More information on this image is available at the Easton Historical Society in North Easton, MA.
www.flickr.com/photos/historicalimagesofeastonma/albums
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The development by Oliver Ames and Sons Corporation of the factory and village land use in a rather organic manner with a mix work-related classes created an integrated geographic network. The housing on perimeter edge with factories and business affairs in the center creating the village concept in North Easton. Other important concepts were the Furnace Village Cemetery, Furnace Village Grammar School and the Furnace Village Store, which explains Furnace Village and other sections of Easton.
source: Massachusetts Historical Commission
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Wayside was built in 1912 for Mary Shreve Ames and designed by her friend and architect, Guy Lowell, is a magnificent Georgian Revival home. It took a lot of work to build it and preparing the land was one of the first steps. Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham, when she was still Mary Shreve Ames, began acquiring the parcels of land tearly as 1905. Most of the land was purchased during 1909 and 1910. At that time, there were several farmhouses on the site as well as other farm buildings. A fine stone wall is being constructed along Elm Street, which is a dirt road at this time, giving a rural feel to the scene. Workers were builders of the wall. A ditch has been dug for the wall to provide a proper footing. There were several small sheds built to house the work crews while site and construction was being done which was a common practice in those days. Other houses that once stood on the site were moved further east on Elm Street and used for housing some of Mrs. Frothingham’s staff. Springhill, the home of William H. Ames overlooks the work as if awaiting the arrival of its new neighbor.
source: Easton Historical Society’s Blog, Frank Meninno, Easton Historical Society,
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History of Elm Street below
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136 Elm Street
In the 1880s, owners were Levi and Marion Fitton who kept house with a son, Hester Fitton, who was a public school teacher. Levi Fitton worked for Rice & Hutchins Company. In the 1880’s, Webster J., also worked for Rice & Hutchins Company, and Minnie S. Webster kept house with a son, Henry P. Webster. In 1898, Hester A. Fitton passed away. Also, Minnie S. Webster’s brother, George H. Wells, lived with the Websters. In the 1900’s, owners were Webster J., a shoe shop foreman, and Minnie E. Fitton, with a son, Henry P. Fitton. The father of Webster J. Fitton, Levi Fitton, lived with the family following his retirement. On November 20,1909, Webster J. Fitton sold Wayside Parcel # 3A while Levi Fitton sold Wayside Parcel #3 fronting Elm Street to Mary S. Ames to be part of Wayside. On May 1, 1912, Mary S. Ames purchased two additional parcels of land behind Parcel #3 and #3A which was the location of the Rose Garden. Levi Fitton died in 1920, followed by Minnie E. Fitton passing away in 1924. Located on the westerly side of the Town Hall into the area of Whitman’s Brook Drive was the Rose Garden created by Mrs. Frothingham in the 1920s with the guidance of Landscape Architect Herbert J. Kellaway, (1867-1947) FASLA and rose expert Henry W. Foote. Mrs. Frothingham had done some work for a number of years, until placing the designing with the architect and the rose expert. The design of the garden was made by Mr. Herbert J. Kellaway with Mrs. Foote selecting the roses and supervising the planting. The garden was separated into three parts with the upper part being 36 by 48 feet, the middle section 44 by 64 feet and the lower section 64 by 112 feet. Coming from the mansion, you will see the Italian-designed well that Mary Frothingham purchased while in Italy. She brought the well back to Wayside to be placed in the Rose Garden. Enhancing the view of the Rose Garden, a pathway was cut through the brush to see the opposite end which was the larger sitting area. A pathway led to the rose garden with groupings of terraces with roses blooming any way you would look. A large summer gazebo was directed at a circular pool , twenty-three feet round with a eighteen inch curb. There was a fountain with baby rambler roses around it providing beauty during the summer. The lower level followed the design of the pool with lattice details for climbing roses. In 1911, Andrew Masson, first superintendent of Wayside during its development, assisted in placement and planting in the new estate. He passed away at the age of 31 on December 17, 1918 being a victim of the influenza epidemic. Andrew resided on Elm Street with his wife, Margaret Orr Masson with an daughter, Mary Elizabeth Masson. Coming from Scotland in 1912, James W, Watt of 160 Elm Street was superintendent of Wayside from the late 1920’s until the arrival of John Luke in October of 1945. When John Luke and his family first came to Easton and Wayside in 1945, Mary