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A Brief History of Andover
A Brief History of Andover
1854-1926 William Madison Wood
William Wood was an immigrant’s son who rose through the ranks, from office boy at age 11, to president of the American Woolen Company.
One of 10 children, William Wood was born in 1854 on Martha’s Vineyard where his Portuguese father was a fisherman. Wood’s father died when William was 11. He left school and went to work in a New Bedford, Massachusetts, cotton mill as an office boy.
Wood reinvented himself when he was in his teens. He changed his name from his Portuguese family name to “Wood” knowing that an Anglo name would open more doors for him than his Portuguese name.
William Madison Wood
William Madison Wood
In 1885, William Wood moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to work in the cotton manufacturing side of Frederick Ayer’s Washington Mills. Wood moved up the ranks, married Frederick Ayer’s daughter, and became president of the company.
In 1905, the company built the Wood Mill in Lawrence, which would become the largest woolen manufacturer in the world, employing 10,000 workers at its peak. The Wood Mill runs a third of a mile along the Merrimack River in Lawrence.
Bread and Roses Strike
By 1910, American Woolen Company employed 30,000 workers. Two years later, in 1912, AWC workers walked out of the mills in what has become known as the Bread & Roses Strike. The strike dragged on for 63 days before Wood agreed to meet the strikers’ demands.
The Bread & Roses Strike is a landmark in United States labor history. The anniversary of the strike is recognized every year in Lawrence. Wood’s son, William Jr, later brought more enlightened management practices to the American Woolen Company overseeing the construction of day-care centers, summer camps, and social and athletic clubs.
In 1905, the company built the Wood Mill in Lawrence, which would become the largest woolen manufacturer in the world, employing 10,000 workers at its peak. The Wood Mill runs a third of a mile along the Merrimack River in Lawrence.
Bread and Roses Strike
By 1910, American Woolen Company employed 30,000 workers. Two years later, in 1912, AWC workers walked out of the mills in what has become known as the Bread & Roses Strike. The strike dragged on for 63 days before Wood agreed to meet the strikers’ demands.
The Bread & Roses Strike is a landmark in United States labor history. The anniversary of the strike is recognized every year in Lawrence. Wood’s son, William Jr, later brought more enlightened management practices to the American Woolen Company overseeing the construction of day-care centers, summer camps, and social and athletic clubs.
The Decline
The American Woolen Company was at its peak during World War I and in the early 1920s, but the decline began just as William Wood was beginning to build his dream Village. The youngest of Wood’s 4 children, Irene, died during the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. The memorial to Irene still stands on the corner of Wood Park in Shawsheen Village. Then in 1922 William Wood Jr was killed in an automobile accident.
Suffering from the loss of family and business, William Wood was heard to comment, “Life isn’t worth living.” In 1924, Wood suffered a stroke and resigned as president of American Woolen Company. Two years later, in 1926, William Wood committed suicide while vacationing in Florida.
Among William Wood’s legacy in the town of Andover is the West Parish Garden Cemetery and Chapel with its Tiffany stained glass windows. The American Woolen Company moved its headquarters from Andover to Boston and then to New York.
Reference: Juliet Haines Mofford, Andover Massachusetts: Historical Selections from Four Centuries
Preserving the pastEducating for the future
Connecting with our community
Preserving the past
Educating for the future
Connecting with our community
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
