Industrialization in North Adams Timeline

• 1745- Fort Massachusetts was established
  
• 1751- The first mention of the use of water power in the valley
  
• 1754- The 4th French and Indian war broke out, Fort Massachusetts was strengthened, the garrison  increased
  
• 1759- The French and Indian War ended, garrison withdrawn, and Fort Massachusetts fell into disrepair
  
• 1762- The township was sold at auction
  
• October 15, 1778- Adams was incorporated, named after Samuel Adams
  
• March 8, 1779- Adams held its first town meeting
  
• 1791- Giles Barnes acquired part ownership of the first saw mill and grist mill in the north village
  
• 1792- Jonathon Remington was chosen sealer of brick moulds
  
• 1794- David Estes commenced the manufacture of cut nails
  
• 1794- Jeremiah Colegrove purchases the first mill
  
• 1795- Captain Jeremiah Colegrove built a new grist mill on the west side of the Hoosic River
  
• 1801- David Estes created the first building in North Adams carding wool and dressing cloth
  
• 1804- A hat factory moved onto Eagle Street
  
• 1804- Captain Colegrove erected a two-story building on the east bank of the Hoosic River, and began the carding of wool and the fulling and finishing of wool cloth
  
• 1810- The first cotton mill, called "The Adams North Village Cotton and Woolen " was established
  
• 1813- Windsor Print Works site was used for textile maufacturing
  
• 1813- Blackington Mill opened
  
• 1817- John Sherman sent Rufus Darling a deed stating an interest in an acre of land in Clarksburg
  
• 1817- Darby and Norton started an iron works on Union Street
  
• 1820- North Adams had twice as many agricultural workers than manufacturing
  
• 1821- Giles Tinker introduced the first power loom image in the Eagle Mill
  
• 1823- Manufacturing of lead pipe began
  
• 1825- North Adams could count the presence of the emerging Irish community
  
• 1836- Orson Wells began his manufacturing of wood
  
• (1820-1840)- North Adams doubled the state rate at which the population was moving from agriculture to manufacturing
  
• 1843- Manufacturing of shoes commenced in North Adams
  
• 1846- The Pittsfield-North Adams branch of the Western railroad was completed
  
• 1846- Orson Wells moved his factory to the Notch Brook
  
• 1849- Manufacturing percentage increased and agricultural percentage doubled
  
• 1856- Sampson Shoe Factory was established
  
• 1857- The railroad was completed between Troy, New York and North Adams with the digging of the "Little Tunnel"
  
• 1863- A new wagon was built by the Shakers, the wagon had sufficient elasticity to reduce the amount of force from the roads
  
• 1870- The Chinese were brought to North Adams by Calvin Sampson
  
• November 27, 1873- The eastern and the western headings of the Hoosac Tunnel met
  
• 1878- The north village of Adams split off and was incorporated as the manufacturing and railroad center, called North Adams
  
• 1880- Jewish settlers came to North Adams for the wool, cotton, and shoe mills
  
• 1895- 336 Italian born citizens were located in North Adams
  
• 1895- North Adams becomes a city with a population over 16,000
  
• January 20, 1898- The North Adams Transcript opened
  
• 1900- The Lebanese began settling in North Adams
  
• 1905- 593 Italian born citizens were located in North Adams
  
• 1909- French-Canadian immigrants went from 1% of the population to 25% in North Adams
  
• 1942- Arnold Print Works left the Marshall Street Plant and Sprague Electric after 12 years in North Adams
  
• 1974- Florshiem bought out Wall-Streeter Shoes and within a year closed the North Adams operation
  
• 1987- Sprague Electric is no longer a North Adams company