigan’s 3 silk mills in Belding employed about 1000 women and girls processing raw silk into silk threads for every usable purpose. Step back in time to learn about the working and living conditions of these women through the eyes of the early factory inspectors.