“The growth of any town or city is largely dependent on the character and expansive abilities of its industries and the character of the labor which these industries employ. Intelligent and educated labor is ambitious; it is made of the stuff that builds and creates; it enlarges its capabilities and forges to the front.” Charles M. Thompson



By the early 1900s Norwood had come to be thought of as the “printing center of the United States.” Not only did they have two large printing companies and a small printing firm, but there was also a tannery that supplied leather for book covers, a company that made printing ink for newspapers, and a company that manufactured cloth for book covers.
The Norwood Business Association (pre-cursor to the Norwood Chamber of Commerce) believed Norwood was an excellent place to establish a new company. The railroad lines made commuting to Boston or to nearby towns easy, and provided a convenient way for companies to move their products. Fresh air and a bucolic lifestyle would be beneficial to employees and there was plenty of undeveloped land to build new homes and businesses upon. Plus, the town had excellent schools and churches, and offered a robust social life. The citizens and businesses of Norwood welcomed the idea of attracting new businesses to Norwood.
Click the links below to learn more:
How to Grow a Town –>
The Norwood Press –>
Plimpton Press: Book Making in its Entirety –>
Lock-Outs, Walk-Outs & Strikes –>
But What About the Women? –>
Holliston Mills: Wraps it up! –>
Extra! Extra! The Norwood Messenger –>
George H. Morrill Company –>
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