Wigwam Mills
Encyclopedia
Wigwam Mills is a hosiery
company based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
.
, a year after the Sheboygan Knitting Company burned to the ground. All three founders were employees of the company and purchased equipment and recruited employees from their former company. The new company was founded under the name 'Hand Knit Hosiery Company.' The company made socks
and headwear primarily from wool
for the residents and lumbermen of the area. At the time the company was supplied by numerous wool mills in the nearby area.
By 1922, Herbert Chesebro gained partial control of the company after purchasing Bentz's share. The company flourished under Chesebro.
When the stock market crashed, the hosiery industry struggled in the difficult economy of the Great Depression
. The company was no exception to this. After Herbert's death, the company struggled under bank loans totaling $100,000. With the help of J.W. Hansen of the Citizens Bank
, the company stayed in business.
In 1936, Robert Chesebro, Sr., gained complete control of the company after working at the company for 12 years.
The company devoted up to 75% of its capacity to knitting
for the troops overseas. By 1945 the company had expanded its line to include baseball
hosiery, anklet
s, hockey caps, mittens, and socks for all types of activities.
The company prospered for the next 65 years knitting socks, headwear, and other knit products. On January 1, 1957, the company changed its name from Hand-Knit Hosiery to Wigwam Mills based on the popularity of the brand.
The company continued under the leadership of Robert Chesebro, Sr., and eventually the third generation of ownership, Robert Chesebro, Jr.
The 1980s saw growth in many areas for Wigwam. A new logo and more technical synthetic fibers were becoming more specialized. Wigwam developed the Poly-Wool line of performance socks as well as the overnight success—Moraine.
In the 1990s, the company developed the Ultimax and INgenious brands. Each featured a patent
ed sock technology. In 2007, both brands were brought under the Wigwam brand umbrella
. Ultimax became Wigwam Pro and INgenious became Wigwam Fusion.
Hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...
company based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
.
History
Wigwam Mills was founded in 1905 by Herbert Chesebro, Robert Ehany, and Lawerance Bentz in Sheboygan, WisconsinSheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
, a year after the Sheboygan Knitting Company burned to the ground. All three founders were employees of the company and purchased equipment and recruited employees from their former company. The new company was founded under the name 'Hand Knit Hosiery Company.' The company made socks
SOCKS
SOCKS is an Internet protocol that routes network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 additionally provides authentication so only authorized users may access a server...
and headwear primarily from wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
for the residents and lumbermen of the area. At the time the company was supplied by numerous wool mills in the nearby area.
By 1922, Herbert Chesebro gained partial control of the company after purchasing Bentz's share. The company flourished under Chesebro.
When the stock market crashed, the hosiery industry struggled in the difficult economy of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The company was no exception to this. After Herbert's death, the company struggled under bank loans totaling $100,000. With the help of J.W. Hansen of the Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank may refer to:Financial institutions:*Citizens Bank of Canada, a virtual bank headquartered in British Columbia*Citizens Bank International Ltd., a bank in Nepal...
, the company stayed in business.
In 1936, Robert Chesebro, Sr., gained complete control of the company after working at the company for 12 years.
The company devoted up to 75% of its capacity to knitting
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
for the troops overseas. By 1945 the company had expanded its line to include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
hosiery, anklet
Anklet
An anklet, also called ankle chain or ankle bracelet, is an ornament worn around the ankle. Barefoot anklets and toe rings historically have been worn for centuries by girls and women in India. In the United States both casual and more formal anklets became fashionable in the late twentieth century...
s, hockey caps, mittens, and socks for all types of activities.
The company prospered for the next 65 years knitting socks, headwear, and other knit products. On January 1, 1957, the company changed its name from Hand-Knit Hosiery to Wigwam Mills based on the popularity of the brand.
The company continued under the leadership of Robert Chesebro, Sr., and eventually the third generation of ownership, Robert Chesebro, Jr.
The 1980s saw growth in many areas for Wigwam. A new logo and more technical synthetic fibers were becoming more specialized. Wigwam developed the Poly-Wool line of performance socks as well as the overnight success—Moraine.
In the 1990s, the company developed the Ultimax and INgenious brands. Each featured a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
ed sock technology. In 2007, both brands were brought under the Wigwam brand umbrella
Umbrella brand
An umbrella brand is an overarching brand used across multiple related products. Umbrella branding is also known as family branding. It contrasts with individual product branding, in which each product in a portfolio is given a unique brand name and identity....
. Ultimax became Wigwam Pro and INgenious became Wigwam Fusion.