Frothingham made a point to escort his family to the Unity Church. In her zest to make the family feel welcome, it did not come to mind if going to her church was the family’s first choice of church. The welcome did not affect John Luke as he worked in North Easton for three decades. He was the Superintendent of Wayside from 1945-1960 and then was Superintendent of both Unity Close and Sheep Pasture from 1960 to 1975. Mrs. William Parker built a greenhouse for him at Sheep Pasture and renovated the one at Unity Close. During his work at Wayside, Mary Ames Frothingham would take her weekly Friday afternoon walk around the property with John Luke going over the state of the landscape at Wayside particularly the Rose Garden. Wayside including the Rose Garden was known in the horticultural community for the quality workmanship in the gardens. In 1923, Noanett Garden Club of Dover elected Mary Ames Frothingham as its first president, a position she held until 1932. The Committee on Gardens for Massachusetts Horticultural Society visiting gardens in many parts of the state resulted in Mary Ames Frothingham receiving a Silver Medal for a Rose Garden of superior merit. In October of 1927, the award was announced at the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Society. In 1930, Mary Ames Frothingham organized the Garden Club of Easton, serving as its first president. On June 23, 1941, Mary Ames Frothingham, held in esteem by other librarians, hosted a tea in the Rose Garden for over one hundred members of the American Library Association. On June 18, 1931, Mary Ames Frothingham was visited by William Henry Judd, affiliated with the Arnold Arboretum and Harvard University describing his visit to the Rose Garden as where there was a delightful Rose Garden. The Rose Garden was the attraction for many groups in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The later years for Mary Ames Frothingham saw her entertaining becoming limited over time. A plaque honoring John Luke’s service is located near the entrance of Whitman’s Brook Drive reading – Honoring the Exquisite Rose Gardens of Mrs. Louis A. Frothingham Given By The Family of John Luke Wayside’s Last Superintendent -. On Friday, April 27, 2007, the Department of Public Works, Town of Easton, at the annual Arbor Day celebration had a tree planting at the Town Office in memory of John Luke, the last Superintendent of Wayside and father of James M. Luke, who was the Highway Supervisor at the time.Historically known as Wayside consisting of 79.6 acres of land accumulated in multiple purchases of parcels from 1909 through 1915. Mary S. Ames was born in 1867 and grew up at Langwater in North Easton. After the passing of her parents, Frederick L. Ames (1835-1893) and Rebecca Blair Ames (1838-1903), and the marriages of her brothers, Oliver, F. Lothrop and John S. Ames, Mary wanted to have a home to call her own. Mary lived in the Gate Lodge on her brother John’s estate while the house, designed by her friend and architect, Guy Lowell, was being built with construction finished in 1912. She married Louis Adams Frothingham on May 8, 1916 at the Arlington Street Church in Boston. The bridegroom’s brother, Rev. Paul Revere Frothingham, was assisted in the ceremony by Rev. William L. Chaffin, who authored the History of Easton in 1886. In the 1920’s, owners were Louis A., a lawyer, and Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham with staff workers, Horace Pridmore, Charles Swanson, Dorothy Hooper, Mary Kearney, Ellen Haydon, Ellen, MacDonough and Mary Moore. From 1901 to 1905, he was a member of the Massachusetts State House of Representatives and served as Lieutenant Governor from 1909 to 1911. Louis Frothingham helped organize the American Legion and was the first Vice-Commander of the Massachusetts Branch. He organized the George S. Shepard Post No. 7, serving as the first Commander. In 1920, Mary Ames Frothingham started the American Legion Auxiliary, becoming its first president. He was the 14th Congressional Representative from 1921 until his death on August 23, 1928. For four decades, Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham gave a Christmas party for all the grammar school children in Easton on the afternoon before the Christmas vacation. The half day off party was held at Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, until the addition was made to the original Oliver Ames High School on Lincoln and Barrows Streets in 1930. Together with her brothers, John S. Ames and Frederick Lothrop Ames, they gave Easton the North Easton Grammar School. Easton had operator-assisted phone service in the late 1930s and the ’40s. Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham had the number of Easton 54 prior to the dial-direct service which came to Easton in 1957. In the 1930’s, owner was widow Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham. Also, residing were Susan Doyle, Sarah Bethune, Nellie E. Haredon, Annie McPhail, Lena H. Osterud, Lola Palillos and Edith L. Shipstedt. Mary was known affectionately as Aunt Minnie to members of the Ames family. In the early 1950’s, owner was widow Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham until her passing on May 5, 1955, at the age of 88. Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ames Free Library from 1900 through 1955 and its President from 1929 through 1955. In 1960, the estate, formerly known as Wayside which had been the home of Louis Adams and Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham, was turned over to the Town of Easton for $1, along with its 8.6 acres of land. There are two plaques noting the transfer to the Town of the home and the surrounding property on the wall near the door of the Town Offices opposite the staircase.The inscriptions on the plaques read This Building is a Gift to The Town of Easton In Memory of John S. Ames and Mary Ames Frothingham 1960, Given By Mrs. John S. Ames. The remaining part of Wayside, which included 71 acres was bought by William and Elise Ames Parker. The Town of Easton dedicated the building as its Town Hall on June 4, 1961. Although Mrs. John S. Ames did not want any kind of recognition at the time of the gift to the Town in 1960, the Historical Commission felt it should have a more appropriate plaque. In December 1991, the plaque was dedicated where Mrs. Ames’ son, David was supposed to be the speaker. However, he died ten days before the 1991 dedication, and his brother, Oliver F. Ames became the speaker. Later, the Easton Historical Commission with Historian Ed Hands placed a plaque outside the front door commemorating the building’s 100 years of history. Frothingham Park is a memorial to Louis Adams Frothingham which was dedicated to the Town of Easton on September 27, 1930 by his wife, Mary Ames Shreve Frothingham. Historian Hazel L. Varella wrote a brochure entitled "Wayside in cooperation with the Easton Historical Commission, Easton Historical Society and the Easton School System. Showing on a plan titled Land in Easton, Showing Conveyance, Nancy F. Ames to Town of Easton dated November 10, 1959, the home of Louis Adams and Mary Shreve Ames Frothingham was turned over to the Town. A verbal agreement was made by David Ames and Frank Sargent, Chairman of the Committee on Housing Town Departments for the Town of Easton, to Mrs. John S. Ames, Sr. The agreement was that no building would be constructed from the front line of the Easton Town Hall at 136 Elm Street. The objective was not to obstruct the view of the Town Offices from the street to the mansion. David Ames stressed that the statement be included in the Wayside booklet, so that future generations would know of the agreement.
source: History of Unionville-North Easton, Massachusetts
source:Easton Historical Society
source; Massachusetts Historical Commission
source: Ancestry
source: History of Easton, William L. Chaffin, 1886
source: Easton’s Neighborhoods, Edmund C. Hands, 1995
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Elm Street
Showing on the 1852, 1855, 1871 and the 1895 maps, Elm Street, starting in North Easton Village going easterly through Unionville, was laid out September 16, 1820, as far as Washington Street. The extension to the North Bridgewater line, now Brockton line, once called the Quaker Leonard Road, was voted in 1822, rejected, and then subsequently adopted as Elm Street. Jonathan Leonard who became known as Quaker Leonard, an acute businessman, built iron steel furnaces in 1787 and 1808 near Marshall place, where he lived, once traveled to Pennsylvania to learn about steel manufacturing.
source: History of Unionville, Carl B. Holmander, 2014
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Elm Street
Elm Street, which runs from the north section of North Easton’s Main Street to Washington Street, or the Stoughton Turnpike (now state route 138) was laid out between those two points in September 1820. Along its eastern section, roughly east of Stone’s (now Langwater) Pond, the land bordering the street was largely owned by the Ames family, whose North Easton progenitor Oliver Ames Sr. (1779-1863) founded Oliver Ames and Sons, at one time the largest manufacturer of shovels in the world. The western end section of Elm Street, closer to the shovel shops themselves, was largely made up of workers’ cottages, either owned by individuals or by the company; the company owned and rented out the tenements on the south side of Elm Street, from 49 to 77 Elm, for decades. By contrast, the north side of the street east of Langwater Pond was laid out in comparatively large lots, many of them owned and occupied by people associated with Oliver Ames and Sons. West of Langwater Pond, closer to the shovel shops themselves, the street was largely made up of workers’ dwellings, either owned by individuals or by the company; the company owned and rented out the seven identical two-family tenements on the south side of Elm Street, from 45 to 77 Elm, for decades. By contrast, the north side of the street east of Langwater Pond was laid out in comparatively large lots, many of them owned and occupied by people associated with Oliver Ames and Sons.
