Assabet Mills: Maynard, Massachusetts (Images of America: Massachusetts)

The sleepy town of Assabet Village woke up very quickly when the Assabet Mills was built in 1847. Dams were constructed on the river, millponds were created, and large mills began producing yarn and carpets. Soon the village was turning into a town with stores, churches, schools, and government. As the mill grew, so did the town; the population grew to 7,000 people by 1905. During good times, the mill prospered, but during bad times, it faltered and had to re-invent itself. It had almost as many lives as the proverbial cat. The carpet mill faltered in 1857, but in 1862, the Assabet Manufacturing Company started producing woolen materials and blankets to support the Civil War. This mill faltered in 1898, but in 1899, the American Woolen Company bought the mills and greatly expanded them. In 1950, the woolen company faltered and shut down completely, but in 1957, Digital Equipment moved in. Digital faltered in 1997 and sold the buildings to Clock Tower Place, which is converting the mills into first-class industrial space. Today, the mills are attracting a new set of small industries. This book is filled with images of the various "lives" of the mill complex. Photographs featured within these pages show mill employees at work and at play; workers' homes; the evolution of the mill buildings; and the products produced and sold by the mill. There is even a chapter that shows how wool products are produced. Assateague, a sandy, marshy, and swamp-like land off the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula, is a paradise to beach lovers, bird watchers, photographers, hunters, and fishermen. Native Americans, the first visitors, found an abundant supply of waterfowl, fish, and shellfish for hunting and fishing. Assateague was patented in 1687, and early settlers farmed, raised livestock, cut timber, and had salt works. The construction of the Assateague Lighthouse in 1833 encouraged the growth of the village. In 1875, the US Life Saving station was established. The men of the area worked on the water fishing, clamming, and oystering or worked for one of the fish factories or the two government agencies. Villagers migrated from the area lured by amenities on Chincoteague, the effect of the purchase of land surrounding the village, and the automation of the lighthouse. The US Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the island in 1943 as a national wildlife refuge