From 1855 to 1957, the Abbot Worsted Company operated in buildings in Graniteville, Forge Village, Brookside (now Nabnasset), and Lowell under various names. John W. P. Abbot, his son John W. Abbot and Charles G. Sargent together established a woolen mill along the Stony Brook in Graniteville, Massachusetts with 20 employees. In 1879, they acquired buildings and water rights in Forge Village, which became the practical center of their business. It grew to become the largest manufacturer of carpet worsted yarns in the world by 1916. Through the war years, it manufactured Top and spun yarns for military clothing. Although New England was the birthplace of the textile industry in the United States, in January 1957, with the industry in New England flailing, operations in Westford ceased.

Many employees went to work for Murray Printing, but closure of the mill still left a hole in the town. The Abbot Worsted Company had provided not only jobs, but a community for the people of Forge Village and Graniteville. Recreational facilities, company-sponsored activities, health services and low cost housing were all a way of life not only for those who were employed by Abbot, but for their families and neighbors as well.

Today, past employees remember fondly their work days at the Abbot Worsted Company. In particular, Mickey Crocker, Arnold Wilder, Roland Pendlebury, Mary Cote, Tom Holmes, Eleanor Perrault and Mary Rita Sousa shared personal experiences about their work and life in Forge Village to help create this exhibit. TC Vu, Ben Engel, Cate Lacroix, Ashlinn Dowling, Chris Newhard and Carley Hallion from the Westford Academy Museum Club helped conduct the interviews and document the stories, coordinated by their advisor Dr. Jim Bogue.

Although this exhibit includes history from the entire lifespan of the Abbot Worsted Company, as a result of these personal interviews, the exhibit emphasizes the latter half of the company's existence. It was a time when laborers were being protected by federal laws and regulations, and the economy saw many turns through wars, depressions, recovery and prosperity. The resulting culture that developed in Forge Village and Graniteville is something that can perhaps never be duplicated.

In addition to items from our own collections, the Westford Historical Society is indebted to the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, which has generously loaned us several artifacts from their collections to include in this exhibit.

Thanks are also due to those who helped with research for the exhibit, including Marilyn Day, Bob Oliphant and Melissa Phillips. And finally, to Dan Lacroix, President of the Westford Historical Society and my dear husband, many thanks for your hours of listening, moving displays, making suggestions, and supporting me in every way.

Penny Lacroix, Curator

The exhibit will be on display at the museum from May through December 2007.

This exhibit is supported in part by the Westford Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.