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58-572: In the early 19th century, Ira Draper was a prosperous farmer from Weston, Massachusetts , with an ability for tinkering and improving machinery, such as a threshing machine that was a great improvement on any previous one made at the time. His great-great grandfather, James Draper had landed in Boston from England in 1650, and was "one of the first men in the American colonies to engage in the business of weaving and selling cloth". In 1816, shortly after

116-439: A walkout is a labor strike , the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace and withholding labor as an act of protest. A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an organization, especially if meant as an expression of protest or disapproval. A walkout can be seen as different from a strike in that a walkout can occur spontaneously, and need not necessarily involve all

174-723: A drastic change in travel patterns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The eastern border of Weston (immediately adjacent to the Route 128 highway) comes within one mile of more frequent MBTA transit operations. Riverside Station – a park-and-ride facility which serves the Green Line “D” Branch in the neighboring city of Newton – offers service to Downtown Boston and its northern terminus at Union Square in Somerville at intervals of 6 to 12 minutes due to its classification as

232-621: A lot of vibrations, which forced them to be located on the lower level of the mills, or eventually in separate weave sheds, apart from the main mill buildings. In 1895, the Northrop Automatic Loom was patented in England, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Austria, and Spain. By 1900, Draper had sold over 60,000 Northrop Looms. Amid a wave of strikes in Massachusetts in 1913, Draper's 2,000 employees walked out on April 1 for

290-606: A modest farming backgrounds and made the move to areas of New England and Mid Atlantic States. In the early months of 1834, textile sales were slow and profits were not up to standard to provide sufficient wages for the women mill workers of Lowell, Massachusetts . As a result, wages were cut and the price of room and board went up. The mill factory women saw this wage cut and price increase as an offense to their dignity, social quality, and economic autonomy. The women decided to take action and many started petitions and held meetings during dinner breaks. They pledged that they would quit if

348-545: A nine-hour day, a 22-cent minimum hourly wage, and the end of piecework . After Draper's director, the former Massachusetts governor Eben Draper rejected their demands, the workers voted to continue their strike indefinitely, supported by the Industrial Workers of the World 's Joseph Coldwell. The strike disintegrated after three months. In 1917, the company became known as Draper Corporation. Focusing on looms for

406-687: A quarterly magazine launched in 2005. The magazine is available in the Weston Public Library. As of December 2017, there were 7,632 active registered voters in Weston, with 501 voters listed as inactive. Among party enrollees, 1,869 were Democrats, and 1,211 Republicans, with the balance unenrolled. Like much of New England, Weston has trended strongly Democratic on the federal level in recent years. Weston supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, as well as George H.W. Bush in 1988, against home state Governor Mike Dukakis for president of

464-412: A rapid transit service as opposed to commuter train service. The station is close enough that Weston residents living in the southeastern part of town can easily reach Riverside Station by car in roughly five minutes or arrive via bicycle in 13 minutes. Also just across the eastern border of Weston in the neighboring city of Waltham lies the beginning of MBTA Bus Route 70 at two separate terminus points:

522-468: A residential community is reflected in its population density, which is among the lowest of Boston's suburbs near or within Route 128 . More than 2,000 acres, or 18 percent of the town's total acreage, have been preserved as parks, fields, wetlands, and forests, with 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Thirty-seven scenic roads, as defined by Massachusetts law, maintain

580-485: A significant factor in the movement of the cotton textile industry to the South during this time. Draper even financed the construction of some of new Southern mills, to be filled with their superior product. Many Northern mill owners were reluctant, or were so heavily invested in older, outdated equipment that they could not afford to make the switch. At one time, more than 3,000 people were employed there. Long after most of

638-405: A stand for their independence. With the decision making of having walkouts, they portrayed how women started a new revolution with a new idea of feminine autonomy and power. The 1834 and 1836 walkouts symbolized women standing against oppression by employers who wished to lower their wages, as well as increase the price in housing. With these walkouts women took a stand for themselves as well as paved

