Background on Woburn
Woburn was established as a settlement in the early 1640s. For many years it was primarily an agricultural community, but the first tanning enterprise began in 1648, and Gershom Flagg built a house and tannery next to the Town Meeting Hall in 1668. Shoe making shops began to appear in the late 1600s, and more small tanneries appeared, although agriculture was the foundation of the economy until the 1800s. Industry gradually grew, largely because of the abundant water supply and transportation afforded by the Aberjona River and the Middlesex Canal, which opened in 1803 shown in the image to the right.
Development was also boosted by opening of the Boston & Lowell Railroad in 1835 and the Woburn Loop of the railroad in 1844. Woburn's proximity to Boston and the ability to transport materials and goods via the waterways and railroad enabled the tanning, shoemaking, and other industries to thrive in the 1800s. The demand for shoes and boots during the Civil War provided yet another boost to the economy of the region. Shoe making was the principal industry in Woburn for many years, but eventually leather production eclipsed the shoe making industry. Tanneries were so central to the the economy of Woburn that the Woburn High School mascot became the "Tanner."
The slideshow below includes some pictures and engravings that tell the story of Woburn during the early development of its shoe making and leather tanning industries.
The History of Pollution in Woburn, MA
In 1853 Robert Eaton founded Woburn Chemical Works in the vicinity of what is now known as the Woburn Industri-Plex in northeastern Woburn; the company supplied chemicals needed in local tanneries, textile mills, and the leather and paper industries. The company was later acquired by the Merrimac Chemical Company, which in turn was purchased by the Monsanto Chemical Company in 1929. In 1934 the property was sold to the New England Chemical Company, which was later purchased by Consolidated Chemical Company and then to the Stauffer Chemical Company, which remained in operation until 1969.
For over a hundred years companies in this area of Woburn manufactured a wide variety of chemicals, including lead-arsenic insecticides, acetic acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phenol, benzene, toluene, and explosives. Glue was also manufactured from raw animal hide and chrome-tanned hide wastes. Wastes generated from manufacturing were often dumped into swamps or depressions. Ultimately, the area became designated the Industri-Plex Superfund Site. For a detailed history of the industrial development in Woburn, you may review History of Pollution in Woburn, MA, which written by Joel A. Tarr, PhD, a Professor of History and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Tarr was a consultant to W. R. Grace.
The Water Supply
Up until the 1960s Woburn's water was supplied from six wells in the vicinity of Horn Pond, illustrated as wells A-F in the image below. As the population grew, more water was needed; Well G was put into operation in 1964, and Well H was added in 1967. Wells G and H were located in east Woburn in the vicinity of the Aberjona River, shown in greater detail in the map below (click on button to see aerial view). Long ago the Aberjona River had been a large river that ran through a valley that had been formed by glaciers. Slowly, over many years, the valley gradually filled with sand, gravel, and silt; the Aberjona River was slowly reduced to a meandering stream, but the ancient valley below, which was now filled with gravel and porous dirt, had become an underground water reservoir. At the surface there were now marshlands, swamps, and wetlands.
Unfortunately, much of the industrial activity was located in this area as well, including the W.R. Grace Cryovac Division, Unifirst (a uniform dry cleaning company), and the Riley Tannery, which was purchased by Beatrice Foods in 1978. The "Fifteen Acres" shown on the aerial photograph was a parcel of land purchased by the Riley tannery in 1951. During the 1950s and 1960s this plot of land was used used to dump waste from the tannery, including chemicals such as trichloroethylene (TCE) .
A more detailed account of Woburn's water supply system, including its evolution over time can be found at Woburn Toxic Trial, an online resource provided by the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College (SERC).
