Andover Biography - William Wood: Difference between revisions

From Andover Answers
Jump to navigation Jump to search
mNo edit summary
No edit summary
(13 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
''This is a record in progress''.
William Madison Wood was born in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard on June 18, 1858, to immigrant parents from the Portuguese Azores. He had to go to work to support his family at age 13 when his father died. He began working in the New Bedford cotton mills and quickly rose through the ranks.


William Madison Wood was born in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard on June 18, 1858, to immigrant parents from the Portuguese Azores. He had to go to work to support his family at age 13 when his father died. He was promoted through the levels of companies that he worked for, always showing a propensity for cost reduction.
When Frederick Ayer asked Wood to save his unprofitable cotton mills, Wood came to Lawrence in 1886 as a manager at Washington Mill, but quickly was promoted to treasurer. Ayer then decided to convert mill production to wool. But the mills still were not profitable. Wood advocated combining mills to save costs and created the American Woolen Company - eight mills in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. After Wood became president of the American Woolen Company in 1899 it became the largest manufacturer of worsted wool in the world.


He came to Lawrence in 1886 as a manager at Washington Mill, but quickly was promoted to treasure. He advocated combining mills to save costs and created the American Woolen Company  by combining eight mills in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. In 1899 he became president of the American Woolen Company. the American Woolen Company largest worsted wool manufacturing company in the world in 1899
The Massachusetts Legislature reduced the work week was reduced from 56 to 54 hours in January of 1912. Wood reduced the workers' pay accordingly. This was the impetus for the Bread and Roses Strike in 1912.


After World War I Wood brought the American Woolen Company headquarters to Andover and changed the name of Frye Village to Shawsheen Village. Here he built a planned community consisting of brick homes for the high level managers, white wooden homes for the lower level managers, a school, recreational facilities including a golf course, a pool, and  a club house. He even built a drug store.


Bread and Roses strike when the work week was reduced from 56 to 54 hours by order of the Massachusetts Legislature, he reduced the workers' pay accordingly. Tnis was the impetus for the Bread and Roses Strike in 1912.
A plaque on the corner of Lowell and North Main Streets is a tribute to Wood describing him as an "industrial genius", a "humanitarian", and a "great benefactor of youth". After several strokes, he took his life in 1926 at the age of 67 on February 2, 1926. Wood is buried in the West Parish Cemetery,


Moved headquarters of American Woolen Company to Shawsheen in Andover where he built mills on the Boston & Maine Railroad to provide the transportation for workers from Lawrence. For the managers he built a planned community, known oa Shawsheen Village consisting of brick homes for the high level managers and white wooden homes for the lower level managers. He also built recreational facilities including a golf course, a pool and a club house. He even built a drug store.


Created Shawsheen Village 1919-1924


Plaque on the corner of Lowell and North Main Streets describes him as an industrial genius, a humanitarian, and a great benefactor of youth. This terminology was specified as conditions of the bequest to the Town by William Wood's grandson Cornelius. a portion of the bequest for the memorial to William Wood the rest to be used for "public purposes". Money given by the estate of William Wood's son Cornelius.
See
* [http://www.andovertownsman.com/local/x1886882042/Andover-Stories-William-Wood-Andovers-Horatio-Alger Andover Stories: William Wood Andover's Horatio-Alger"], ''Townsman'', June 2, 2002.
*"Larsen Launches Discussion on Wood Memorial", ''Townsman'', January 20, 2000, page 6.
*[http://andover.mvlc.org/eg/opac/record/494669?fi%3Aitem_type=;query=edward%20g%20roddy;qtype=author;locg=5 Mills, Mansions and Mergers: The Life of William M. Wood], by Edward G. Roddy
*"Mill Owner Led the World in Wool Manufacturing", ''Eagle Tribune'', November 4, 1999, page 21
*"Wood: Andover Honors Controversial Figure", ''Eagle Tribune'', January 13, 2000, page 1 and 2.
* [http://www.andovertownsman.com/townspeople/x1874093513/Dalton-column-Billy-Wood-and-the-Husseys-Pond-salmon-experiment"], ''Andover Townsman'', February 28, 2013, p. 16.


