History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

111 1845, 182 persons were employed in making
straw braid and bonnets; 378 men and -women
manufactured 624 joairs of boots and 302,725
pairs of shoes, valued at S 92,932. Ten roars later,
in 1855, 103,500 pairs of boots and \,971,500
pairs of shoes were made, by 969 male and 973
female hands ; the value of the product being
§1,156,975. In 1860, 2,000 men and 7,000
women were employed in this industry, and
§2,000,000 were realized on sales.
It has steadily grown from that time, and, despite
the loss of several manufactories through the setting
off of Hudson, the state of the business for the year
1878 may be gathered from the following statistics,
communicated directly from the manufacturers:
Number of hands emjDloyed, 2,500 pairs of boots
;
and shoes made, 3,500,000, valued at $3,000,000
estimated value of property and machinery em-
ployed, $ 225,000. The principal impetus to this
business was given in 1836, when Mr. Andrew Boyd
conceived the idea of making boots and shoes by
what is called "the team" or "gang" system ; his
brothers, Joseph and Samuel, in whose employ he
was, adopted the plan, which has been generally
followed. At this time they worked in a barn in
the east part of the town. In 1848 they erected
the first large factory, which is now standing, form-
ing the brick part of Messrs. Morse Brothers^ shop.
Machinery was not introduced until 1852, when
the sewing-machine came into use ; after this other
labor-saving contrivances were gradually invented.
Among the earliest manufacturers who adopted
the team system were Joseph and Samuel Boyd,
Frank Brigiiam, Lorenzo Stratton, Samuel and
John Chipman, Lewis T. Fry, George Brigham,
William Dadmun, Morse Brothers, John W.
Stevens, Hiram Temple, Elijah Dickinson, Denison
Brigham.
There are now twenty-two large factories, each
employing from four hundred to fifty hands when
running briskly. The prospects of the trade are,
on the whole, encouraging.
The first National Bank of iLarlborough was
incorporated October 1, 1863, with a capital of
$50,000, increased to $100,000 May 1, 1864;
to §150,000 October 1, 1864; and to S200,000
May 1, 1865. The original officers were : direct-
ors, Mark Fay, Samuel Boyd, Sidney G. Fay,
William Morse, 2d, William Gibbon, Joseph Boyd,
John M. Whiton, Erastus S. Woods, and George
E. Woods ; president, Mark Fay ; cashier, Edmund
C. Whitney.
;
MARLBOROUGH. 151
Mark Fay continued president until his death,
June 30, 1876, succeeded by William Gibbon;
and January, 1878, by Sidney G. Fay. The pres-
ent officers arc : president, S. G. Fay ; vice-president,
William Gibbon ; directors, G. F. Fay, W.
Gibbon, William Morse, John G. Frye, and Sam-
uel Boyd ; cashier, E. C. Whitney. •
;
;
The Marlborough Savings Bank was incorpo-
rated April 3, 1860; the corporate members be-
ing ]\Iark Fay, Thomas Corey, Samuel Boyd, Wil-
liam ^lorse, 2d, Levi Bigelow. The organization
was completed by the election of Samuel Boyd ns
president ; J. S. Wetherbee, vice-president ; Mark
Fay, treasurer. May 16, 1864, E. C. Whitney became
treasurer, and on his resignation, September
17, 1878, Edward R. Alley was elected. Amount
of deposits in 1864, §16,750; amount due depositors
September, 1878, §600,700.
The People's National Bank was organized December
11, 1878 : capital stock, §100,000; president,
Elbridge Howe ; vice-president, S. J. Shaw
directors, Elbridge Howe, S. Herbert Howe, Joseph
Boyd, L. S. Brigham, John O'Connell, J. S. Welch,
Winslow jM. Warren, George N. Gate, Samuel
Boyd, D. W. Hitchcock, L. A. Coolidge, S. A.
Howe, 2d, Abel Howe, S. J. Shaw, Samuel N.
Aldrich.
The fire department consists of four companies,
having about one hundred and fifty members.
E. C. Whitney, Esq., is chief engineer. There is
also an independent company, called the Veteran
Fire Association, doing good service. All these
companies are in an efficient condition.
The first public library was established in 1792.
It had sixty proprietors, who paid §2.50 for their
share, and an annual contribution of twenty-five
cents. The present library was commenced April,
1870. The Mechanics' Institute donated their
library of several hundred volumes. The town
voted over §1,300 for its formation. This was
supplemented by private contributions. The town
has made liberal appropriations annually for its'
support. It now contains 6,864 books, besides
many duplicates of popidar works, and many im-
portant pamphlets and reports. It has a large
proportion of standard works, and if the policy
hitherto pursued be continued, it will become,
eventually, a valuable library of reference.
Topography, etc. — Marlborough is situated on
the westerly border of the county, bounded on the
north by Hudson and a part of Berlin, on the south
by Southborough and a part of Northborough