Daily Schedule
Time Table of the Lowell Mills
“The working hours of all the girls extended from 5 o’clock in the morning until 7 in the evening, with one half hour each break, for breakfast and dinner.” [45] Eventually, the hours were shortened because in the early 1900s Mary Lou Emmons said, “When I was little my mother worked for I think 10 hours a day…later on they had 8 hour days.” [46] “The mill girls generally worked from 8-10 months a year, the rest of the time was spent with parents or friends.” [47] While working, many girls settled in on-site boardinghouses and “The average earnings of most mill girls were $2.00 to $2.50 a week after paying board of $1.25 to $1.50.” [48] As a result, mill girl Susan Brown “had the pleasure of spending much of her earnings on whatever she chose…” [49] which was quite an unfamiliar thing for a girl to experience. In the girls’ spare time, they were highly encouraged to attend church services, take classes, attend lectures, and borrow books from the library. [50]
