While the textile business in the United States started in New England, it did not take Philadelphia long to catch up and pass our northern neighbors.  Three people who immigrated to Manayunk helped build what had been a small village into one of the major manufacturing centers of the country. 

Joseph Ripka was a draft dodger from Silesia who at his peak employed 2000 men, women, and children in his mills, but went out of business at the start of the Civil War. 

Sevill Schofield came from England and took advantage of the Civil War to manufacture 365,000 blankets for the Union Army. 

Samuel Winpenny also came from England, but he declared bankruptcy before his 35th birthday.  Several of his sons and grandsons were far more successful, but others were not and still have interesting stories to tell. 

I do not have time to talk about Thomas Drake, another mill owner, whose daughter Charlotte Cardeza was a survivor of the RMS Titanic sinking; I will cover them in a future episode. 

Even if you know nothing about the textile business, I promise you will be informed and entertained.