'Leominster' is a
city in
Worcester County,
Massachusetts,
United States. The population was 41,303 at the 2000 census. Leominster is located north of
Worcester and west of
Boston. Both
Route 2 and
Route 12 pass through Leominster.
Interstate 190,
Route 13, and
Route 117 all have starting/ending points in Leominster. Leominster is bounded by
Fitchburg and
Lunenburg to the north,
Lancaster to the east,
Sterling and
Princeton to the south, and
Westminster to the west.
History
Before European settlement, various divisions of the
Pennacook or
Nipmuc tribes inhabited the area, with a settlement nearby called Nashua. Leominster was first settled in
1653, was officially incorporated in
1740, and incorporated as a city in
1915. Leominster is now known as "The Pioneer Plastics City" because of its thriving
plastics industry from the early part of the
twentieth century to present day. Leominster and
Fitchburg are commonly known as the twin cities in the area because of their similar populations, their shared history of industry, and their location on the
Nashua River.
Leominster was also a major contributor in the
Underground Railroad. The Emory Stearn Schoolhouse and the John Drake home, both on Franklin Street, led anti-slavery campaigns and helped house slaves on their journey to freedom.
The Plastic Industry
The city of Leominster has played a more significant role in the establishment and progress of
plastics than any other city in the United States. The Plastics Industry started with the
comb industry in 1770's which has flourished in Leominster ever since. Early combs were made of animal shell, horn, and hooves. By the mid 1800's these supplies were dwindlling rapidly. Every thing changed when in 1868
John Wesley Hyatt invented a material made from cellulose acetate , to which he gave the name "
celluloid". Celluloid was hard, durable, and easy to shape and mold when heated to a certain temperature. Leominster's facilities for horn fabrication, rapidly become the center for plastic fabrication in the United States. Leominster used celluloid not only for combs, but for toys, cutlery handles, optical frames, buttons, and novelties of all shapes and sizes. Most celludoid manufacturing was later changed to cellulose acetate which did not burn as quickly. Between 1900 and 1920 was the peak of the plastic industry in leominster. The plastics idustry was Leominster largest employer. Unfortunately, the late 1920's was the fall of the comb industry. The fashion style of women was changing who were wearing their hair shorter with no need for elaborate combs. Then the
Great Depression which began in 1929 and did not end until the end of
World War II.
Foster Grant
In May of 1919
Sam Foster Jr., with one employee, Grace Goodhue, started the Foster Manufacturing Company. The company started in a small laundry and small adjacent house on Manning Ave. The work the company did was jobbed put from the Viscoloid Company and other Leominster manufacturers. For the company to survive Sam Foster knew he needed to make his own product to stay in business. The first product produced was
jewelry. Sam then decided he needed a salesman. Sam hired William Grant who was made his partner and was responsible for sales. The name was changed to
Foster Grant Company, Inc. Grant only lasted a couple months, but with no money left to legally change the name it remained Foster Grant.
In 1920
Goody Hair Products, a
New York City based firm started ordering products from Foster Grant's. Foster Grant was getting national recognition and more orders from different companies. The factory was moved to a Three-building complex on Lancaster Street with a total 40,000 square feet in 1924. Sam Foster learned of injection molding and brought it to the United States and to his Foster Grant factory. Foster Grant quickly turning Foster Grants into one of the leading plastic manufacturers in the country. With the growth of the company Sam Foster hired his son Joe to be the company's representative in New York City. Joe Foster moved the company into national prominence with a sale of plastic notepads with attached crayons, invented by Sam, to
Woolworths's. The order was for three thousand gross at about twenty-five thousand dollars, the largest order by far the company had filled. Sometime between 1927 and 1929 Sam Foster designed the first ever Foster Grant
sunglasses. The first sunglasses were sold for 10 cents, but were viewed as childish. Not until Hollywood movie stars were seen and photograghed wearing sunglasses in sunny southern Californa. The sunglasses industry exploded in the 1930's and expanded through the 50's, 60's, 70's. During World War II with the lack on plastic demand Joe Foster turned to the military to sell plastic. 80% of the company's profit went to the military. Foster Grant continued to grow and went international. Sam Foster retired from Foster Grant in 1942 at age 59 and Joe Foster died on November 10, 1971. The company was sold and moved from Leominster in 1986.
