In the 19th century, the town became a center for textile production.
More than one third of the population worked in textile production.
Textile production dropped an estimated 50 to 75 percent between 1700 and 1800.
At that time the city's industry was based on textile production and mills.
During the 1970s, domestic textile production came under increased foreign competition.
Textile production was 15.4 percent of the country's total industrial output value in 1984.
The local textile production was, however probably of lesser importance.
Many folk were already active at that time in textile production.
This led to another level of textile production: finished clothing.
It relates the history of cotton growing and textile production.