O. Ames Shovel Company Submitted by: Kevin Callahan & Peter Keelan

Submitted to: Michelle LeBlanc & Professor Brown

Summer Session 2010 Industrial Revolution in America Date Submitted: August 16, 2010

Table of Contents; From Artisans to Entrepreneurs by Peter Keelan & Kevin Callahan Cover page picture courtesy of The Easton Historical Society (Looking Back at Easton, Massachusetts p. 13)

Page 1 The History of the Ames Shovel Company by Kevin Callahan

Pages 2-6 Annotated Bibliography

Page 7 Lesson Plans in addendum to the original Mini Unit

Pages 8-13 The Ames family legacy through architecture by: Peter Keelan

Pages 14-17 Annotated Bibliography

Page 18 Conclusion to the Industrial Revolution TAH Course

Page 19

History of Ames Shovel Company by: Kevin Callahan Oliver Ames came to North Easton Massachusetts with the goal to build America’s best shovels. He took his trade and entrepreneurial spirit moving from Bridgewater to Easton and purchased a failed mill for $1,600. The Leonard shop included a forge, a dam, and a nail making operation. As history will bear out, Ames shovels literally touched the hands and lives of most Americans in the 19th Century. O. Ames Shovel Company was started in 1803 when Oliver took his Bridgewater blacksmith operation to Easton. He was ambitious and wanted to take his fathers small locally based enterprise and take it to the next level. O. Ames Shovel Company would go on to be an international concern. America was importing heavy cumbersome British shovels and hoes. The Ames shovels would be lighter and better engineered. The innovativeness of Oliver Ames and superior design were hallmarks of his success. The young nation and Ames were poised for greatness. After reconfiguring the forge and moving all of his Bridgewater operation Ames first produced shovels in Easton in 1805. Ames paid one dollar for a vendor to take a dozen shovels to Boston. The reaction by the American public was skeptical. Many felt the British shovel was tried and true and they resisted change. Ames was not deterred. Circumstances would catapult the company to a national company over the next 30 years. American Roads, canals, westward expansion, trade embargoes, and railroads turned to the O. Ames shovel company to supply the tools that would build America. The “Rhode Island” system of manufacturing was used by Ames. By using waterpower to drive his mill and temper his steel Oliver then turned to his community to be the muscle to work in his factories. North Easton was a small village of approximately 1,500 residents in the first decade of the 19th Century. Ames would put most of the men and boys in Easton to work in his factories. Thomas Jefferson put trade embargoes on British goods and O. Ames Shovel Company picked up the business. American ships were being seized by the British, which brought America and Britain to war in 1812. American soldiers were armed with rifles and Ames entrenching shovels during the war. By 1817 Ames would develop and patent a back strap shovel that would later be made to fit in a soldiers pack for digging trenches. America was on the move and they took Ames shovels with them. Ames shovels were used to build canals. Ames shovels were used to break ground and build the railroad lines for the B & O railroad. The canal and railroad lines in the Blackstone Valley used Ames shovels. As turnpikes were built and manufacturing facilities sprang up in New England Ames business dramatically increased.

2 By the 1830’s North Easton’s population grew modestly to 1800 people. O. Ames Shovel Company built homes for its employees. The influx of immigrants provided new workers for the shovel making factories. Oliver Ames vowed he would not use Irish or Roman Catholics but would be convinced by his sons to overcome this prejudice. Waves of immigrants were coming to America and would work day and night for very little pay. Ames expanded his operation to build a dam and a small-specialized shop in Braintree Massachusetts. He built new stone buildings in Easton and compartmentalized his operations. He bought more property by Long Pond to increase his workspace and added a hoe factory. In 1845 Ames bought out a competitor the Kingsley Iron and Machine Works in Canton Massachusetts.1 As settlers moved west they took Ames shovels and hoes with them. As railroads sprang up and towns and cities were built Ames shovels were now a household name. Moving west to Oregon and California Ames shovels were sometimes used at legal tender in the wilderness of rural America. Mines were built, land was cleared, wells were dug, graves were dug, and the wilderness was tamed. The need to expand the Ames manufacturing was critical to its success. With orders for thousands of shovels coming in monthly, Ames built bigger factories and sought raw materials to keep up with the demand. Ames got into the shipping business and began to ship its products internationally. If you look at the tool itself it has a few unique features. It’s wooden handle shaped like a D gave the user ease of use. The “Ames Curve” or bend near the blade quite simply made the tool more productive allowing more leverage. The strength of the steel and wood were hallmarks of the quality of Ames tools. Ames would patent all his innovations so that competitors would not be able to steal his designs. Ames shovels were uniform in size and quality. Quality control in the plants by Oliver Ames and his sons gave America a product they could rely on. Oliver’s credo was” An inferior shovel would never leave his factory.”2 By 1840 railroads were connecting American cities. Manufacturing and mining gave companies a national market. The California gold rush spurred Americans to travel west. Ames shovels built the railways. Ames shovels were shipped to factories across America. The Ames family would later decide that they would use some of their capital to get into the railroad business.

