Eleven years after Ichabod Washburn came to Worcester in 1820, he started drawing wire. Three years later, he established a wire factory on Grove Street across from Salisbury Pond. One of the largest of its kind in the country, the Washburn & Moen Company made wire for barbed wire, piano wire and even corset wire. (The Royal Worcester Corset Co. was started by David Fanning in 1864 as the Worcester Skirt Co.) Eventually, Washburn & Moen became part of American Steel & Wire Company.

The people in Quinsigamond Village used the lunch and end of shift whistles to tell time. We were told to come home "when the whistle blows" etc. In addition to American Steel & Wire/Southworks, I recall we also had Johnson Steel & Wire

My dad worked at "The Wire Mill" for about 15 years until it relocated operations to Pennsylvania. While we sat and waited for him, I would watch the Blackstone River flow over the dam out the left window of the car, or watch the red hot bars of steel move around on rollers out the right window.

Is there anyone out there that may have known a Henry Clay Middleton - He was Vice President of American Steel & Wire either late 19thC or early 20th Century. He is a lost relative in our past. He supposedly deserted his wife and children and my grandfather never spoke of him again. Would love to have some history on him if anyone is around that may have heard or knew of him. Thank you D. Middleton