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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 31 for $55,719. at building would be leased to the Washburn & Moen Mfg. Co. from 1883 when the company acquired the Worcester Barb Fence Co., to 1893, occupied more or less of the time until 1898. It was purchased by G. L. Brownell in 1908. Twenty Union Street, built by Salisbury II, was leased to e Wire Goods Company from 1884 to when the company bought it in 1892. Washburn observed that the incubators fostered a diversity of industries "which makes Worcester uniformly prosperous, and creates a thriy and permanent class of working people" in comparison with other New England cities owned by corporations which were in turn owned by non-resident stock holders and under a non-resident management. He observed that Worcester corporations' stockholders were residents and/or employees, with dividends "largely invested in real estate, in business blocks, in tenements, in factory property, while the fortunes accumulated have founded our hospitals, homes for the aged and infirm, have built our churches and endowed our schools. While there are few large fortunes here, measured by modern standards, there are many small ones. ere is, perhaps, less of luxury and display than in some communities, but more of thri." — Christina P. O'Neill 1822-1921 W.T. Merrifield Top milestones, 1822-1921 1820s: Irish immigration starts, increases after 1840s famine 1828: Blackstone Canal opens 1835: First railroad from Boston to Worcester debuts 1830s: Merrifield buildings open 1843: College of the Holy Cross founded 1848: Worcester becomes a city 1857: Worcester Mechanics Hall built 1865: Worcester Polytechnic Institute founded 1865: Crompton & Knowles plays important Civil War role 1874: Worcester State University founded 1887: Clark University founded 1915: Machinist strike protesting hours and wages, also standardization of job functions Worcester's population boom: 1820-1920 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 14.9% 40.9% 79.7% 127.4% 46.4% 64.7% 41.8% 45.2% 39.9% 23.3% 23.1% Population and percent growth, decade-to-decade 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Barbed wire Woven wire fencing 1899 1914 400,000 500,000 Net tons shipped 166,563 28,431 193,740 293,357 e 1854 fire that displaced businesses and workers at W.T. Merrifield's building.