Chatham Manufacturing Company is an American textile brand founded in 1877 that has made automobile upholstery, jeans, and flannels.

It was powered by water from the creek and local farmers brought their corn to him to be ground into flour.

Cash was scarce in the area after the Civil War and sheep were abundant, so wool became the most common currency in the local barter economy.

The North Carolina Railroad ran along the Yadkin River, and Gwyn and Chatham quickly made plans to move their factory to be alongside it.

He entered Chatham Manufacturing into the automotive upholstery business in 1936 with interiors for Packard.

Richard Thurmond Chatham was a naval officer and commanded a cruiser, the USS Phoenix, during World War 2.

The raw wool was washed in water from the Yadkin River and then carded to align the fibers.

The finished blankets were warm in winter, breathable in summer, moisture wicking and self cleaning.

The team won the North Carolina semi-pro championship in Asheboro in 1948[8] and in 1949 they went to the National Baseball Congress World Series.

[citation needed] In the late 1980s, Chatham Manufacturing owned plants in Elkin, Eden, and Charlotte.

However, in 1988, Northern Feather, Ltd., a Danish textile maker, outbid family members and senior management for control of Chatham Manufacturing and purchased the blanket-maker for more than $92 million.

The company has been revived by Alex Chatham, an Industrial Designer and the great-great-grandson of the original founder.

He is on a mission to position the company as American made luxury by focusing on high quality craftsmanship and excellent materials.