The towns surrounding the Maiden Mills plant have long been home to tex¬tile manufacturing. The textile industry was born in the nineteenth century and thrived for one hundred years along the rivers in these New England towns. The textile industry effectively died during the middle decades of the twentieth century when outdated factories and increasing labor costs led many compa¬nies to abandon the area and relocate, first to the nonunionized south, and later to foreign countries such as Mexico and Taiwan. As happened in many north¬ern manufacturing towns, the loss of major industries, along with their jobs and tax base, began a long period of economic decline from which many have never recovered. Maiden Mills was the last major textile manufacturer in town and with 2,400 employees it supplied the economic lifeblood for the surrounding communities. Considering both its payroll and taxes, Maiden Mills contributed approximately $100 million a year to the local economy. The fire was a disas¬ter for many people and many businesses beyond those directly involved with Maiden Mills.