The official invitation to the Douglas Shoe Company of Brockton to locate In Norwood has gone out from the town, following a vote of the Board of Selectmen last week.
General Manager Edward C Monahan on Tuesday dispatched a letter outlining the benefits of Norwood to the large shoe concern which has recently announced its intentions to leave Brockton.
In his letter to the company, the General Manager said:
“The Norwood Board of Selectmen voted on August 2. 1949 to request your company to consider this community as a location for your facilities elsewhere than your present site.
“‘Norwood. 10% square miles in area. population approximately 17.000, 14 miles from Boston, 30 miles from Providence on U S. Route No. 1, 15 miles from Brockton, 205 miles from New York, has excellent rail, highway, and air transportation facilities and possesses an attractive home community environment with unexcelled schools. parks. libraries, shops. playgrounds civic and recreational facilities.
“Norwood has operated since 1914 under the Town Manager form of government which constitutes ample reason why it is said to be one of the best run municipalities in the United States ! and why it is noted for the progressiveness and civic loyalty of its citizens. Municipal debt, assessor valuations. expenditures and taxes are under control and never “wag the dog” in Norwood Police and fire departments are completely adequate, electricity and water are furnished at low rates by municipally-owned light and water departments, both of which are self-supporting as -is also the Town-owned cemetery, one of the best maintained in the State.
“Hotel accommodations are limited but are susceptible to improvement and enlargement. Of approximately 4,000 dwellings, very close to 50% are owner-occupied as against approximately 35% for the State as a whole. Almost 3800 of the total dwelling units have mechanical refrigeration Construction of new dwelling units is at a high level—the number of dwelling units could easily double in the next decade through the development of Westwood and Holmwood, virgin territories which are being laid out as model garden villages, second to none in the United States.
“Norwood’s sources of modern retail establishments range from specialty shops to department stores offering metropolitan styles and selections which attract shoppers* from an extensive trading area of 12 towns. Seventy to seventy-five percent of parked cars on any given shopping day could be identified as coming from as many as fifty Greater Boston communities. it is understandable why we do the finest job of snow removal in the State and why we are installing the most modern street lighting system in the United States financed by the accumulated reserves of our municipally-owned light department Three banks provide splendid banking facilities.
“Norwood’s Hospital, 200 beds, Rated A-l by the American College of Surgeons, is second to none of comparable size in the excellence of its accommodations and facilities. There are thirteen churches in Norwood — eight Protestant, three Catholic, one Jewish and one Syrian Orthodox There ar£ three theatres in the town.
“Norwood is the home of many long-established nationally famous industries which are fairly well diversified Principal types of products are bookbinding, brake shoes, floor coverings, iron castings, leather printing and publishing. printing inks, roofing materials and shipping cases. Skilled workers are plentiful and special courses in craftsmanship and business practices in the Norwood High School especially prepare students for rendering intelligent and diligent service to all branches of local industries.
“One-of the nicest things that can be said about Norwood is that as individual citizens progress financially, they just do not move out of the town—rather do they sink their roots deeper into the municipality by building new houses or rebuilding’ their old homes in Norwood. In some communities people/may think that “the grass is greener on the other fellow’s lawn”, but not so with the citizens of Norwood who sincerely believe that their town is the best in the United States.
“The Douglas Shoe Company would like our community and we in turn would sincerely welcome you to Norwood ”
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)