Common Threads Knit Us Together
By Amie Martin
If you grew up in DeKalb County or even lived here for more than 20 years or so, you know how vital the sock industry was to our community. You either knew someone who worked in the sock mills or worked in one yourself. That is just one of the “Common Threads” we all share.
Fort Payne Main Street Organization recently began the Common Thread Campaign to bring awareness to downtown and honor some of the people who made the downtown area the heart of the Fort Payne Community. The project’s name gives the nod to the sock industry that is one of the elements that binds the community together.
On Friday, October 30, 2020, the organization unveiled the first of many window wraps honoring Ms. Ida Goza. She was a female entrepreneur, sock manufacturer, real estate owner, and community advocate. Ms. Goza is celebrated in conjunction with October’s National Women’s Small Business Month.
The wrap was placed on the window of the historic Quinn Building. Glenn Horton now owns the building. He created a mini-sock mill in the old barbershop portion of the Quinn building, where visitors can see how socks were made on Banner knitting machines.
There is another wrap on the Quinn Hotel Building’s adjoining window, featuring Ms. Goza and her sock mill employees at their company picnic. Horton and his sons, who are Ms. Goza’s grandson and great-grandsons, had the honor of unveiling these portraits of the past as community leaders gathered to watch.
This campaign will be a year-long campaign, where window wraps will be placed on various buildings throughout the downtown area. Visitors to our area will be able to follow this Common Thread trail to see photos of just a few of those who shaped the community they lived in, even through adversity.
“Ms. Ida,” as she was known, was born May 18, 1908. She was one of 10 children born to William John and Denia Armanda Andrews Everett. At the age of 17, she began working for WB Davis Hosiery, which was the beginning of her long and successful career in the hosiery industry. At the age of 47, in 1955, she borrowed $2,000 to start her own business. Bonnie Mills began with just 13 employees and continued to grow while it provided jobs for many local families. In 1969, she established Spring Hosiery and continued to lead the way for other female entrepreneurs in her community. Her career later came full circle when she purchased WB Davis Hosiery Mill, where it all began. Ms. Ida Goza’s passion was serving her employees and her community.
Common Threads Knit Us Together