1 Ames, Winthrop, The Ames Family of Easton Massachusetts Privately printed in Quincy Massachusetts in 1938, p. 74-77 2 Ames, Winthrop, The Ames Family History, p. 45

3 In 1844, the business changed it’s named from O. Ames Shovel to Oliver Ames and Sons. The transformation from artisan to factory would mean changes in the community. Workers would work 6 days a week. Ames paid fair wages and also built housing for employees. His operation now had a company store for the employees to provide essentials for the community. The factory bell rang at 4:40 AM and workers generally worked form 7 AM until 6 PM with an hour off for lunch.3 Twenty thousand dozen shovels were produced and sold in 1847. In 1852 fire devastated the company destroying the wooden factories. The factories were rebuilt in stone quarried in the Barrows Street about a half-mile form the plant. This is now the site of Frothingham Park in Easton. Operations were streamlined and reorganized at this time. Out of necessity the company moved all of its operations into a single factory while the new facilities were being built. The assembly line principal was introduced with raw materials coming in one end of the building and finished products were shipped out the front door of the factory. Upon the completion of the magnificent stone factories Oliver Ames and Sons was poised to go global in the shovel business. The railroad spur was built next to the factories in 1855. Ames now employed 330 workers and shipped out over 700, 000 dollars of tools in the same year. Steam was now used to increase power and productivity in the plant. A business office was built and the sons now controlled the company. Oliver Ames retired at age 62. New waves of immigrants were drawn to Easton. Irish workers were now in competition for work from Swedes and this changed the culture of the community. Churches were being built including a small Roman Catholic Church on Pond Street. New languages and customs were introduced in the community. The Swedes brought competition for jobs. The Irish, who were deeply entrenched in the work force, now would have to fight for their jobs and their country. The Civil War broke out in 1860. Death came to America touching every community on a colossal scale. War was rapidly approaching and Oliver Ames and sons would mass-produce entrenching shovels. Throughout the war the factory was hammering out shovels, hoes, entrenching tools, and had trouble finding strong men capable of the strenuous work. Many men went off to fight in the war. During this tumultuous time tragedy struck the Ames family. Old Oliver Ames Senior died at age 84. His death brought sadness and grieving to the family and community. The torch would be passed onto a new generation of the Ames family. 3 Chaffin, William, History of the Town of Easton University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts 1866

