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

My grandfather worked for American Steel, I still have his ID card from that time. It's good to put a picture to the place he loved to work.

I went to A,S,&W, at the time when they was drawing flat steel for razor blades (Gillette). At that time they had a tool to measure the thickness using a atomic radiation, this wa one of the first peacefull uses for atomic energy, and good advertising for gillette.

Called by many names from the 1820,s to the closing in 1971 as "American Steel & Wire Co.". Probably the biggest asset to Worcester's past. Made Worcester a manufacturing Giant 1870's into 1940's +/-. Three "Washburn related plants" in Worcester in the hayday, the original on Grove street called the "North Plant", the "Central Plany" near downtown, and the Quinsigamond plant called "South Worcester Plant".

Washburn Iron Company, a rolling mill which made railway iron & railway & streetcar wheels, was located at 14 Bloomingdale Road(now Franklin St., just opposite Union Passenger Station)in the mid-1860s, 1870s, 1880s. Many Italian and other immigrants found work there when first coming to Worcester. My own Italian grandfather and his brother later worked for American Steel and Wire, North Works

This is a very informative article, keep the great blogs coming!

I have a book about the Washburn Wire company in Worcester with pictures and invoices. I'm looking to get some sort of value? Can anyone help?

My grandfather emigrating from Lithuania in 1909 was recruited at Ellis Island by a recruiter at American Steel & Wire (because he has managerial experience and spoke some English). He met his future wife on the ship, and they both moved to Worcester immediately. While my grandparents were waiting for their house to be built (1920 in Quinsig Village) they lived in a 3 decker on Vernon Hill. My Grandparents had 7 boys, and my Dad told me that the company frequently held Christmas parties and dances at a 'hall' somewhere in the village that the wire company owned. They would have afterschool programs, and dinners there sometime. Today, I live in the same home ( 3rd Generation).

Looking for old photos and memoribilia from American Steel & Wire , Worcester ,MA . If you have anything to share bring to my shop Herbert Berg Florist , 19 Blackstone River Rd, Worcester ,MA trying to get a collection together as the last remaining buildings are vanishing.My shop and house was built by Washburn& Moen and is one of the few single family cottages left in Quinsigamond Village built in 1875 for steel workers.