Empty Mill Still Running: The Alderton Loom Room Mystery

Empty Mill Still Running: The Alderton Loom Room Mystery

The old mill that had produced nothing for thirty years seemed to come alive for four to seven minutes at 7:14 a.m. on January 9, 2014 - a rhythmic punch and hiss Frances Tucker, a 61-year-old textile finisher, recognized from decades on weaving floors. How could a building with stripped electrical infrastructure and removed machinery emit the unmistakable sound of broadloom looms, and why were eight anchor plates in the northeast corner inexplicably clean?

In this episode, we follow the chain of responses to Frances’s report: a property manager giving a padlock code, an electrician finding no live wiring, a local newspaper brief, an independent journalist's months-long inquiry, and a university acoustic engineer called in from three states away. What hidden mechanism or history explains the sound and the pristine anchor plates?

Person: Frances Tucker Date: January 9, 2014 Location: Alderton Mill, Decker Avenue, Kellard City Event: Report of loom-like sound lasting 4-7 minutes at 7:14 a.m. Status: No live wiring or machinery found on upper floors

- Frances Tucker was 61 years old and volunteered as a food deliverer for St. Agatha's parish when she heard the sound at 7:14 a.m. - The Alderton Mill stopped producing in 1984; machinery removed and electrical infrastructure stripped then. - The production floor retained twelve broadloom positions at peak operation and employed more than 400 workers in the 1940s-50s. - Eight cast-iron anchor plates in the northeast corner were notably clean amid thirty years of grime across the floor. - The reported sound lasted approximately between four and seven minutes and matched the percussion and hiss of broadloom weaving machines.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].