4 Oakes Ames controlled the business; the day-to-day operations were turned over to Oliver’s grandsons Frederick Lothrop Ames, Oakes Angier Ames, and Oliver Ames III. Oakes was a member of Congress and became heavily involved in the Union Pacific Railroad. The grand sons would help reconstruct America. The rebuilding and expanding of America brought a boon to operations. By 1869 the company sales grew to over a million shovels. The grandsons would buy up huge tracks of land and began shaping the landscape of the communities. The Ames family built mansions, parks, grand halls, and schools. Only the best contractors of the time would do. H. H. Richardson and Frederick Olmsted were the architects and builders of many of the Ames properties. The Olmsted / H. H. Richardson middle school, built in the 1990’s includes the classic Richardson magnificent stone work and arched roofs to remind us of a glorious remembrance of the gilded age of America during late 19th Century. The Ames family’s involvement with the Union Pacific Railroad proved to be an overwhelming physical and financial task. Oakes Ames had to pledge his own money and holdings in the company to keep the company alive. The company was in jeopardy financially and in danger of losing its property and fortune. The United States offered support to buy the land and a partner in the company. It was up to Oakes Ames to raise more capital to complete the building of the trans continental railroad. The Credit Moilier was established to sell stock and raise this capital4. A scandal soon ensued with Ames being accused of profiteering on the construction of the railroad. Ames was forced to leave Congress and returned to Easton in shame. The stress proved to be fatal and Oakes Ames passed away soon after returning to his home in Easton in 1873. As time went by, Ames shovels were used in every major war, canal, turnpike, and industry on the planet. In 1876 the Ames Shovel works produced over 1.5 million shovels. With the coming of the Carnegie steel empire Ames market share would slowly dwindle. Carnegie as a customer began to control not only the Mills but also the small manufacturing plants of America. National recessions made business harder to predict and affected profits and production. Ames used this to their advantage and bought out struggling shovel manufacturers. Ames shovels were used to dig foundations for skyscrapers. Ames was the company Teddy Roosevelt turned to at the turn of the century to help build the Panama Canal. Ames tools were at Mount Rushmore, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty just to mention a few. The list of major building programs and facilities is endless. World War I brought financial prosperity and the need to expand operations. Labor organizations were now brought to the forefront and Ames factories followed suit. During World War II Ames manufactured over 7 million entrenching shovels5.

4 Klein, Maury, Union Pacific-the Rebirth 1894-1969 Doubleday, New York 1968 p. 102-103 5 Ames Winthrop, pages 177-190

5 In 1932 the Ames Shovel built a colossal manufacturing plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia in 1932. The depression forced the company to succumb to pressure from labor unions. A violent strike occurred at the West Virginia site.6 It is a point of information is that the was never a strike or labor stoppage in the 150 years of shovel making by the Ames Shovel Company in Easton Massachusetts! By 1952 shovel production in Easton came to an end. As technology changed the company grew by leaps and bounds. Factories over seas were acquired. New modern plants were powered by electricity. In 1961 Ames got into the shear making business. It now became a global conglomerate and sales of over 70 million dollars in 1964.7 While touring the different factories, farms, roadways, canals, cemeteries, and mills you couldn’t escape the fact Ames shovels were there. Tom Brown and Michelle LeBlanc found Ames shovels for sale at the general Store in Old Sturbridge Village. In your garage or tool shed you probably have an Ames set of shears or tool. When I borrowed and returned the Ames WWI entrenching tool I was with my brother Terry. We stopped and met Ed Hands at the Historical Society in Easton. This was the railroad depot built and designed by H. H. Richardson in the 19th century. An amazing conversation took place all about shovels. Terry walked in & said he used an Ames collapsible entrenching tool in the Persian Gulf conflict during Dessert storm to fill sand bags, dig graves, and were trained to use it as a potential weapon. If you’re in a dessert, a field, a river, a factory, or a cemetery, shovels are parts of our lives. Both of these men regaled stories for over 2 hours and I sat and listened and learned. Recently I harkened back to my youth and remembered dump trucks dropping earth, bricks, mortar and stone on our driveway. The pile of dirt was enormous. It was a mountain for my 5 brothers and I to play “ King of the Hill” on. The fun diminished when my dad brought us each a shovel. That entire summer my father and grand father built planters of brick, jacked up our house, rebuilt our foundation, and lined the driveway with stone. We rolled boulders struggling every inch of the way. We became competitive seeing who could carry the biggest rock from my dad’s station wagon bed. My dad was a science teacher but worked side by side with his father to rebuild our house. Our wood paneled 1964 station wagon springs were destroyed from hauling stones. My family had to buy a new (used) wagon at the beginning of the school year. We dug the mountain flat and planted flowers and grass. When I compare the scope of Central Park to our foundation, front porch, one brick planter, a flagstone walkway, and driveway I appreciate what the right man with the right tool can do. Oliver Ames was the right man and produced the right tools to build America one shovel full at a time. fini