The Dupont Viscoloid Company
The Viscoloid Company was incorporated in 1901. Founded by Alexander Paton, the president of the company. He was accompanied by his Lugwig Stross and his Sectratary and Treasurer
Bernard Doyle. In 1902 the partners started the Sterling Comb company which made dress combs and other hair ornaments. The men owned the Vascoloid Company, Harvard Novelty Company, and the Paton Company, but in 1912 the companies were consolidated under the name Viscoloid Company and later the Viscoloid Company Inc. By 1923 the companies capital reached three million dollars becoming the largest emmployer in Leeominster. That same year Alexander Paton resigned and Bernard Doyle became Chief Executive. He remained Chief until 1925 when the company merged with The Dupont company. The name was then changed The Dupont Viscoloid Company. The company was the largest in the city making dress combs, brushes, mirrors, toilet articles, hair ornaments, and other novlties.
Pink Flamingo
Union Products first conceived the idea of plastic lawn ornaments in 1946. Unfortunately, the first ones were two-dimensional; and envisioned. Ten years later, 1956, the company decided to hire an artist to correct the problem. They turned to the prestigious
Worcester Art Museum School in
Worcester, Massachusetts for candidates, ultimately hiring
Don Featherstone.
His first project was a duck named “Charlie the Duck.” He was modeled after a real duck that Mr. Featherstone kept at his studio. Charlie met with moderate success, but Mr. Featherstone was sure he could do better. Using flamingo pictures from National Geographic, he created a clay sculpture of the famous bird. The company made aluminum molds and the
pink flamingo was born.
This was during the 1950’s when vast numbers of families were moving into ranch houses in new suburban developments. The new homes were affordable and comfortable, but had a “cookie-cutter” repetitive design that reduced costs. The new homeowners now had lawns and a desperate need to express their individuality. The sales of Leominster’s native bird took off. Since then, sales have had their ups and downs over the years, the birds occasionally being replaced in popular fashion by more tasteful rabbits or less tasteful gnomes. At one point , sales picked up dramatically because of the successful television show “
Miami Vice” where the birds gave a strong but understated and uncredited performance as shows regulars.
Today, they are purchased for uses as varied as wedding decorations, house warming gifts, or to humorously mark a birthday.
Just remember, all authentic Leominster pink flamingos have Don Featherstone’s signature under their tails, a yellow beak with black tip, and are only sold in pairs.
Leominster Culture
Villages
The city is divided into a few "
villages" such as
French Hill, a large hill covered in planned blocks of "
triple decker"
apartment houses located from 1st Street to 12th Street. It is called French Hill because this is where the large immigrant French population took root. In the early 1900's, on Lincoln Terrace, the Italians moved in as a group and built up a semi-closed society which existed for many years. The French had built a new church and moved closer to it. Other areas are Morse Hollow,
North Leominster, Rice Hill, the Flats, the West Side, and the
Car Barn area along the Fitchburg border. A granite marker showing the birth place of
Johnny Appleseed can be found on Johnny Appleseed Lane.
Nicknames
Leominster is commonly referred to as "Frenchtown" because of its large
French Canadian population. This name was coined by author
Robert Cormier (who grew up on French Hill) in his book, ''
Frenchtown Summer''. Leominster is also called the "Pioneer
Plastics City" because of its early role in plastics manufacturing. It was also called the "Comb City". The
National Plastics Center & Museum is located in Leominster. One would be hard pressed to walk through a large department store or supermarket today and not find some plastic product from Leominster.
Leominster is named after the
market town of
Leominster in
Herefordshire,
England. The city name is
not pronounced as spelled, "Leo" followed by "minster"; locals refer to the city as "Lemon-stah" in the
Eastern New England dialect. However, it is commonly referred to in standard pronunciation as "Lemon-stir". It is also referred to as the "city of dreams."
Leominster Sports
Leominster High School has had a long tradition of Massachusetts Division 1 sports. Basketball, baseball, tennis, and track have become popular sports. Football has emerged as the main competitive sport. Leominster has 10 State Championships second to only Brockton who has 11. Leominster High's football team has faced Fitchburg High School's team since 1894 and have met each other 124 consecutive years and 102 consecutive years on Thanksgiving. One of the longest Thanksgiving Day rivalry in the state. Both teams have been very competitive, but Fitchburg leads the series 58-56-9.
Emile Johnson, the long-time
Leominster High School baseball coach, has the most career wins for the state of
Massachusetts. He is still coaching today.
'Doyle Field': Leominster plays at Doyle Field dedicated to the city by Mayor Bernard W. Doyle in 1929. The original stadium included a press box, bleachers for 6,200 people, and additional portable bleachers that could be placed in the end zone making seating for nearly 10,000 fans. Doyle field was dedicated on October 10, 1931. Doyle had spent $200,000 on the project. 2005 was the start of the Doyle Field Renovation Project. The project consists a three-phase plan to update the complex. Phase One will cost an estimated $4 million The Phase includes improving the bowl landform, replacing bleachers, installing new turf , Building an entertainment Plaza and Plavilion for cultural events, build new locker rooms, provide concessio stands/ restrooms, Replacing the Media box, and installing new ticket booths.
