18 W o r c e s t e r 3 0 0 : C i t y o f I n n o v a t o r s
In its second
century, Worcester
became a business
magnet. e
challenges it would
face in its third
century were yet
to come.
1822-1921
Image | Worcester Public Library
Worcester's second century
cemented manufacturing as the
economic cornerstone
Ascent of industry
T
he forces behind the change from
agrarian to industrial economies
were both societal and economic
at the dawn of Worcester's second
century. Tax policy in Mass.
favored the cash-rich wealthy
above cash-poor landowners,
who could have more prospective heirs than land,
shiing the economic power to those with the cash
flow to buy and hold large tracts of land. is led the
land-poor to search for other ways to make a living, a
180-degree turnaround from 1722 to 1821.
e wealthy would put their money back into
socially responsible endeavors, creating affordable
manufacturing space, housing, and trade schools.
Significant projects were backed by home-grown
financing provided by the Salisburys, among others.
Money made in Worcester stayed in Worcester,
unless stakeholders needed to venture outside for
refills of their local financing. e Civil War provided
ample refills for business-to-business marketing of
machinery to make wartime supplies. Among the
beneficiaries was manufacturer Crompton Loom
Mechanics Hall represented state-of-the-art
mechanical systems and construction techniques
for the time.
Image
|
Worcester
Historical
Museum
