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Great oldie!  Purchased late 1960s-early 1970s, but know the spindle itself is older

Wooden Thread or Yarn MILL SPOOL BOBBIN

converted to Candleholder

from Maine

See last photo of the old Bowen-Hunter Mill, long gone (Vermont Journal Opinion).  Scroll down for more information about this and other mills of New England.

Grand old Mill Spool Bobbin Spindle 

This awesome old-fashioned spool was purchased from a farmstead in York County in the late Sixties, early Seventies -- we'd guess it was salvaged from the Olde North Berwick Woolen Mill   

We believe these are antiques from early 1900s, but cannot say for sure, so calling them vintage. 

Expect all the "battle scars" and flaws from decades of factory use, dust -- The metal insert at the thin end -- whether intentionally placed or came naturally as made -- is perfect for holding a candle taper.

Appx 8.5” x 1.5”

FYI about Bowen-Hunter and other New England mills

Many of these old mill spools were made in the Bobbin Capital of the US: East Corinth, VT.  Between 1872 and 1967, the bobbin mills of East Corinth were among the world's foremost producers of thread spools for the textile industry.  Post-WW2 introduced plastic bobbins, synthetic fabrics, and high-speed mechanics that eliminated the need for wood spools --  But pre-WW2, child labor laws, tragic accidents, and especially disastrous fires like the one in 1921 that leveled the Bowen-Hunter Mill brought an end to those enterprises. (See last photo).

Back in the 1800s, villages along rivers witnessed the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Textile mills from England were replicated here, spawning the growth of entire towns and cities.  Bobbins and the machinery they ran on were some of the greatest inventions of this era.  Originally created to manage the piles of thread and yarn that would be mechanically woven into cloth, bobbins helped to revolutionize textile manufacturing.

The automated weaving machines would have hundreds of spindles operating simultaneously, with each spindle holding a bobbin that either released or collected the thread. Most mills had wooden bobbins made specifically for their machinery, which accounts for the many varied shapes and sizes of these spools.

A handful of specialty textile mills are still in operation today, but most of the automated looms and machinery that produced generations of fabric are long gone. Obviously, traditional wooden bobbins have been retired from current manufacturing. Modern economics does not favor the use of wooden bobbins since a great deal of handwork is involved in making them. Fortunately, bobbins from this industrial period have been salvaged and are being put to use once again.

Primarily made from ash, birch, and other hardwoods, bobbins have withstood the test of time. Each one has its own “battle scars” that give it unique character. Fortunately, in the Sixties and Seventies, many folks salvaged these antique treasures to repurpose in clever ways to make them into charming and useful items for everyday living: the obvious candlesticks, dried flower vases, lamps, flutes, rainsticks, and kaleidoscopes like this one.

Especially throughout New England, you can find sprawling brick mill complexes in cities that were once synonymous with textile manufacturing. When the textile industry migrated south in the mid-1900s, many of the mill buildings were shuttered and sat empty for years.  Fortunately many are now restored and refurbished into living spaces, artist studios and art galleries, restaurants, speciality shops, offices, meeting places, as well as concert halls. The Narrows in Fall River, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) in North Adams, and the town of Brattleboro VT are worth visits; Cutler Mills in Warren RI houses artists, potteries, and especially hand crafted furniture by Warren Chair Works.

Many mils are now designated National Historic Landmarks like Slater Mill in Pawtucket RI and the mill complex in Lowell NH.  The Olde Woolen Mill in North Berwick Maine, a registered historic site on the Great Works River, is today a home for seniors.

Incidentally, not textiles, but Kenyon's Grist Mill, Usquepaugh RI, still grinds corn and grains in their 1886 grist mill, located on the same site as former mills all the way back to 1696.  They continue to use the original granite millstones quarried from Westerly RI.  Search online!