In
1988, the
Leominster High School Blue Devils football team defeated the
USA Today top ranked high school team in the nation, the
Brockton Boxers by a score of 27-12 before a crowd of 11,000 at a noisy and jubilant Doyle Field.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 77.1
km² (29.8
mi²). 74.8 km² (28.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.96% water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 41,303 people, 16,491 households, and 10,900 families residing in the city. The
population density was 552.2/km² (1,430.3/mi²). There were 16,976 housing units at an average density of 227.0/km² (587.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.50%
White, 3.70%
African American, 0.15%
Native American, 2.44%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 4.32% from
other races, and 2.21% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 11.00% of the population.
There were 16,491 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were
married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,893, and the median income for a family was $54,660. Males had a median income of $41,013 versus $30,201 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $21,769. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Historical Population
★ 1940 - 22,226
★ 1950 - 24,075
★ 1960 - 27,929
★ 1970 - 32,939
★ 1980 - 34,508
★ 1990 - 38,145
★ 2000 - 41,303
★ 2005 - 42,000
[
[1]]
Government
Education
'Public Schools:'
★ Bennett
★ Fall Brook
★ Johnny Appleseed
★
Center for Technical Education
★
Leominster Senior High
★ Lincoln School
★ Northwest
★ Priest Street School
★ Samoset School
★ Sky View Middle School
★ Southeast Middle School
'Private Schools:'
★ St. Anna's Elementary School
★ St. Leo's Elementary School
'Approved Special Education School:'
★ Lipton Academy
★ North Leominster Community College for The Blind and Deaf
Media
Newspapers
★ ''
Sentinel & Enterprise''
★ ''
Telegram & Gazette''
★ ''
Leominster Champion''
Television
★
Leominster Access Television
Points of interest
Kendall Hall (which currently houses a branch of the local
fire department) and
City Hall are two major landmarks in the city. Others can be seen in
this slide show of local places.
Parks
Other than the triangle-shaped
common in downtown, and the various
parks like Barett and Carter, Leominster is home to two large forest parks. One, the Doyle Reservation, is home to the
local branch of the
The Trustees of Reservations. The other large forest park is the
Leominster State Forest. This is a large
state forest and is home to hiking and multi-use trails, some of which connect with the
Midstate Trail. Leominster is a hilly city and provides plenty of hiking with great views.
The renovations at Doyle Field have given the teams of
Leominster High School some of the best playing fields in the area. However, the track is not being resurfaced and will be torn up in the next few years. This will leave the
Leominster High School track team, which already cannot have home meets because of the poor condition of the track, without a practice track. Over the years, Leominster has provided some of the state's best runners.
Sholan Farms
Red Apple
is the latest tourist attraction to the city. This
apple orchard offers a large variety of
apples, a great view, and a historic and scenic look into the area's
agricultural history. This orchard is home to festivals and functions and is a source of local pride. Sholan Farms is 123 years old, purchased from Chief Sholan of the
Nashaway (Nashua) tribe in 170
Notable residents
★ John Chapman, better known as
Johnny Appleseed, American pioneer nurseryman
★
Robert Cormier, author of ''
The Chocolate War''
★ Paul DiGiovanni, guitarist for the
rock band
Boys Like Girls
★
Mistress Carrie, radio DJ, music director for
WAAF-FM
★
James Nachtwey, award-winning war photographer
★
Mark Osowski, former NBA assistant coach for the
New Orleans Hornets, the
Golden State Warriors, and the
Cleveland Cavaliers
★
R.A. Salvatore, fantasy/science-fiction author
★ Scott Spinelli, former
Boston University basketball player, current
Texas A&M men's basketball assistant coach
Trivia
Johnny Appleseed, Harper’s Magazine, 1871
★ The
plastic flamingo traces its origins to Leominster.
★ Leominster High School's
football rivalry with Fitchburg High School is one of the oldest
Thanksgiving Day rivalries in the state of Massachusetts and in the country.
★ The Leominster High School Blue Devils
baseball team has earned three Division 1 State Championships, most in the state of
Massachusetts, and is a regular contender.
★ The Leominster High School Blue Devils
football team has earned ten Division 1 Super Bowl Championships, second most in the state behind
Brockton High School with eleven.
References
External links
★
Leominster official website
★
[2]
★
FitchburgLeominster.net
★
Blog about Leominster
★
The National Plastics Center & Museum
★
History and Genealogy of Leominster, MA
★
Leominster city profile
★
Sentinel & Enterprise
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