6 amesshovelmuseum@stonehill-industrial.edu

Annotated Bibliography

1. Ames, Winthrop, The Ames Family of Easton Massachusetts Privately printed in Quincy Massachusetts in 1938, p. 74-77 The Ames Family privately printed this book in 1938. It gives favorable accounts of the Ames Family in Easton Massachusetts. It was especially helpful in dealing with accurate genealogy and the development of the O. Ames Shovel Company 2. Ames, Winthrop, The Ames Family History, p. 45 3. Chaffin, William, History of the Town of Easton University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts 1866 This book shows how the town’s people and press viewed the Ames. It chronicles their company’s growth and influence the family had over the community. 4. Klein, Maury, Union Pacific-the Rebirth 1894-1969 Doubleday, New York 1968 p. 102-103 Klein shows the Ames scandal in the Credit Moblier in a harsh light. Oakes Ames was censured from Congress in an effort to raise funds to finish the Union Pacific railroad. 5. Ames Winthrop, pages 177-190 6. amesshovelmuseum@stonehill-industrial.edu The Ames family archives, log books, pay sheets, ships logs, cargo manifests are available to the public in a Museum on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton Massachusetts. The Ames Company owned and operated many ships in the 1800’s.

(2) Lesson plans in addendum to the original unit by Kevin Callahan

Phoenix School American Industrial Revolution Daily Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Callahan/Keelan Course/Subject U S History I Grade(s) 9-12 4-7 #students # with IEP, 504 Date and length of class (2) 45 minute classes Unit/Theme/Topic(s)/ Focus Question(s) Why did the Ames set up shop in Easton? What raw materials and power source were key to success? Who worked in the factories? Explain the difference between an artisan and a factory worker. Who was the main competition for the O. Ames Shovel Company? How did immigration impact the factory and community in Easton? Materials/Resources Needed Ames CD (Produced and hosted by Peter Keelan interviewing local historian Ed Hands. Pictures and handouts Power point presentation on the history of the company and evolution and uses of the Ames Shovels and tools. Quiz focusing on the Ames shovel company from 1803-present day Learning Standards Addressed (from MA Curriculum Frameworks or Local Standards) A. the technological improvements and inventions that contributed to industrial growth B. the causes and impact of the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to America in the

1840s and 1850s

Lesson Objectives (If applicable, include specific high level skills and concepts.) Students will be able to discuss how the manufacturing left the shops and moved into the factories. Students will be able to articulate what the assembly line was Students will be able to recognize the importance of railroads and canals to the success of American businesses in the 1800’s Setting the Stage (Activate, Review, Generate Interest, State Objectives and Agenda) Show the movie Discuss going to the factory sites and taking a tour Hand out a WWI entrenching shovel and Vietnam entrenching shovel List 15 places where shovels have been used in history

Instructional Strategies: Acquisition and Consolidation of Skills/Knowledge (Explanation, Modeling, Checking for Understanding, Guided and Independent Practice) Hands on skills Explain the “Rhode Island System” of a Factory Town Students will write an short essay on life in a factory Students might relate stories of people they know that worked in a factory Students will talk about their family heritage and occupations Closure (Summarize, Review, Homework, Preview Next Day) Spend 15 minutes answering all questions about the film and the shovels Have students name 15 places or uses for shovels i.e.; movie Glory, shovel drive way, dig a canal, garden, turnpikes, foundations, factories Assessment/ Evidence of Learning Students will complete verbally or typed exam related to the Ames Shovel Company

Phoenix School American Industrial Revolution Daily Lesson Plan

Teacher Callahan/Keelan Course/Subject American History II

Grade( 10/11) 4-8#students 5 # with IEP, 504 Date and length of class; 1 45 minute class **Allow specific students unlimited time per IEP Unit/Theme/Topic(s)/ Focus Question(s) Mini Unit: American Industrial Revolution Samuel Slater’s Pawtucket “Rhode Island System of Manufacturing” One Town/ One Mill/ One Community What did Slater bring to American Manufacturing? How did he come to Rhode Island? What were the keys to his success? Why did so many mills emulate his system of organization of manufacturing? Did children work in the Mill? Materials/Resources Needed Slater Mill Hand out Text Pages 238-244 Allow Students 10 minutes to read the material Classroom Discussion 10 minutes 20 minutes to answer questions 1-4 on the hand out Students can opt to discuss the questions or type answers in their profile on the PC Learning Standards Addressed (from MA Curriculum Frameworks or Local Standards) USI.28 Explain the emergence and impact of the textile industry in New England and industrial growth generally throughout antebellum America. (H, E) C. the technological improvements and inventions that contributed to industrial growth D. the causes and impact of the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to America in the

