Textiles and Tobacco in North Carolina: History

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In 1875 R. J. Reynolds's factory in Winston began production, and by 1913 it was selling Camel cigarettes. Tobacco and cotton mills built Durham, Winston-Salem, Kannapolis and Greensboro, and this page follows both industries with a source on every date.

1875Reynolds factory begins
1884Bonsack cigarette machine
1906Kannapolis planned mill town
1913Camel introduced

Short Version
At a Glance
Bright leaf and the Dukes, 1850s to 1890
Reynolds and Winston
Cotton mills and mill villages
Cannon, Cone and the long decline
Visit
FAQ

The Short Version

Tobacco and textiles made North Carolina's Piedmont. The Dukes in Durham and Reynolds in Winston turned bright-leaf tobacco into a national business; Holt, Cannon and Cone built the cotton mills and company towns.

At a Glance

Date	What happened	Source
1852	Washington Duke married Artelia Roney and farmed the homeplace near Durham's Station.	ncpedia.org
1853	Edwin M. Holt learned a dyeing process that let him make the South's first colored cloth on a power loom; his Alamance Plaids became the best-known early product.	ncpedia.org
1865	Union soldiers who looted John R. Green's Durham factory found Bull Durham to be the mildest and best they had tried.	ncpedia.org
1874	The Dukes moved to Durham; R. J. Reynolds built his first factory in Winston.	ncpedia.org
1875	The Reynolds factory began production, making 150,000 pounds of chewing tobacco.	ncpedia.org
1884	A Bonsack machine at W. Duke, Sons and Company could make about 120,000 cigarettes a day.	ncpedia.org
1887	James William Cannon founded the Cannon Manufacturing Company in Concord; first yarn came April 1, 1888.	ncpedia.org
1890	James B. Duke organized the American Tobacco Company and became its president.	ncpedia.org
1891	Brothers Moses and Caesar Cone entered the textile business, later based in Greensboro.	ncpedia.org
1905	The Cones' large White Oak plant near Greensboro opened.	ncpedia.org
1906	Cannon bought about 600 acres seven miles north of Concord and built a planned company town that became Kannapolis.	ncpedia.org
1911	A Supreme Court order dissolved the American Tobacco trust, and Reynolds became independent again.	ncpedia.org
1913	Reynolds introduced four manufactured cigarette brands, including Camel.	ncpedia.org
1974	Duke University gave the Homestead house and 37 acres to the state, making it a State Historic Site.	ncpedia.org

Bright Leaf and The Dukes, 1850s to 1890

Washington Duke built a modest frame house on his farm near Durham's Station in the early 1850s. In 1865, Union soldiers sampled Bull Durham tobacco at John R. Green's factory and carried the word home. (source)

In 1884 a Bonsack machine at the Duke factory could roll about 120,000 cigarettes a day. In 1890 James B. Duke organized the American Tobacco Company. (source)

Reynolds and Winston

R. J. Reynolds built a factory in Winston in 1874; production began in 1875. Prince Albert pipe tobacco came in 1907. After the trust was broken up in 1911, Reynolds introduced Camel and other cigarette brands in 1913. (source)

The Reynolds family built Reynolda, a country estate outside town, from 1914. It opened as a museum of American art in 1967. (source)

Cotton Mills and Mill Villages

North Carolina had a mild climate, water power, cotton and cheap labor. A tax rule after the Civil War drew mills south. By 1923 the state led the nation in textile output by value. (source)

By 1900 most mill workers lived in company villages. Whole families worked, including children 12 and older, 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week. A 1938 federal law addressed child labor. (source)

Cannon, Cone and The Long Decline

Cannon built Kannapolis in 1906 and joined nine plants into Cannon Mills in 1928. Fieldcrest bought its bath and bedding lines in 1986, and Pillowtex bought Fieldcrest Cannon in 1997. Pillowtex's 2003 bankruptcy ended 4,800 jobs in the state. (source)

Cone Mills, a world leader in denim by 2002, was bought in 2004 and became part of International Textile Group. Textile imports nearly tripled from 1974 to 1984. (source)

Where to Visit

Duke Homestead State Historic Site, Durham: Washington Duke's early home, factories and farm; free admission, Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. per the site; 2828 Duke Homestead Road.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem: The Reynolds estate house, gardens and village; check reynolda.org for hours.

On this site: Reynolda Gardens and Reynolda House, Old Salem, Triad Events.

Still Unconfirmed

Old Salem, the Museum of the Cape Fear and Piedmont mill village sites were not confirmed on pages we read for this topic, so they are not described here.
Cone Mills' closure date and Cannon Mills worker counts were not on the pages we read. Reynolda hours and admission were not either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I see where Bull Durham-era tobacco was made?

Duke Homestead State Historic Site in Durham shows Washington Duke's early home, factories and farm. Admission is free.

When was Kannapolis founded?

James William Cannon bought about 600 acres in 1906 and built a planned company town that became Kannapolis.

When did Camel cigarettes start?

R. J. Reynolds introduced Camel in 1913, along with three other cigarette brands.

What was a mill village?

A company-owned village built around a mill. By 1900 most North Carolina mill workers lived in them.

What happened to Cannon Mills?

Murdock took control in 1982, Fieldcrest bought its bath and bedding lines in 1986, and Pillowtex bought Fieldcrest Cannon in 1997. Pillowtex went bankrupt in 2003.

More North Carolina History

Sources

Read on October 27, 2026. Secondary sources are labelled in their titles. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Textiles and Tobacco in North Carolina”, itsnorthcarolina.com/history/textiles-and-tobacco/ (updated 2026-10-27). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.