Chester A. Page Sr., WHC Collections 0079.001.0002

Chester A. Page

Job Title(s)

Superintendent, Manager

Dates of Employment

c. 1925-1936

Last Name  Page 
First Name  Chester 
Middle Initial  A 
Born  30 Jun 1881 in Massachusetts 
Home Addresses 

(1929-1934) 

1255 Court St in Salem, OR 
Died  4 Jun 1964 in Salem, OR 
Place Buried  Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, OR 
Wife  Mary E Ellison 
Date of Marriage  1909 in Massachusetts 
Children  Chester E, Albert E, Harriet A, Helen E, and Mary E Page 
Dates of Employment  Between 1925 and 1930 through 1936 
Job(s)  Superintendent, Manager 
Story  Chester A Page managed TKWM between about 1927 and 1936. 

Chester was born on 30 Jun 1881 in Massachusetts to Albert L. and Addie Page. At the time of Chester’s birth, his father Albert worked in a woolen mill. By 1910 son Chester had followed him. We find him on the 1910 census at a mill in Killingly, Connecticut. Chester married Mary E Ellison in 1909. By 1915, they had five children and they were back in South Kingston, RI. He had risen to the job of boss dresser at Wakefield Woolen Mill West, information confirmed by his WWI draft registration card and the 1920 census.  

There seems to be a small break in Chester’s record between 1920 and 1925. The 1925 and 1927 Wakefield, RI City Directories shows no employment for Chester. This does not necessarily mean he was not employed. A year later we find Chester employed as the Superintendent of TKWM. The Page family was living on Court St with five children ranging from age 2 to 21. Three of them soon joined Chester working at TKWM. All remained living with the family, so their income helped the family survive the Depression. 

In 1934, Chester leased a woolen mill in Brownsville, OR but continued leading the TKWM workforce. After two years, he purchased the Brownsville mill and left TKWM. His leaving was later clouded by a suit he brought for back wages (in the form of a percentage of the TKWM’s gross sales).  

The Page Brownsville Mill was successful, and the family thrived. Chester became a county commissioner and his two oldest sons helped manage the mill. However, in 1955, just as Chester was approaching retirement, the mill burned down. Chester and his sons sought public backing to rebuild the mill and eventually the son’s built in Jefferson after Chester had sold his interest to them. The Jefferson Woolen Mill was in business for many years and finally ceased operations in 2001. 

Chester passed away on 4 Jun 1964. His obituary says he owned woolen mills in Missouri and Michigan prior to coming to Salem but we find no evidence that this was in fact, true. Mary Page passed away 2 Jan 1972 at age 83. Chester and Mary are both buried at Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem.  

   
References 
Name  Remarks 
Census  1880 Albert Page. Born about 1880 in Rhode Island. 140 Laurel Hill, Burrillville, RI. Grandson to HOH. Father’s name: Albert L. Page. Father’s Birth: Rhode Island. Mother’s name: Addie Page. Mother’s Birth: Connecticut. Joseph Clark 69,Phebe A. Clark 63 Frank S. Clark 28 (wks in Woolen Mill, Albert L. Page 23 (Common Laborer), Addie Page 21, Edith Page 1, Albert Page 6/12. 

1900 Chester A Page. Born in MA in Jun 1881. Boards at 344 14th St, Cranston, Rhode Island. Single. Father’s Birth Rhode Island. Mother’s Birth Connecticut. Florist. James A Pierce 21, Edith A Pierce 21. Chester A Page 18. 

Mary E Ellison. B May 1888 in Rhode Island. Lives in Providence, RI. Single stepdaughter. Father b in NJ. Mother b in RI. John H Donovan 38, Harriet Donovan 40, John E Donovan 5/12, Mary E Phillips 63, Mary E Ellison 12, Nettie J Steere 35.
 

1910 Chester A Page. Born about 1881 in Massachusetts. Rents house in Killingly, Connecticut. Married HOH. Dresser Woolen Mill. Chester A Page 29, Mary E Page 21, Chester A Page Jr 1, Harriett Donovan 50. 

1915 (RI State Census) Chester A Page. Born about 1882 in USA. HOH in Wakefield, RI. Weaver, Woolen Mill. Chester A Page 33, Mary E Page 26, Chester E Page 6, Albert E Page 4, Harriet A Page 2, Helen E Page 1, Oscar C Ecklund 50 (Loom Fixer), Grace D Ecklund 43.

1920 Chester A Page. Born about 1882 in USA. Owns home on Main St, Wakefield, RI. Married HOH. Father’s birth USA. Mother’s birth USA. Mill Dresser, Woolen Mill. Chester A Page 38, Mary L Page 30. Chester Alton Page 12, Albert E Page 10, Harriet A Page 7, Helen E Page 5, Mary E Phillips 82, Harriet E Ellison 58.

