 Historically in Lancashire , and with little early history to speak of , Oldham rose to prominence in the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture . It was a <unk> of the Industrial Revolution , and among the first ever <unk> towns , rapidly becoming " one of the most important centres of cotton and textile industries in England " . At its zenith , it was the most productive cotton spinning mill town in the world , producing more cotton than France and Germany combined . Oldham 's textile industry fell into decline in the mid @-@ 20th century ; the town 's last mill closed in 1998 . 
