Our Hands Then and Now: Celebrating Those Who Labored Here

CLAREMONT NH – June 5, 2023 --Writing about artist Phil Montenegro's ‘No Ordinary Giant’ mural on Pleasant Street inspired me to revisit his father's commemorative sculpture at the foot of Visitor Center Green. Dedicated in October 2014 during Claremont's 250th anniversary, Ernest Montenegro's "ourhandsthenandnow" honors the legacy of our city's industrial past. This commanding sail-like structure bears handprints symbolizing the everyday laborers whose hard work and dedication helped to shape our city.

Here is the story of one such pair of hands.

Miranda Steele was born in Vermont in 1836. Moving to Claremont, Miranda began working at Monadnock Mills in 1853. Only one mill building was in full operation in Claremont at that time. The owners had recently purchased the existing grist and saw mill and cabinet shop on the north side of the river as the groundwork for Mill No. 2. Most likely, Miranda witnessed the construction on her way to and from work. As the years passed, more mills materialized along the banks of the Sugar River. The falls here measured a drop of over three-hundred feet. It was claimed that each foot of water pressure could turn one thousand spindles.

Miranda worked to support her invalid parents. Another sister remained at home, in charge of their care. Miranda started as a basic cloth weaver, earning one dollar for each ten-hour day. During the Civil War, Miranda cropped material after it had been run through the fulling mill. She would then move on to weaving spreads before being promoted to the card room. Here, Miranda punched hole patterns on fine ruled-paper. These patterns would create the design drafts for the looms. According to ‘Fibre and Fabric: A Record of American Textile Industries’, Miss Miranda Steele was perhaps the first in this country to cut the famous jacquard pattern. Her advancement to the card room led to an increase of $1.50 per day. Six decades into her career at Monadnock Mills, Miss Steele earned twenty dollars a week. She retired in 1923.

To put this in a visual capsule, Miranda Steel began at Monadnock Mills when Abraham Lincoln was still a lawyer. She may have likely formed the pattern designs for bedspreads gracing the RMS Titanic and retired the year Yankee Stadium was built. In all, Claremont's Miranda Steele gave seventy years of service, setting a New England record for continuous employment.

It was said Miranda rarely missed a day, even braving the lack of sidewalks during a 1920s blizzard to get to work on time. With her parents and her sister gone, Miranda lived out her final years at 16 Washington Street. She passed away in 1925 at the age of ninety, and now rests in our Pleasant Street Cemetery.

To our local businesses and organizations: If you’re aware of someone past or present who served you and our community well, please let us know. We at the Eagle Times would love to learn about and share their stories. You can email me at: [email protected]

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