If it were not for the U.S. Census, information about the work history of the Elcik family would be scarce. There are no known family documents that shed light on their occupations. Fortunately, the U.S. Census identifies the occupations of Elcik family members between 1910 and 1940:
- John Elcik, Sr. — Washer, Woolen Mills
- Joseph Elcik — Washer, Woolen Mills
- Michael Elcik — Stripper, Woolen Mills
- Paul Elcik, Jr. — Finisher, Woolen Mills
- Mary Elcik — Carder, Woolen Mills
- Paul J. Elcik, Sr. — Gigger
- Paul J. Elcik, Jr. — Shear Tender
These were difficult and dangerous jobs. Take Mary Elcik’s work as a carder, for example. In woolen mills, carding machines processed loose wool fibers through multiple rollers fitted with metal teeth of varying sizes. Clothing, hair, or extremities could easily become caught in the rollers, making the work extremely hazardous. Medical records from the period reveal that accidents and occupational diseases were common.
In the early 1900s, textile mill work was widely recognized as dangerous. Reports from the time indicate that thousands of people were treated annually for machine-related injuries. Child labor was not uncommon, and there were no government agencies tasked with protecting workers from these dangers.
Mill work represented a wrenching change from the farm life many of our ancestors once knew. In agriculture, families worked cooperatively toward shared goals and retained some control over the pace of their labor. In contrast, mill families worked for bosses who demanded ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week. The factories were noisy, hot, and unforgiving.
While the Elcik family primarily worked in woolen mills, they also participated in Maine’s growing pulp and paper economy. By the early 1900s, Maine had become an international leader in pulp and paper manufacturing.
John Elcik, Jr. worked for forty years in paper mills, and other family members—including Norman Gamache and Mark Elcik—also found employment in the industry. Even John’s father briefly worked at the Pejepscot Paper Mill before joining the U.S. Navy, where he would build a lifelong career.