By Norris Dearmon
For the Kannapolis Citizen
When J.W. Cannon first started in the textile business, he made yarn for other manufacturers. Business was very slow at first. Perhaps it was mainly due to the fact his experience had been in the mercantile world.
From that experience, he remembered there was a certain pattern of domestic cloth, which all women liked. He then bought looms and placed them in the loft of the buildings he was using for yarn manufacture.
The course-grade cotton cloth was a big hit. Housewives bought the cloth in large quantities to fashion clothes for their families. He called it “Cannon Cloth.” The name would be the inspiration for the Cannon trademark.
Based on information in the Kannapolis Branch of the Cannon Memorial Library’s Hinson History Room, the first trademark was registered Oct. 20, 1914. There are also samples of the “Cannon Cloth” in the library.
At the end of World War I, J.W. Cannon searched for a way to label his products with a distinguishing trademark. He wanted the people who purchased his products to know who made them and wanted them to call for the product by name. He planned a vast consumer advertising program. It was an idea unheard of in the textile trade. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the results of his idea.
Prior to World War I, Cannon Mills was also producing a product called huck cloth, used to make towels. Terry was just beginning to be produced. It was not a favorite item for the home at that time. During World War I, the government required most of the huck towels for the Army; therefore the public had to be content with terry towels. Consequently, after World War I, huck towels fell from popularity and terry took over.
After the death of J.W. Cannon on Dec. 19, 1921, his son, Charles A. Cannon, stepped in to take his father’s place as head of the large Cannon Mills.
He was determined to carry out his father’s program for branding all of Cannon’s products. He needed a machine to sew an identifying label on towels. By 1923, the machine had been developed and put in operation at Cannon Mills plants.
The Cannon trademark label was sewn in the corner of the towels. It was a first in the industry and was adopted by other textile manufacturers.
He also began extensive advertising of all his products in favorite women’s magazines, such as Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, House Beautiful and others.
In 1923, the company was the first in the industry to begin packaging sheets in a transparent film, thus protecting them from soiling and retaining their laundry-fresh, ready-to-use qualities.
Cannon Mills had more than 250 “firsts” while in operation.
The accompanying photograph shows the evolution of the Cannon Label, with samples of the labels, including the last label used prior to the company’s cessation of operations.
Norris Dearmon is a member of the Kannapolis History Associates and a volunteer in the Hinson History Room at the Kannapolis Branch Library.