1840s and 1850s E. the rise of a business class of merchants and manufacturers F. the roles of women in New England textile factories Lesson Objectives (If applicable, include specific high level skills and concepts.) Students will be able to analyze how Slater’s Mill was the model for American factories Students will be able to verbalize the role of families, women, and children in the workplace in New England in the early 1800’s Setting the Stage (Activate, Review, Generate Interest, State Objectives and Agenda) Review these concepts as part of the Chapter review exam. Examine literature from Slater Mill brochure Plan a potential field trip for students on a certain behavior Level ( 3 and above ) Instructional Strategies: Acquisition and Consolidation of Skills/Knowledge

(Explanation, Modeling, Checking for Understanding, Guided and Independent Practice) Talk about the Pawtucket Red Sox (Slater’s Mill is a mile away) Explain the Slater Mill was established in the 1790’s Emphasize the use of water power was an innovation It had a direct impact on neighboring farms, fishing, and Native Americans Have the students picture themselves working and being paid Tell students how little the children and women made compared to the men The Mill became the model for future factories in New England Americas Industrial Revolution followed the British Industrial Revolution Have the students answer the related questions verbally or type in their PC profile Closure (Summarize, Review, Homework, Preview Next Day) Transition in to the Ames factories followed the “Rhode Island System” Assessment/ Evidence of Learning Questions from the text and handout will be completed in class Oral responses from students regarding the material Students will type their answers in their portfolios on their computer

Teacher, Callahan/Keelan Course American History II Keelan Grade 8-12 Class size 5 to 7 students 5-6 with IEP, 504 Date/ Length of class (1) 45 minute class Unit Focus questions; Mini Unit American Industrial Revolution

Distinguish among the past, present, and future What are some of the components of the factory? Preservation of Historical Buildings How can a community benefit from revitalizing closed factories? Materials/ Resources needed Map of Easton handout Computer Comparative photographs of the Ames Shovel Works Readings on the Easton Shovel Works (Teacher provided) Learning Standards Addressed; Theme II; Continuity and Change over time Standard B. The student identifies and uses key concepts such as chronology, causality, change, conflict, and complexity to explain, analyze, and show connections among patterns of historical change and continuity.

Standard D. The student identifies and uses processes important to reconstructing and reinterpreting the past. Theme III: People Place, and Environments

• Standard G. The student describes how people create places that reflect cultural values and ideals as they build parks, neighborhoods, shopping centers, schools, and the like.

Learning Objectives; 1) To explain the role of Easton and other building communities in the early

industrialization in the United States. 2) To determine how various transportation methods impacted the development

of Easton Massachusetts. 3) To define the role of mechanics in the economic and industrial development

of Easton 4) To conduct research on historic structures in the students hometown.

Setting the Stage

1. Introduce the students to the concept of single shop manufacturing and mass production 2. Ask the students to list various identifiers or terms that may differentiate the two

• Have students create a map layout of a factory that may have been present

in the 1,800’s. • Methods to power the factories • How products were transported to market • How and where workers lived

Instructional Strategies;

• Active student engagement • Discussion • Creative Thinking • Applied learning

Introduction by: Peter Keelan

The purpose of this presentation is to assist the student with learning disabilities in

developing an inquiry style in his overall approach to learning. The following unit

examines the role the Ames family played in American History. More specifically, how

the Ames shovel evolved through time and the lasting legacy the family left to the

community of Easton Massachusetts.

The reason behind choosing the Ames family as a subject for this project is that they were a perfect microcosm for the Industrial Revolution. The Ames family built an empire with their minds and hands while also contributing to the community of Easton. Through their benevolent acts, the family introduced the town to the artistry of Olmstead and Richardson whose works still grace the town. When developing a strategy aimed for the student that demonstrates learning difficulties, one has to accept that normal techniques may not be adequate for the student to achieve the desired goal(s). With this in mind, it has been recognized that the student will achieve far greater success in the meeting the expectations of the teacher if the student is presented with activities that incorporate a wide range of multi-media approaches. Not only does this foster creativity on the student’s part but it also allows him to explore various alternatives in meeting the goals of the teacher. It must be noted that when engaged in said projects, the student will place ownership in his assignment thus he develops a sense of pride in his or her work.

