As early as 1850 mill management had tried to provide decent housing for its employees. By 1880 it rented out three houses and seven tenement dwellings (see 1907 Sanborn map above). Henry Marchant lived in one of the houses, and plant manager John Tyler and his family occupied another. Fifty-five out of 60 workers lived in the remainder. This arrangement worked so long as the employees were single boarders or had small families. The size and nature of the village changed as people became more established. By 1910, 18 of 111 workers had the means to purchase their own homes. The company rented to another 30, and only 14 boarded. This arrangement benefited both management and employees. The former secured a stable labor force that reproduced itself and passed skills along generationally. The latter secured shelter, subsistence, and a sense of place.
-Andy Myers
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