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696-484: Is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey . Weston Public Schools operates five schools: Districtwide enrollment during the 2022-2023 school year was 2,000 students. Among all Weston residents eligible to pursue elementary and secondary education in 2022, 79 percent attended public schools, primarily in Weston. WPS has participated in

754-585: The MBTA 's Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line . Inbound trips from Kendal Green to Boston's North Station terminus take approximately 37 minutes, while outbound service to Wachusett Station in the city of Fitchburg takes approximately 1 hour 12 minutes. The town of Weston previously had two other MBTA Commuter Rail stations – Silver Hill and Hastings – but both train stations were eliminated from regular service in April 2021 following previous years of low ridership and

812-517: The MBTA Red Line . Another local bus route – MBTA Bus Route 558 – technically crosses the border into Weston. However, no bus stops for this route are located within Weston as its only purpose of entering the town is to gain immediate access to the Route 128 highway for a short express trip to Riverside Station. Service on Bus Route 558 currently travels from Riverside to Newton Corner on weekdays only. Walked out In labor disputes ,

870-490: The METCO program since 1967. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 83 percent of Weston's population over 25 years possesses a bachelor's degree. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) traverses Weston in an east-to-west direction in the southern portion of town. The shared highway routes of Interstate 95 and Massachusetts State Route 128 pass in a north-to-south direction on the town's eastern edge. The intersection of

928-452: The U.S. Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 17.3 square miles (45 km ), of which 17.0 square miles (44 km ) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km ), or 1.85%, is water. The town is bordered by Newton and Waltham on the east; Wellesley to the south; Natick and Wayland to the west; and Lincoln to the north. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,469 people, 3,718 households, and 2,992 families residing in

986-567: The freedom of association while allowing the speaker to exercise the freedom of speech , albeit with a reduced audience in attendance. These were a series of 1968 protests against unequal conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District high schools, beginning on March 6. In the beginning of the 19th century there was a change in economic circumstances with the booming Industrial Revolution and young single women, between ages of fourteen to early twenties felt

1044-526: The "Farmers' Precinct" was incorporated as a separate town, Weston. Early settlers discovered that the amount of useful agricultural land was limited, as was the potential for water-powered industries. Weston did have one advantage: it was situated along the main route west from Boston. By the 18th century, residents were providing services to travelers on the Boston Post Road . Two taverns of great historical and architectural importance remain today:

1102-402: The 1840s; the mills profits were booming and they needed more workers. Therefore, the walkout of 1836 affected the mills greatly because they were short in workers, and the lengthy absence of the women accentuated the impact. As a result, some of the mills were obliged to cut their charges on housing, and they were forced to cooperate with the women workers' organization. The women wanted to take

1160-534: The Boston Post Road, but dry goods merchants continued to supply neighboring towns until about 1830–1840. The Boston and Worcester Railroad was built through the southeast corner of town in 1834, and the Fitchburg Railroad (later the Boston and Maine) was built along Stony Brook on the north side of town around 1844. Population continued to grow, supported in part by small industries such as

1218-637: The Cedarwood bus stop, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway Route 20 and Cedarwood Avenue with limited rush hour-only bus service; and the Market Place Drive bus stop, located near the intersection of Massachusetts State Route 117 and Stow Street offering more frequent bus departures seven days a week. Inbound MBTA Bus Route 70 service travels from either Cedarwood or Market Place Drive to Central Square in Cambridge to connect with

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1276-581: The Great Depression and World War II. The Weston Aqueduct and Reservoir (1901–1903) and Hultman Aqueduct and Norumbega Reservoir (1938–1940) were major public works projects constructed as part of the water supply system of greater Boston. After World War II, construction of Routes 128 and the Massachusetts Turnpike , along with pent up demand for housing, led to subdivision of former estate properties and farms throughout