1930 Chester A Page. Born about 1882 in Massachusetts. Married HOH. Owns house at 1255 Court St, Salem, OR. Has radio set. First Marriage at 28. Father born in US. Mother born in Rhode Island. Manager, Woolen Mill. Chester A Page 48, Mary E Page 41, Chester E Page 21, Harriet A Page 17, Helen E Page 16, Frank L Page 9, Raymond E Page 5, Mary E Page 2. 

1940 Chester A Page. Born about 1881 in Massachusetts. Married HOH. Owns house at 1255 Court St, Salem, OR. Highest grade completed 8th Gradel. Owner Woolen Mill. Chester A Page 59, Mary E Page 51, Helen E Page 26, Frank L Page 19, Raymond E Page 15, Mary E Page 12, Harriet Ellison 80. 

Wakefield, RI   

City Directories 

1902-1905  Chester A Page lives in Pawtukeet, RI. Dresser. 

1909-1908  Chester A Page lives in Woonsocket, RI. Dresser. 

1915 Chester A Page lives in South Kingston, RI. Works as a Boss Dresser at Wakefield Mill West. 

1925 Chester A Page lives on High St North of Wakefield Mill 

1927 Chester A and Mary Page live on N Main St in Wakefield, RI. No job listed. Son Albert E Page boards with them. Works at a gas station. 

Salem City Directories  1928 Chester A Page (Mary) 1267 Court, Salem. Superintendent, TKWM. 

1930 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court St. supt TKWM. 

1932 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court St. supt TKWM. 

1934 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court St. supt TKWM. 

1936 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court St. supt TKWM. 

1939 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court St. No employer  

1941 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court. No employer shown 

1942 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court. No employer shown 

1945 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court. No employer shown 

1947 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court. No employer shown 

1951 Chester A Page (Mary E) 1255 Court. No employer shown 

WW1 Draft Reg Card  Chester Albert Page. B 30 Jun 1881. Lives in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Relative: Mrs Mary E. Page. Works at Wakefield Woolen Mill. Card Dated 12 Sep 1918. 
WW2 Draft Ref Card  Chester Albert Page. Age 61. B 30 Jun 1881 in Martinsville Mass, Massachusetts. Residence Place: Salem, Oregon, HOH. Card Dated 27 Apr 1942.  
Find a Grave  Chester A Page. Birth: Unknown. Death: Unknown. Burial: Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, Marion County, OR. Memorial ID: 172058642  

Mary E Ellison Page. Birth: 6 May 1888 in Rhode Island. Death: 2 Jan 1972 (aged 83) in Tigard, Washington County, OR. Burial: Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, Marion County, OR. Memorial ID: 172058691 

Newspapers.com  Oregon Statesman 8 Mar 1940 p 9  C. A. Page sues TKWM 

Capital Journal 29 Oct 1940 p 13 C. A. Page sues TKWM for back payment of a percentage of profits from 1935/36 

Albany Democrat Herald 12 Dec 1950 p 56 C. A. Page leased Brownsville Mill in 1933, bought it in 1935 

Albany Democrat Herald 30 Oct 1952 p 14 C. A. Page unopposed to replace himself as County Commissioner. 

Lebanon Express 3 Feb 1953 p 1  Name change to Page Woolen Mill. Bought mill in 1935. 

Lebanon Express 4 May 1955 p 1 Brownsville Mill Fire 

Capital Journal 7 Jul 1958 p 7 C. A. and Mary Page hit by car 

Capital Journal 5 Jun 1964 p 15 C. A. Page Obituary 

WHC Materials  M3 1966-001                Mill Records 

0079.001.0002             Photo 

M3 1994-100-0001      Ad 

M3 1994-100-0008      Ad 

M3 1993-100-0006      Handbill 

M3 1994-016-0015      Oral History (Bill Pero) 

M3 1994-016-0017      Oral History (Mac Carthew) 

M3 1994-016-0033      Oral History (Jay Yarnell) 

M3 1994-016-0048      Oral History (George Noack) 

M3 1994-016-0051      Oral History (Carlisle Roberts) 

M3 1994-016-0021      Oral History (Larry Rich) 

M3 1994-016- 0022     Oral History (Lon Barrett) 

M3 1994-016- 0025     Oral History (Ernest George Van Buren) 

M3 1994-016- 0027     Oral History (James Hackett) 

M3 1994-016- 0030     Oral History (Ed Antrican) 

M3 1994-016- 0019     Oral History (Harry & Vera Blanchard) 

M3 1994-016- 0043     Oral History (Virgil & Bessie Shipman)Â