source: Massachusetts Historical Commission
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Ames Shovel Company Chronology
source: Easton Historical Society, 2004
1774? – The year is uncertain, but sometime before 1776, Captain John Ames began the manufacture of shovels on Town River in West Bridgewater. The site of his forge and adjoining land are now the West Bridgewater War Memorial Park.
1779 – Oliver Ames, youngest son of Captain John Ames, was born in West Bridgewater on April 13.
1803 – Oliver Ames came to Easton, and on August 1, bought for $1600 a forge, nail-making shop, dwelling house, and several pieces of land near the Shovel Shop Dam on Pond Street. This dam and the shops had been built in 1792-3. He used the forge as a shovel shop and the nail-shop for making shovel and hoe handles. The famous Ames bend was made by putting the handles in the dam.
1805 – The first recorded date of making shovels in North Easton is April 17 when a Mr. Randall charged him $1.00 for carting six dozen shovels to Boston. No doubt he made shovels as early as 1803, and hauled them to Boston, (himself). Captain John Ames died during this year, on July 17, in West Bridgewater, and Oliver inherited the forge and land there.
1807 – Oliver Ames moved to Plymouth, Mass., and for seven years supervised the shovel-making plant of the Plymouth Iron Works. Their forges were on Town Brook above the lowest dam, which still exists on Summer Street. Oliver Ames also manufactured cotton-spinning machinery and other machines at the Plymouth Works. He lived in the “Long House” nearby (now numbered 120-122 Summer Street) and here his third son, Oliver, was born. He continued the shovel-making plants at North Easton and West Bridgewater. In association with Asa Waters he also manufactured hoes in Easton near the Hoe Shop Dam behind the Unity Church Cemetery.
1813 – Oliver Ames bought the land in Easton on which he now began to build his homestead, 25 Main Street, together with several large adjacent parcels.
1814 – Owing to the depression as a result of the War of 1812, the Plymouth Iron Works closed and Oliver Ames returned to North Easton.
1815 – Oliver Ames bought the shop at Hoe Shop Pond, which had been manufacturing hoes under the firm name of Ames, Waters & Co. He used the shop for making shovels, discontinuing the manufacture of hoes.
1817 – Oliver Ames made the first back-strapped shovels.
1823 – Oliver Ames built a dam and shop in South Braintree as an adjunct to his North Easton plant.
1825 – Oliver Ames, together with the owners of other water powers on the Queset River, raised and enlarged the Long Pond dam to conserve more water. A smaller dam had been built there in 1763 by Stoughton farmers to flood the meadows above. Shortly after the dam was enlarged (in 1826), he built a wooden shop there.
1826 – Oliver Ames built a stone shop, 40 feet long and 25 feet wide, as part of the main plant at the Shovel Shop Pond dam.
1828 – Oliver Ames built a stone shop at the Hoe Shop dam to replace the former wooden one. During this year, Ames Shovels broke ground for the B & O railroad in Baltimore.
1837 – Oliver Ames manufactured shovels worth $108,000 during the year, employing 84 workmen.
1844 – Oliver Ames, now 65 years old, turned the active management of his business over to his sons, Oakes and Oliver, giving each 1/3 interest, and retaining 1/3 himself. The firm, previously known merely as “O. Ames,” now became a partnership as “Oliver Ames & Sons.” The shop in Canton was acquired at this time.
1844-1845 – The dam at Flyaway Pond was built by the Company to conserve the water supply.
1845 – Oliver Ames & Sons manufactured shovels worth $132,000 during the year, and employed 72 workmen in their Easton shops. Twenty thousand dozen shovels were manufactured.