1334-591: The Hews redware pottery on Boston Post Road and Hobbs Tannery on North Avenue. By 1776, Weston's population of 1,027 was spread throughout the town on scattered farms along major roads, with some consolidation within the village center around the meetinghouse, along the length of the Post Road, and on North Avenue. The opening of the Worcester Turnpike in 1810 (now Route 9) drew some commercial traffic from

1392-669: The Josiah Smith Tavern and the Golden Ball Tavern , which is now a museum. North Avenue was an important route to the northwest and, like the Post Road, hosted shops, blacksmiths, and taverns serving travelers. Grist and sawmills were established beginning in the 17th century on Stony Brook and in the Crescent Street area. Two important manufacturing enterprises were begun during the Colonial period:

1450-496: The Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 128 is located in southeastern Weston. Several local state highways – U.S. Route 20 (Boston Post Road), Massachusetts State Route 30 (South Avenue), and Massachusetts State Route 117 (North Avenue) – also travel east and west through the town in addition to the Massachusetts Turnpike. As for public transportation, Weston is conveniently served by Kendal Green Station on

1508-693: The New England mills had closed, Draper continued to improve their products and sell them to the Southern textile companies, and others around the world. In 1967, control of the Draper Corporation was passed to Rockwell International . Eventually, competition from the highly technical, increasingly computerized Japanese machinery makers led to a demise in the textile machinery industry in the Blackstone Valley . Production ceased in

1566-805: The United States. However, it supported Bill Clinton in 1992, and has supported the Democratic candidate in every election since then, including Barack Obama over Mitt Romney , and Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump . Weston is located entirely within Massachusetts's 5th congressional district . Weston is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Michael J. Barrett (D) and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Alice H. Peisch (D). Massachusetts

1624-612: The WAIC. The Weston Media Center is Weston's independent, non-profit cable TV station and media hub. The Media Center has operated since 2009. The Weston Friendly Society , founded in 1885, is the second oldest community theatre in the United States. WFS performs musicals in the auditorium of Weston Town Hall several times a year. WFS donates money from its productions to local charitable causes. News and features of interest to Weston residents are published in WellesleyWeston ,

1682-531: The Weston Public Library provides financial support for the library's Local History Room, curates an ongoing rotation of art created by local artists, organizes a series of musical concerts in the library's community room, and funds passes to Boston-area museums. The Weston Art and Innovation Center , which opened in September 2019 in Weston's Old Library, offers hands-on learning opportunities related to art and technology. The Weston Media Center also relocated to

1740-481: The advent of the automobile. Two prominent estates, the Winsor estate on Meadowbrook Road and Hubbard estate on the south side, were subdivided after World War I. In the 1910s and 1920s, estates were purchased for educational use ( Regis College and Weston College/Campion Center) and as golf courses (Weston Golf Club and Pine Brook Country Club). Many other large properties remained as open farm fields or woodlands through

1798-403: The area. In 1829 he took out a patent for an improvement on his original invention. In 1830 he sold his patents and the business to his eldest son, James of Wayland, Massachusetts . Ebenezer, a younger brother, bought the business in 1837, and later moved it from Wayland to Uxbridge, Massachusetts , the center of the growing textile mill area of the Blackstone Valley . In 1841, Ebenezer moved

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1856-403: The average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The median income for a household in the town

1914-468: The beauty of the area and that same rocky topography that in earlier years had proved unsuitable for farming. By the turn of the century, Weston was described as a "country town of residences of the first class." Population growth and the influence of large estate owners led to the construction of new institutional buildings, such as the fieldstone First Parish Church (1888), designed by the nationally known Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns and located on

1972-502: The center of town. The rural landscape of Weston and convenience to rail transportation also made it attractive as a summer resort area. The shingle-style Drabbington Lodge, once a popular summer resort, remains on North Avenue and is now a senior living community. Development of country estates in Weston began on a small scale in the 1860s and was widespread by 1900. Wealthy businessmen were attracted to Weston by its convenience to Boston, quiet country atmosphere, and low taxes, as well as

