The original term "futon," derived from the Orient hundreds of years ago, means cotton mattress. Basic and natural in its initial design, futons are dual-purpose and versatile (sofa by day; bed by night), perfect for health-conscious, alternative-sleep individuals.
Pictured is a 14" x 18" bail of King Cotton. It's symbolic of the Old South and is woven through the entire fabric of U.S. history—from the first cultivation attempts by Virginia settlers in 1607 to the all-cotton biological isolation suits worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts. Cotton has long been integral to the U.S. economy.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton understood the importance of cotton as a major commercial crop. Even as Minutemen faced British Redcoats at Concord, South Carolina and Virginia were appealing to citizens to grow more cotton.
1793 was a milestone year for cotton. Samuel Slater, defying British law and in disguise, came to the U.S. and by year’s end had established the first successful cotton yarn mill. That same year, near Savannah, Georgia, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin—a device that could separate 50 pounds of seed from fiber in one day, revolutionizing the industry.
This opened the floodgates for cotton production in the South and industrial expansion in New England. By 1821, South Carolina and Georgia accounted for more than half of the nation's cotton crop. By 1860, the Southern states produced two-thirds of the world’s supply and financed 60% of total U.S. imports of manufactured goods.
The massive plantations of the Old South are gone, but the impact of cotton on American life is no less significant today.
The St. Charles bale is still produced in the same manner as the original 500-pound bales. Wrapped in coffee-bean burlap, it is identical in shape, size, and content to its larger counterpart.
In Arizona and other parts of the Southwest, the futon was known as a "Bed Sack." It was simply a large sack of cotton, beaten flat for sleeping. A cotton gin owner told us his great-grandfather had a business where he would pick up these bed sacks by horse and buggy, cut them open, re-fluff the cotton fiber, sew them shut, and return them to the owners—fluffy and refreshed.
Futon mattresses have come a long way. Quality cotton (or cotton and foam) futons are now highly compressed and long-lasting. While inexpensive versions with loosely filled cotton still exist, they don't hold up nearly as well.
Higher-tech futons are made from layers of foam and polyester, often with little or no cotton. These modern mattresses can match or exceed the comfort and durability of many conventional mattresses—offering varying levels of firmness and plushness depending on the construction.