LEWISTON – A collection of approximately 4,600 letters concerning the early operations of the Androscoggin Mill will join similar collections of letters about the Bates and Hill mills at Lewiston Public Library.

The Androscoggin Historical Society has decided that the convenience of researchers would be served by bringing the collections together. Therefore the board voted recently to donate the documents to the archives at the library.

The letters addressed to the manager of the mill cover the period 1860 to 1867. They provide information on the purchase of equipment for the new mill, transactions concerning cotton and other materials and supplies and some labor matters.

Many of the letters were written by Benjamin Bates or his secretary. Others were from men doing business with the mill. Some correspondents sought employment, such as the women who applied to be managers of the boarding blocks that were being constructed on Canal Street.

Doug Hodgkin, a member of the Historical Society Board, has read a large portion of the letters in connection with his research on local history.

“They provide a fascinating glimpse into the day-to-day issues that the mill managers faced as they dealt with their Boston superiors, their suppliers, their customers and their workers,” he said.

Some letters reflect concerns raised by the Civil War. The supply, price and transportation of cotton confronted Amos D. Lockwood, local manager of the Androscoggin Mill during that time.

Rick Speer, library director, said, “The Lewiston Public Library is pleased to accept this important collection of letters and to house them in our archives. Over the years, they should prove to be a valuable resource for researchers looking at Lewiston’s history during the Industrial Revolution.”

The Androscoggin Historical Society operates a museum and library in the county building, corner of Court and Turner streets in Auburn. Visitors are welcome to view its holdings and to conduct research from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.