rietor. He operates two large and
well-equipped mills in West Fitchburg, which produce from 15,000 to
18,000 pounds of card and hanging paper every twenty-four hours.

[Illustration: CROCKER BLOCK.]

In 1864 George W. Wheelwright and Sons built a paper mill, and in 1880
the G.W. Wheelwright Paper Company was incorporated with a capital of
$100,000. The mill is located on Fourth street and produces about 7,000
pounds of news paper per twenty-four hours.

In 1884 a number of capitalists purchased the building long known as
Richardson's scythe shop, situated on Scythe-shop road, South Fitchburg,
and converted it into a paper-mill. It is now operated by the National
Paper Company and produces manilla and hanging paper.

The chair business is represented in Fitchburg by an establishment which
is one of the largest and best arranged in the world. Walter Heywood
really founded this industry here in 1844, though chairs were made in
Fitchburg on a small scale some years previously. The Walter Heywood
Chair Company was organized in 1851 and incorporated in 1869 with a
capital of $240,000. In July, 1870, the company's buildings on Water
street were completely destroyed by fire, and a lot on River street,
comprising nine acres, was immediately purchased for the erection of new
works. These buildings, each three hundred feet long, fifty feet wide
and two stories high, besides store houses, offices and sheds, were soon
ready for occupation. A private track connects the works with the
Fitchburg Railroad. The Company has a very large trade, both foreign and
domestic, and employs three hundred men. The chair stock is prepared at
the company's mills in Barton, Vermont.

[Illustration: FACTORY OF THE FITCHBURG WOOLEN MILL COMPANY.]

The manufacture of cotton and woolen goods is extensively carried on in
Fitchburg. The Fitchburg Cotton Mill is a fine brick building at the
upper end of Main street; carpet warps, batting and twine are here
manufactured. The Fitchburg Duck Mills in South Fitchburg produce cotton
duck. The Parkhill Manufacturing Company (John Parkhill, President, and
Arthur H. Lowe, Treasurer), occupies what was formerly Davis' chair
shop, situated on Circle street, and manufactures gingham. The building
has been greatly enlarged and additional buildings have been erected
since the company was organized a few years ago. Excellent goods are
manufactured and find a ready market.

The factory of the Fitchburg Woolen Mill C