History Leominster, Massachusetts

north leominster train depot in 1915

by 1737, area of leominster had gained enough residents incorporated separate town. town of leominster officially incorporated on july 4, 1740.

around time of civil war, leominster major contributor in underground railroad. emory stearn schoolhouse , john drake home, led anti-slavery campaigns , helped house fugitive slaves.

in leominster’s existence, town small farming community, towards beginning of 19th century, economy shifted manufacturing. town became regional transportation hub around 1800, opening of fifth massachusetts turnpike , connections of union turnpike , cambridge , concord turnpikes in 1808. however, manufacturing in leominster made possible opening of fitchburg railroad ran through north leominster , boston, , fitchburg , worcester railroad ran through center of town. 1850s, paper mills, piano makers, , comb manufacturers had established factories along monoosnoc brook , nashua river. while earliest settlers in leominster of british ancestry, many immigrants gathered work in leominster’s expanding factories. first group of immigrants irish, followed french , italians 20th century. these new waves of immigrants caused population surge 2,069 in 1840 19,744 1920. in 1915, leominster officially chartered city.

monument square in 1907.

while many different industries established in leominster, comb industry particularly flourished. construction of combs time-consuming , painstaking process, involving preparation of natural materials such animal horn, roughing out of basic form, , finally, individual cutting of teeth. 1853, there 146 employees working in 24 different comb factories across town. mid-1800s, however, availability of natural materials used make combs, such animal horns , hooves, diminishing rapidly, , alternative material needed.

the solution come in new material called celluloid invented in 1868. new plastic revolutionize comb industry , give leominster nickname “comb city.” versatility of celluloid give manufactures opportunity expand many different products outside of combs. largest plastic manufacturer in city viscoloid company founded bernard wendell doyle in 1901. in 1914, viscoloid company pioneered making toys out of pyroxylin plastic, , 1923 company largest employer in leominster. viscoloid sold dupont company in 1925, , renamed dupont viscoloid company.

the second invention revolutionize plastic production in leominster development of modern injection molding. samuel foster, leominster resident of german ancestry, first worked viscoloid company, established own business, foster grant. in 1931, foster visited jack goodman s new york factory , learned injection molding machine, invented in germany in 1920s. foster ordered several of new machines, , had them secretly shipped via worcester foster grant manufacturing factory in leominster, mechanics focused on getting them work , modifying them. molding technology made possible foster grant make not combs, wide variety of other articles, including plastic sunglasses, selling 20 million pair in 1937. new technology pay great dividends plastic industry in city , country. city coined “pioneer plastics city” important history in plastics industry.

the former whitney carriage company complex

leominster home of tupperware, founded in 1938 earl tupper. wonderbowl, airtight burping seal became popular after brownie wise convinced him demonstrate , sell tupperware @ home parties.

leominster boasted large manufactures standard tool company, selig manufacturing co. inc, c.e. buckley, inc. (manufacturer of religious articles) , whitney carriage company, once largest manufacturer of baby carriages in world.

in 1956, plastic pink flamingo lawn-ornament invented in leominster union products. famous lawn-ornament designed don featherstone, , modelled after pictures of flamingos in national geographic.

although great depression slowed plastic industry in leominster, not until late 20th century there full-scale decline in plastic manufacturing. following national trend, manufactures moving out of cities cheaper alternatives across country , overseas. despite changing landscape, population of leominster continually rise 21st century, surpassing twin city of fitchburg in 2000 second largest city in worcester county. latino communities of leominster saw huge growth towards later half of 20th century.

twin city plaza mall on route 2

in recent decades, route 2 , building of i-190 have further altered city more commercial , suburban landscape. construction of twin city plaza, mall @ whitney field , other shopping centers have contributed significant commercial growth in city , have made leominster 1 of central massachusetts’ largest retail destination. inexpensive land cost has made city attractive living destination commuters both worcester , boston. nevertheless, leominster still preserves of manufacturing heritage , many plastic manufactures retain establishment in city.