D.M. Dillon manufactures boilers and paper machinery. A.D. Waymouth and Company, and C.W. Wilder manufacture respectively the Waymouth wood-turning lathe and Wilder's patent lathe.
In 1866 Charles Burleigh of Fitchburg invented the Burleigh rock drill, and the next year the Burleigh Rock Drill Company was organized with a capital of $150,000, to make and sell this machine and the Burleigh Patent air-compressor. These drills have completely revolutionized the business of rock-tunneling. They were first used in the Hoosac Tunnel and, proved highly successful. Since then they have been employed at Hell Gate, in the Sutro Tunnel, and at various points in Europe.
Stiles Block, Main Street.
The Rollstone Iron Foundry, the Fitchburg Iron Foundry, and M.J. Perault, manufacture castings of all kinds. W.A. Hardy operates a brass Foundry on Water street. There is no space to indulge further in details regarding machinery. In addition to the above are numerous individuals and firms here engaged in the manufacture of mowing machines and agricultural implements, boiler makers' tools, electric machinery and apparatus, files, grist and flouring-mill machinery, hay, straw, and machine, knives, wood-working machinery, machinists' tools, water motors, watch tools, paper machinery and the like.
The paper manufacturing interest in Fitchburg is valuable and extensive. The credit of successfully establishing this industry here belongs to Alvah Crocker, who, in 1826, built a paper mill of his own. Paper had, however, been made here to some extent previous to that time. In 1850 the firm of Crocker, Burbank and Company was formed, of which Mr. Crocker was the head until his death in 1874. The present members of the firm are C.T. Crocker, S.E. Crocker, G.F. Fay, G. H. Crocker and Alvah Crocker. The firm now operates five large paper mills in West Fitchburg. A sixth, the Snow Mill, was recently destroyed by fire. About 32,000 pounds of news, book and card paper are produced by these mills every twenty-four hours.
In 1865 the Fitchburg Paper Company was organized. Rodney Wallace, having purchased the interests of the other three original members of the company, is now the sole proprietor. 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.
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.