2030-460: The company to nearby Hopedale, Massachusetts , where a new Christian settlement had been formed by Adin Ballou in 1841. Known as “Fraternal Community No. 1” it was a communal association determined to create an ideal society. Hopedale was one of the most successful communal experiments of the era, but failed after fifteen years. Another brother George came to Hopedale in 1853 to join his brother in

2088-416: The company ventured into and made improvements the developing sector of ring spinning . By 1887, George Draper owned the patent rights or controlled the sale of 12 named varieties of ring spindles. Draper also made improvements to warpers and spoolers in this period. In 1886, the three Draper Brothers of the third generation, still doing business at George Draper & Son were ready to increase their part in

2146-463: The cotton textile industry, Draper became part of the "Big Three" textile machinery makers in the Blackstone Valley , along with Crompton & Knowles of Worcester, Massachusetts , which focused on looms for wool, and the mighty Whitin Machine Works in nearby Whitinsville, Massachusetts which largely made spinning frames and cotton preparation machinery. The Draper automatic looms were

2204-600: The firm of E.D. & George Draper. A year later he bought an interest in the new Dutcher temple, then made in North Bennington, Vermont that was an improvement on previous models. Two years later, the two companies would combine forces at Hopedale and become known as W. W. Dutcher & Company. This would be the first of several industries to be located in Hopedale within the next dozen years, for all of which E.D. & George Draper became managers and agents. Among

2262-501: The first successful power loom in the United States was developed by Paul Moody at Waltham, Massachusetts , Ira was granted a patent on an improved flyshuttle hand loom and the first self-acting temple. A temple is part of a loom used to improve the edges of the fabric. The improvement allowed a weaver to run two power looms instead of one. Its labor-saving feature appealed to Ira, and he decided to push its sale to weavers in

2320-708: The loom field. They decided to undertake the design and manufacture of an automatic loom. There had been many patents of automatic devices but not one of them had ever proved practical: nor was any of them in successful operation anywhere. The company developed two shuttle-changing looms, the Rhoades in 1888 and the Northrop in 1889. The prototypes were given field tests at the Seaconnett Mills in Fall River, Massachusetts with encouraging results. The Northrop

2378-543: The mid-1970s. A descendant of the family, Kristin Draper, is currently running Draper Knitting, a knitting mill and garment contractor. The Draper Mill was torn down in the summer of 2021. Weston, Massachusetts Weston is an affluent town in Middlesex County , Massachusetts , United States, located approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Boston . At the time of the 2020 United States Census ,

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2436-459: The need to work to relieve financial pressures from their family and to gain a sense of independence of living on their own. They left home and began a new life in the mill boarding houses. While working in the mills they would send some monthly earnings back home to still fulfill the role as a contributing part of the family. However, the majority of their earnings was saved in the bank for their own desires. Most women who made this change came from

2494-477: The others were the Hopedale Machine Company and Hopedale Furnace Company. Ebenezer D. Draper retired in 1868. Over the 42 years that he was with the company, he patented many inventions that had improved the art of textile weaving. Between 1868 and 1887 George Draper became the leader and driving force behind the company started by his father years before. After Ebenezer's retirement in 1868,

2552-553: The population of Weston was 11,851. Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protection of the town's historic resources is driven by the Weston Historical Commission and Weston Historical Society. The town has one Local Historic District, 10 National Register Districts, 26 Historic Areas, and seven houses individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Weston's predominance as

2610-406: The population. There were 3,718 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and

2668-524: The pottery, tannery and related boot and shoe making, school desk and chair factory, tool factories, and shops making machinery for cotton and woolen mills. The Hook & Hastings Company organ factory, Weston's largest industry, moved to the North Avenue area in 1888 and was a major town employer until it closed during the Great Depression. The Mass Central Railroad , the third to serve Weston, commenced service in 1881. Its tracks ran east–west through