1847 – The Company built a small brick office or “Counting House” on Main Street, replaced by a larger one in 1863. The Company replaced its old store on Main Street with a larger one, 60 by 35 feet. Additional water privileges were purchased on Bolivar Street in Canton, and the dam was enlarged and a stone shop built there.
1849 – A large wooden barn to house the horses and oxen owned by the company was built on the corner of Oliver and Main Streets with a carriage house built just north of it, for the partners’ private horses and carriages. This was originally called the “Chaise House.” At this same time, the Gold Rush was taking place in California. Ames Shovels were so valuable there that they were used as currency.
1851 – The Long Pond dam was repaired with heavy stone construction.
1852 – (March 2) Fire destroyed the wooden shops grouped near the Shovel Shop Pond dam in which most of the manufacturing had heretofore been done. One thousand dozen finished shovels stored there were also destroyed. Carpenters were brought in from nearby towns and in less than three weeks temporary shops were built and work resumed. These wooden shops were so constructed that they might later be divided into dwellings, and some of the houses made from them still stand on Oliver Street. The building of new, permanent stone shops was now begun, with most of the stone coming from a quarry behind Frothingham Hall on Barrows Street. The stone for the previously built shops had been brought from Quincy. The Long Shop (530 feet) was built first, and the first steam engine (60 horse power) was installed in it. Prior to this, water wheels had furnished all the power.
1853 – The trip-hammer shop was built, and a second steam engine installed there. A new and larger carriage house and stable were built on the site of the old one.
1855 – The Company reported that they manufactured shovels valued at $600,000 in Easton during this year and employed 330 workmen. A private railroad line (opened May 16) for the shipment of shovels was built by the Company from North Easton to Stoughton where it connected with the Boston and Providence Railroad. Previously, the shovels had been carted to Canton, Stoughton, or to the steamboats at Fall River by four or six horse teams. He also had carted shovels to Taunton for shipping out the Taunton River.
1857 – The machine shop was built.
1862 – Queen Victoria granted a patent to William Newton to make Ames shovels throughout the British Empire.
1863 – Oliver Ames, Senior, died in his 85th year. His one-third interest in the firms was divided among his grandsons. Frederick Lothrop Ames, Oakes Angier Ames, and Oliver Ames were taken into the partnership, while his youngest grandson, Frank Morton Ames, was later made manager of the Kingsley Iron and Machine Co. of Canton in which Oliver Ames & Sons had controlling interest. A new and larger brick office was built on the site of the previous smaller one on Main Street (torn down in 1951). On the second floor of the new building were the first two banks in Easton: the North Easton Savings Bank and the First National Bank of Easton.
1865 – The Antrim Shop was built. Just north of it on Main Street and behind a small pond stood the Company’s blacksmith shop. This shop was torn down in 1931. The Antrim Shop was remodeled into a private garage. The Company reported that during this year they made 65,500 dozen shovels in Easton, valued at $982,500, and employed 250 men. The use of steam power and machinery accounted for the drop in numbers of workmen.
1866 – The Old Colony Railroad ran a line through North Easton, taking over the Company’s private branch to Stoughton. During this year, the Handle Shop was built.
1867 – The Plate-polishing Shop was built.
1868 – A canal from Picker Pond to the Hoe Shop was built. This year 120,000 dozen shovels were made and 500 workmen were employed. Orders were received from Europe, Australia, South America, Africa, and China.
1869-1870 – The new east wing to the Long Shop was built (sometimes called the “storehouse”).
1870 – Owing to business depression and failures of other firms, Oliver Ames & Sons was forced to ask its collectors for a temporary suspension which was granted. The liabilities were about $7,000,000.00. Within two years they paid all indebtedness with interest. During this time, Oakes Angier Ames invented the handle-bending machine.
1873 – Oakes Ames, the senior partner, died, and his sons, Oakes Angier and Oliver 2nd, inherited his interest in the partnership.
1875 – The Company reported that they made shovels valued at $1,500,000 employing 500 workmen. The rate of production was 450 dozen shovels per day.
1876 – The firm was changed from a partnership and became Oliver Ames & Sons Corporation: Oliver Ames, President; Oakes Angier Ames, Superintendent; Frederick Lothrop Ames, Treasurer; Oliver Ames 2nd, Secretary. Ames shovels won first prize at the Philadelphia International Exposition.
