In the summer of 1908, Lewis Hine set out on his first long journey in search of child laborers. He traveled to Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio, and he must have quickly grown weary of seeing children in coal mines, and glass and furniture factories. His captions sometimes hint at his surprise at the poor working conditions and the ages of the children. By the time he reached North Carolina in November, he would have been well prepared for what he was destined to encounter for the next nine years.

But things got worse. The North Carolina state laws at that time set the minimum age for working at 13, with no night work for 14-year-olds, and a maximum of 66 hours per week for workers under 18. According to National Child Labor Committee records, Hine discovered numerous violations, including at least one of the girls in this photograph, Pearl, who was not only two months short of her 10^th birthday, but, according to Hine had, "been at it three years."

The Loray Mill, where these three girls were working, was at one time the largest textile mill in the South. In 1929, it was the target of one of the most significant and violent strikes in the first half of the 20^th century. Pearl would have been about 30 at that time, and it's likely it would have commanded a great deal of her family's attention.

The Library of Congress website includes 45 of Hine's photos that were taken in Gastonia. I found this image to be one of the most eye-catching, and the caption one of the most interesting, especially the reference to the older sister being the slower worker.

In the 1910 census, Pearl and Viola (she was the only older sister who was still a child) were living with their parents, Logan and Sallie Turner, and six other siblings, as well as two children of the eldest daughter. Logan and five of the children are listed as working at the mill, although others may have been working there "unofficially."

By 1920, Sallie (listed as Sarah) is a widow, and the crowded household included Pearl and several of her siblings, who still worked at the mill, and a daughter-in-law and several grandchildren. Also living there were seven boarders, who also worked at the mill. I was unable to find Viola in the 1920 census, and couldn't find Pearl in the 1930 census, thus making the assumption that they had married and I couldn't find them without knowing their last names. That's when I tried tracking the oldest brother, Luther.

I quickly found his death record. He died in 1934. I obtained his obituary from the Gastonia library, which said in part: "Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the home of his sister, Mrs. Frank Jenkins, of South Oakland Street, in Gastonia." I looked up Frank Jenkins in the 1930 census, and his wife was Pearl. Then I found the 1975 obituary for Frank, which said that Pearl had predeceased him, and it included a long list of survivors. That finally led me to Pearl's grandson and his wife, who were astonished by the photo. They got me in contact with Pearl's two daughters, both of whom I interviewed.

Pearl Mae Turner was born in Cleveland County, North Carolina on December 12, 1898. She married Frank Jenkins, then a Gastonia cotton mill worker, about 1924. They had two daughters, Sara and Rachel. Pearl died in Gastonia on December 28, 1964, at the age of 66. Sister Viola died less than four years after the famous 1908 photograph was taken, at age 17, a victim of consumption (tuberculosis).