2726-476: The site of earlier church meetinghouses. The first library (1899), central fire station (1914), and present town hall (1917) were also built during the estate era. Coinciding with the town's Bicentennial in 1913, an ambitious Town Improvement Plan began the process of creating the Town Green by draining and landscaping an existing wetland. Suburban development began in the early 20th century and increased with

2784-517: The town's aesthetic value and historical significance, affording Weston a semi-rural ambiance. The description of Weston's history here is pulled directly from the 2017 Weston Open Space and Recreation Plan . Weston was originally part of the Watertown settlement of 1630, but until the end of the century, the land was used mainly for grazing cattle. In 1698, "The Farms" was set off as a separate precinct with its own meetinghouse; and in 1712–1713,

2842-445: The town. More than half of the town's housing stock was built in the thirty years between 1950 and 1979 and consisted largely of single family houses on increasingly expensive land. Population growth brought increased demand for town services including schools, and five new schools were constructed between 1950 and 1969. In recent years, the major trend is for many of these postwar houses to be replaced by much larger houses. According to

2900-424: The town. The population density was 674.0 inhabitants per square mile (260.2/km ). There were 3,825 housing units at an average density of 224.8 per square mile (86.8/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 90.26% White , 1.18% African American , 0.05% Native American , 6.82% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.43% from other races , and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of

2958-417: The town. The postwar period was characterized by exponential growth and proactive efforts to control and guide this growth in order to preserve the rural character of the town. In the early 1950s, Weston's selectmen initiated two important growth-control measures: a zoning bylaw increasing the amount of land needed to build and a land-acquisition policy reducing the amount of developable land by purchasing it for

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3016-460: The trade. In August 1894, the first Northrop Looms to be sold to a mill were shipped from Hopedale to Queen City Cotton Mills at Burlington, Vermont . There were 729 looms in the order. The Northrop Loom relieved the weaver of much of the drudgery of her work and enabled her to run sixteen looms at once. It is a very loud device however, and the noise of hundreds operating at once in the same room must have been overwhelming. The power looms also created

3074-608: The wage rates decreased. On a Friday in February 1834, a sporadic walkout began after a meeting in which an agent of a mill company dismissed a woman factory worker. Protesting began and the women quit work and started parading through the city streets, attempting to persuade other mill women to join. This walkout was short-lived, and by the middle of the next week the women either returned to work or left town. Only about one-sixth of all women workers in Lowell walked out. In October 1836,

3132-489: The women workers in the Lowell, Massachusetts factory mills walked out once again for the same reasons as the strike in 1834. The young women saw the wage-cut and the increasing prices of housing board as a direct assault on their social and economic independence, and they wouldn't let the revolting wage-cut and rising prices undermined their status as "daughters of freemen". Furthermore, as influenced by their traditional values,

3190-402: The workers present, whereas a strike is often voted on beforehand by the workers, giving notification both to all of the workers and to the company affected. Walkouts have often been staged against the presence of a speaker or the content of an in-progress speech at a meeting. The protest, which is often a silent, non-violent means of expressing disapproval, is often interpreted as an exercise of

3248-418: The young women did not accept to be treated as slaves so they protested. In this second walkout however, the women workers were more organized, and the number of workers involved in the strikes were far numerous than the one sixth of all the factory workers in 1834 and this had a greater impact on the success of their operation. The other cause to their success of this second walkout was the economic prosperity of

3306-519: Was $ 153,918 and the median income for a family was $ 200,000+, figures that had risen to $ 189,041 and over $ 230,000 by 2007. Males had a median income of $ 100,000 versus $ 58,534 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 105,640. About 2.1% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over. The Weston Public Library (WPL), with holdings of 209,000, offers services and programs for adults and youth. The Friends of

3364-399: Was named after its inventor, James H. Northrop who had emigrated from Keighley , Yorkshire, England in 1881. Northrop conceived the idea of forcing the spent bobbin through and out of the shuttle and replacing it with fresh bobbin. Further developments were made, and in 1894, eight years after beginning their venture, the Draper brothers were ready to begin production of the Northrop loom for

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