Built the West Parish Church and is buried in the West Parish cemetery.
<br style="clear:both;" />
The following pages are from:
*[http://andover.mvlc.org/eg/opac/record/592436?fi%3Aitem_type=;query=province%20of%20reason%20warner;qtype=keyword;locg=1 Province of Reason], by Sam Bass Warner, Jr.


After several strokes, took his life in 1926 at the age of 67
[[Image:Wood_p.124.jpg|thumb|...''William Madison Wood, p.124-125''.... click to enlarge|left]]
[[Image:Wood_p._126-127.jpg|thumb|...''William Madison Wood, p.126-127''.... click to enlarge|left]]
[[Image:Wood_p._128-129.jpg|thumb|...''William Madison Wood, p.128-129''.... click to enlarge|left]]
[[Image:Wood_p._130-131.jpg|thumb|...''William Madison Wood, p.130-131''.... click to enlarge|left]]
[[Image:Wood_p.132.jpg|thumb|...''William Madison Wood, p.132''.... click to enlarge|left]]


<br style="clear:both;" />


See
--[[User:Eleanor|Eleanor]] 11:37, January 3, 2013 (EST)<br>
*"Larsen Launches Discussion on Wood Memorial", Townsman, January 20, 2000, page 6.
--[[User:Kim|Kim]] 11:36, January 17, 2013 (EST)<br>
*[http://andover.mvlc.org/eg/opac/record/494669?fi%3Aitem_type=;query=edward%20g%20roddy;qtype=author;locg=5 Mills, Mansions and Mergers: The Life of William M. Wood], by Edward G. Roddy
*"Mill Owner Led the World in Wool Manufacturing", Eagle Tribune, November 4, 1999, page 21
<br style="clear:both;" />
*"Wood: Andover Honors Controversial Figure", Eagle Tribune, Januart 13, 2000, page 1 and 2


--[[User:Eleanor|Eleanor]] 11:37, January 3, 2013 (EST)
back to [[Main Page|Main Page]]
back to [[Main Page|Main Page]]
[[Category:Andover Answers Index]]
[[Category:Andover Answers Index]]

Revision as of 15:10, 1 March 2013

William Madison Wood was born in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard on June 18, 1858, to immigrant parents from the Portuguese Azores. He had to go to work to support his family at age 13 when his father died. He began working in the New Bedford cotton mills and quickly rose through the ranks.

When Frederick Ayer asked Wood to save his unprofitable cotton mills, Wood came to Lawrence in 1886 as a manager at Washington Mill, but quickly was promoted to treasurer. Ayer then decided to convert mill production to wool. But the mills still were not profitable. Wood advocated combining mills to save costs and created the American Woolen Company - eight mills in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. After Wood became president of the American Woolen Company in 1899 it became the largest manufacturer of worsted wool in the world.

The Massachusetts Legislature reduced the work week was reduced from 56 to 54 hours in January of 1912. Wood reduced the workers' pay accordingly. This was the impetus for the Bread and Roses Strike in 1912.

After World War I Wood brought the American Woolen Company headquarters to Andover and changed the name of Frye Village to Shawsheen Village. Here he built a planned community consisting of brick homes for the high level managers, white wooden homes for the lower level managers, a school, recreational facilities including a golf course, a pool, and a club house. He even built a drug store.

A plaque on the corner of Lowell and North Main Streets is a tribute to Wood describing him as an "industrial genius", a "humanitarian", and a "great benefactor of youth". After several strokes, he took his life in 1926 at the age of 67 on February 2, 1926. Wood is buried in the West Parish Cemetery,


See


The following pages are from:

...William Madison Wood, p.124-125.... click to enlarge
...William Madison Wood, p.126-127.... click to enlarge
...William Madison Wood, p.128-129.... click to enlarge
...William Madison Wood, p.130-131.... click to enlarge
...William Madison Wood, p.132.... click to enlarge


--Eleanor 11:37, January 3, 2013 (EST)
--Kim 11:36, January 17, 2013 (EST)

back to Main Page