JOHNSTONE HISTORY SOCIETY

As a result of the cotton famine caused by the American Civil War and the advent of steam power, by 1850, cotton spinning began to decline. But as the mills closed all was not lost for the people of Johnstone. The engineering businesses, built on cotton, survived the decline, and they then prospered in their own right. New firms were created that manufactured machine-tools of all kinds (see the photographs in our Gallery). Foundries were built to support the engineering works and there was a demand for the heavy machine tools being built on the Clyde for the construction of iron ships. By the 1900s, Johnstone designed and built machines were in demand all over the world. This was the second Industrial Revolution for the town of Johnstone... We have added a new feature to our web site. You will find a Videos link on the banner... The museum, located in Johnstone, Scotland, near Paisley and Glasgow, has an excellent collection of technology, maps, photographs and texts spanning..

Also known as: Johnstone History, Johnstone History Museum