Following the lean years of the 1930s, in which net earnings averaged less than half a million dollars per year, the mills thrived during World War II (1939–1945) by fulfilling orders for the military. By 1942, the company operated twelve weaving and spinning mills, together with dyeing, bleaching, finishing, and power plants. These mills contained nearly half a million spindles, allowing the company to easily retain its position as the biggest textile firm in the region. At this time, the mills dominated life in Danville, employing 14,000 workers in a town of about 40,000 people. When the ...