The Ames family legacy through Architecture by: Peter Keelan

The period often referred to, as the Industrial Revolution was not an armed insurrection

but rather a transformation of manufacturing from the small cottage shop to the factory.

With this drastic evolution in production, came the expansion of the workplace and

workforce.

Over the course of his life Oliver Ames witnessed the transformation of America, with

Easton and the Ames shovel business as a microcosm of larger changes. Small artisan

shops of his boyhood had evolved into factories with many employees. Each worker

focusing on certain steps of the entire manufacturing process. Business, which once only

supplied the local community, now interacted with suppliers and merchants around the

nation if not around the world. Laborers once unfamiliar with the entire concept of

factory work now tied their lives to the bell and account book of the manager and owner.

Small, insular and rather homogenous settlements were beginning a transformation into

diverse communities of mixed-born and immigrant populations. 1

From its humble beginnings, The Oliver Ames Company of Easton Massachusetts

began as a small single shop forge located upon the town’s Quesett Brook. It was from

here that the company would grow to become the lead manufacturer of shovels during the

mid eighteen hundreds. In fact, during the 1880’s at the height of their success, the

company controlled 60% of the world’s market for shovel manufacturing. 2

As demand for the prized Ames Shovel rose so did the manufacturing plant that created

these tools. Overtime, face of the company would basically encompass the entire town of

Easton. The physical plant rose from a single shop to numerous buildings each focusing

on a singular component of the overall manufacturing model. Constructed over a period

of 75 years, the factory although idle, is still standing creating a museum of 75 years of

industrial history in one place. Aside from the actual industrial plant, the Ames family

also envisioned the need to construct buildings that would have greater value to the

town’s overall richness. The commissioning of Fredrick Law Olmstead and H.H.

Richardson resulted in the creation of the Ames Free Library, The Ames Memorial Hall,

the town’s Railroad Station, and the Memorial Cairn (locally referred to as The Rockery)

added a dimension that other nearby towns were not able to provide to its populations.

Over time the fortunes of the company grew so did the need for greater manufacturing.

Seizing on the need to expand, the Ames family expanded the company’s holdings

outside of the area. In 1901, the company reorganized from The Oliver Ames and Sons

Company to that of the Ames Shovel and Tool Company. It was an organization that

merged the Ames initial interests with companies located in Pennsylvania, Indiana and

Missouri. This expansion not only gave the directors a wider view of the marketplace but

it would eventually trigger the company’s eventual move from its home base.

Due to growing competition and a shrinking market by the mid 1900’s the Ames Shovel

and Tool Company was a mere shadow of its former self. Once again merging with a

former competitor, the Baldwin Shovel works located in Parkersburg West Virginia

basically brought to an end the manufacturing activity in Easton. Due to the

infrastructure that was available in Parkersburg and absent in Easton the company in

1952 shut down all operations in Easton. Although the company still managed on

displaying the Ames name, its involvement with Easton came to a close. (3)

With the transfer of operations the buildings of the factory sit idle, silent reminders of

the industrial might those they once flexed. The stone buildings, which constituted the

mainframe of the factory, are still intact minus the machines of operation.

As with other factory communities the question is what to do with these structures.

Although the entire site has been listed in the National Historic Landmark Registry, the

desire by the town to revitalize the location is of high importance. As is the case of the

shuttered Bethlehem Steel Works in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, former factories not only

become a plight to a community but they also are a drain to the local economy. The

town of Easton has been active in seeking a solution to these issues.

If following the examples of other industrial towns, Easton decides to raze the buildings

what would become of the empty lots that they would create. And if the buildings are

demolished so to would be the artistry of their construction.

There are other former mill towns that have faced similar scenarios. One in particular is

the village of Whitinsville (located within the Massachusetts town of Northbridge). Once

the home to the Whitin Mill, this vast complex, which sits on the banks of the Mumford

River, is now a center for diversified activities. Anchored by Alternatives Unlimited this

human service organization in partnership with the community has revitalized this once

closed down factory.