1877 – Oliver Ames died and Oakes Angier Ames succeeded him as President.
1879 – Ames shovels totaled three-fifths of the world’s production of shovels.
1880 – The New Plate-polishing Shop was built. Ames shovels won first prize in the Australian Trade Exposition.
1881 – During the year 127,000 dozen shovels were made and 422 workmen employed.
1886 – Production was 117,500 shovels a year (451 shovels each working hour of 10 hour day) with 500 workmen employed. A great freshet on February 12 nearly undermined the Long Pond dam.
1887 – The large barn on Main Street, built in 1849, was burned. Owing to the railroad facilities, fewer horses and oxen were now used, and these were stalled in the nearby carriage house.
1892 – The shop in South Braintree was sold.
1893 – Frederick Lothrop Ames died and his son, Oliver Ames, succeeded him as Treasurer of the Corporation. Ames shovels won first prize in the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
1897 – A new barn was built on the same site to replace the one that had been burned in 1887. The carriage house, which had been at the corner of Main and Oliver Streets, became part of the new barn. Also, Ames shovels were used to create the country’s first subway which opened in Boston.
1899 – Oakes Angier Ames died, and his son, Hobart Ames, succeeded him as President of the Corporation. Ames shovels were used in the building of the New York subways.
1901 – The Corporation was reorganized and the Ames Shovel and Tool Company, Inc., under a merger combined with T. Rowland’s Sons of Cheltenham, PA; the Wright Shovel Co. of Anderson, IN; the St. Louis Shovel Co. of St. Louis, MO; the H.M. Myers Shovel Co. of Beaver Falls, PA; and the Elwood Steel Plant of Elwood, IN. Handle-making plants in St. Albans, ME, Paris, Texas, and Warren, PA were also acquired. Hobart Ames was elected President and William Hadwen Ames, Secretary.
1903 – A part of the Long Shop was electrically lighted by a dynamo built by Hobart Ames and William Hadwen Ames. Previously all of the shops had been lighted by kerosene lamps.
1904 – Louisiana Purchase World Exposition honored Ames shovels as “Best Made.”
1906 – Rate of shovel making was 376 dozen per day. Employees included English, Irish, Swedish and Portuguese.
1924 – Hobart Ames resigned as President and was
succeeded by A.C. Howell.
1926 – The Easton plant was now completely lighted
by electricity. Electricity was also used to replace steam. Electrification was completed in 1929, when the last steam engine was dismantled and the last water wheel
discontinued.
1927 – The shop in Canton was sold.
1928 – William A. Ready succeeded A.C. Howell as President. The barn on Main Street, built in 1897, was remodeled into offices and occupied in the autumn of the year.
1928-1929 – A new shop of steel, glass, concrete, and asbestos, called the new Blade Shop, was begun August 28, 1928 and completed in 1929.
1929 – Herbert Hoover, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison laid the cornerstone for Greenfield Village outside Detroit with an Ames shovel.
1931 – The Ames Shovel and Tool Company was reorganized and combined with other plants as the Ames, Baldwin, and Wyoming Co. Richard Harte, great-great-great-grandson of Captain John Ames, was elected President.
1932 – The main office of the Ames, Baldwin, Wyoming Co. was removed from Easton to Parkersburg, West Virginia, owing to the latter’s more advantageous geographical position. The Easton works, however, continued in operation. The Company entered the garden tool field. Five thousand different types are made.
1935 – The land on which Captain John Ames’ forge in West Bridgewater stood was deeded by the Ames family to the Town of West Bridgewater for a Memorial Park. (Opened July 4, 1936)
1952 – North Easton plant began to close. Name was changed to O. Ames Co.
1972 – North Easton plant sold to Tofias Real Estate of Brockton.
1976 – The Ames shovel display, which had been honored in the centennial exposition in Philadelphia, was also honored in the bicentennial exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The display was on loan from the Arnold B. Tofias Industrial Archives at Stonehill.
2004 – The headquarters of the company, now Ames True Temper, is located in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
2007 – The buildings were sold to Easton Shovel Shop LLC.
source: Easton Historical Society, 2007
