CHAPTER 5: Manufacturing Core

TIMELINE



Boston Harbor



17^th Century

= With its excellent harbor, Boston became the leading commercial center in the colonies. Colonial Boston was a world leader in shipbuilding and the primary port of North America.

18^th Century

= The growth of the Boston area continued in the 18th century. As settlements grew into towns around the city, overseas trade increased, and mills were built along the rivers for logging, the forging of iron, and processing wool.



Boston Manufacturing Company 1813-1816

Boston Manufacturing Company, 1978



19^th Century

Boston Manufacturing Co. Logo in 1918
Image: Textile Brands and Trademarks

 

= In 1814, James Cabot Lowell of Boston built a factory in Waltham, up the Charles River from Boston. Later, the Boston Associates built an entire mill town on the Merrimack River, and later named it "Lowell" in memory of James Cabot Lowell.

= Massachusetts prospered in the early 19th century with improved roads, new canals, and the construction of railways, linking cities and towns.

= The Civil War was a profitable time for Boston manufacturers, with the production of weapons, shoes, blankets, and other materials for the troops.

= The late 19th century was Boston's greatest industrial era. As millions of immigrants from around the world came to America, Boston continued as a leading manufacturer of a wide variety of goods and products.

20^th Century

= Boston's manufacturing went into a state of decline during the first decade of the 20th century. The once thriving factories and mills had become old and obsolete.

= Prosperity continued in the Hub with the development of service industries, banking and finance, and retailing and wholesaling.

= By the 1950's the Boston area emerged as a leader in the fledgling computer and high-tech industries. Many of these new businesses were created and staffed by graduates of MIT and the other colleges in the Boston area. The financial and service industries continued to expand.

            Today, the Boston skyline is brimming with skyscrapers and office towers

          Sources: http://www.searchboston.com/articles/history.html

                                                                    http://www.textilehistory.org/