( Picture courtesy of the Worcester Telegram and gazette)

Directed by the philosophy that the mill was once the center of the community,

Alternatives Unlimited is taking the lead role in bringing this belief to reality. Under the

existing plans, the mill will house an art gallery, restaurants, pedestrian sitting areas, a

farmers market just to name a few. This interest in revitalizing not only is getting the

attention of the community but it is acting as a vehicle for the residents to rediscover the

past of their community. (4)

With the proposed return of rail traffic (commuter) to Easton, the town is anxious to

find a use for the Shovel Works. Currently, The Friends of the Shovel Works (a

community based non-profit) and Beacon Communities Development Company are in

discussion of the proper reuse of the factory. With the anticipated arrival of new

residents, plans include the establishment of mixed income housing, a community center,

open community parkland (which will support public outdoor activity throughout the

year) as well as a proposed industrial museum.

The period known as The Industrial Revolution represented greed, corruption and

unchallenged business growth. It created for some unparalleled riches and for others a

new country to call home. The edifices that were created during this time to support the

engines of progress are now empty catacombs of industrial history.

The dormant Shovel Works is a perfect example of what industrial might and profit

brought to the town. The growth of the community depended upon the success of the

company and in return the family that once directed it, gave back to the public

architectural masterpieces. In order to keep the rich history of Easton and The Ames

Shovel works alive the community must make every effort to revitalize this site and not

disregard the past with a swing of the wrecking ball.

Annotated Bibliography (Peter)

1. Galer, Greg. "The Stonehill Industrial Center". Easton

This pamphlet detail the collection of The Stonehill Industrial Center is an excellent source detailing both the history of the Ames family as well as the progression of design of the Ames Shovel.

2. Hack, C.A.. Valuation of the Real and Personal Estates in the Town of Easton. Taunton Massachusetts: Hack and Sons, 1853

A detailed source of financial information pertaining to the Town of Easton Massachusetts. This text is very interesting in that it provides information of the holdings of the Ames family within the town as well as the value and output of the Ames Shovel Works

3. Galer

4. Gosselin, Dan. "Whitin Mill Renovation Project". Worcester Telegram and

Gazette September 8 2007: This is a very detailed article regarding the renovation of the Whitin Mill. I found it to be very extensive and innovative.

Conclusion to the Industrial Revolution TAH Course

Over the past year we have found this course to be an invaluable educational experience. Through the books, visits to historical venues, and lectures we have gained valuable information to share with our colleagues and students. We now realize what a great resource Park Rangers in historical sites can be. Many of our students in an alternative school setting are hands on kinds of kids. To take them to Lowell, the Canal in the Blackstone Valley, or Slater’s Mill could be a great learning experience for both student and teacher alike.

Men like Olmsted can create a park for all to enjoy. Visiting his home in Brookline Massachusetts was fabulous for many reasons. It gave us insight as to how the man lived. His vision and genius is still with us today. Peter and I have drawings made by Olmsted on most of the Easton properties to share with our classes. Landscape architecture is a vital component in the building of houses, parks, and communities. Politics in the world also has a great influence on what restraints they put on Olmsted. He created pastoral places for all people to enjoy and get away from the city and commune with nature.

The research we did on the Ames family brought me closer to my community. I leaned how to edit film and delegate responsibility to complete a project. Visiting with Ed Hands and filming at Oliver Ames High School was bringing back the past with modern technology. The Historical Society in Easton is playing a key role in making sure who ever owns the buildings will keep the integrity of the architecture in tact.

Ardis Cameron’s book Radicals of the Worst Sort gave us perspective of women’s roles in labor in the early 1900’s. I found it enlightening to sit and talk with her on how she approached her research. Women assumed a militant role were looked at and judged differently than men in the early 1900’s. She clearly showed how female networks and social life of the workingwomen in Lawrence affected her community. Women rebelled for equality in wages and respect from the dilettante factory owners. Even if they were not allowed to vote their voices would be heard.

In closing I would like to acknowledge the impact this course has had in my classroom. After turning my classroom from an interactive planet Careleus Blue my students and I transformed it into and interactive American Industrial Learning Center.

All of my students did power point presentation on key figures in the American Industrial Revolution. Going forward I will have more resources to enhance their learning experiences through books, maps, primary sources, charts, photographs, films, and field trips. Captivating the minds of my students is my personal goal. Working with children with all kinds of cognitive abilities is challenging. I feel I have a fountain of information from this course to keep my kids engaged in the classroom. The trick will be getting them to drink from it.