Brockton

By James E. Benson

First gaining notoriety as the "shoe city," Brockton grew and flourished toward the end of the 19th century. As the halcyon days of the shoe industry waned, however, Brockton experienced many changes. After World War II, major residential development took place in the form of affordable single-family homes, and four new junior high schools and (eventually) a new high school were built. Housing for senior citizens and low-income residents was constructed, and new commercial buildings replaced those from a bygone era. Today, the city is still transforming as former shoe factories and commercial blocks are preserved and rehabilitated into new usage--whether residential, commercial, or industrial. Once a one-industry town, Brockton today is diverse in its industry and its people as it continues to be the "City of Champions."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Nov 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781439654309

James E. Benson

James E. Benson is the past president of the Brockton Historical Society and Fire Museum and serves as the organization's official city historian. Benson has a BA in history from Muhlenberg College and is currently the parish administrator at Brockton's historic First Lutheran Church. A resident of West Bridgewater, he serves as chairman of that town's historical commission and is an active member of several civic organizations locally and regionally. Benson coauthored The Swedes of Greater Brockton in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series and has authored West Bridgewater, Brockton and Brockton Revisited in the same series, as well as Along Old Canada Road and Brockton in the Postcard History series published by Arcadia Publishing. He is the coauthor (with Nicole Casper) of The Strand Theatre Fire: The 1941 Brockton Tragedy and the Fallen Thirteen, published by The History Press. Nicole B. Casper has worked as the director of archives and special collections and assistant professor at Stonehill College since 2001. She received her BA in history from Stonehill College and MLS from Simmons College. She also serves on the board of the trustees at the Brockton Historical Society. She is the author of Stonehill publications A Historical Profile of Stonehill College and A Look Back: Celebrating the Centennial of Donahue and Alumni Halls. A native of Rhode Island, she currently lives in Attleboro, Massachusetts, with her husband. In addition to her love of history, she enjoys quilting and combined the two in 2008 with the completion of a photo quilt titled the Brockton "Shoe" Fly quilt, featuring historical images of the Brockton Shoe Industry, which was part of the exhibit The Perfect Fit, organized by the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts. She is the coauthor (with James Benson) of The Strand Theatre Fire: The 1941 Brockton Tragedy and the Fallen Thirteen, published by The History Press.

Book preview

College.

INTRODUCTION

From its Colonial beginnings as part of the region’s first inland settlement, North Bridgewater, today Brockton, grew as the business and industrial center of the area. Even though it was the last settled area of the Old Bridgewater colony, it became the largest populated. Commercial development first grew in the south end, known as Campello, and worked its way to what is today downtown and upward to Montello. Waterpower spurred industrial growth, as it was plentiful, and the topography of the land dropped from one end of the town to the other to produce good flowage for the shops and factories sprouting up.

In 1811, Micah Faxon, a local shoe manufacturer, set the stage for Brockton’s rise to become the shoe capital of the world when he brought shoes directly to market in Boston. From there the shoe industry blossomed and grew well into the first years of the 20th century. As the industry grew, so did the buildings and infrastructure of the city. Main Street, which was lined with a hodgepodge of wood-framed retail and residential buildings, soon gave rise to brick structures, the Kingman Block being the first brick commercial building and the Lilly-Brackett shoe factory the first such factory constructed of brick in the city. Brockton shoe manufacturers sold their product on six of the world’s seven continents. Brockton manufacturers travelled the world over and opened sales outlets in distant lands that students could only read about. The manufacturers of this city were progressive, industrious, and inventive. Out of Brockton came hundreds if not thousands of patents and new ideas in workplace safety and employee benefits; Brockton businessmen were not afraid to invest their capital in the city and in their businesses. Most businessmen of the city lived in the city, went to church in the city, and spent their fortunes in the city. The Kingman Block fell to redevelopment long ago while the Lilly-Brackett building has seen a revitalization and new use in its second century of being; many other businesses and structures have disappeared over the years.

Today, new men and women, entrepreneurs of a new age, from other places, with new dreams, new visions, and new goals, have a bulldozer mind-set as regards to history, and others see the challenge and opportunity in making something old once again new. They are the future history of Brockton.

Within the pages of this volume, unlike previous histories of the city, we are not telling the story of an aged past but bringing to light people and places many readers will know and remember. It is a story yet unfinished, and as with most modern history, we do not know how future generations will look back at what is being done in this time of the city’s existence.

Brockton has always been a city of immigrants; they came here to work behind the bench to grow Brockton into a vibrant, bustling manufacturing center. Most of those early immigrants were of European origin and had commonality within their distinct groups while being culturally diverse. Today, the city is home to new immigrants from new countries; they come from places such as Cape Verde, Haiti, Ecuador, and many more. Most come to Brockton for the same reasons—to make a better life for themselves and their families.

This volume does not pretend to be all inclusive or a detailed history of modern times within the city of Brockton. It is an overview with the benefit of color images to see the people and places of the city and relive events and memories. It is not intended to portray a glorious past or a simpler time but a snapshot in time of what has made the city strong. It is a chronicle for future generations to look at down the road and reflect upon. They will be amazed at some of the bland architecture, the funny clothes, and how a generation or two lived and worked in the place called Brockton. Enjoy.

One

GONE

In the natural course of municipal evolution, structures come and go, and landscapes change. This evolution can occur for many reasons, among them concerns for public safety, outdated systems too expensive