A small but Important Company.

250 Cleghorn Street,

Servicing the needs of Stables in and around the Fitchburg area.

~ Liniment for Horses Hoof ~
&
~ Grease and Oils for Coach axles and Springs ~

During the period of the Horse and Cart (dray) nearly all businesses in Fitchburg required
either their own stables or someone to call upon to fetch and deliver to the main Railhead.
This small company moved from Water Street to 250 Gleghorn Street in 1905 and traded
there until 1910 were it ran ads as a manufacturer of axle grease including coach oils, etc.
The move from Water Street was probably to gain more business from the Mills ( Grant
Mill - and - Parkhill Mill and perhaps even the *- Fitchburg Steam Engine Company -*
( The Snow Flake Co. - has a "Charles. B. Shannon" - listed as its Treasurer at that time. )

The label on the canister is Lithographed and Reads -
" The Snow Flake Axle Grease Company will give One Hundred Dollars for any article
that excels their Snow Flake Axle Grease " The label indicates that the axle grease was
used for horses feet in order to make the hoofs " smooth & tough ", " causes it to grow ",
" removes all fever from the foot", " cures quarter cracks ", " sore heels " and a few other maladies.

~ The canister was bought from Luce's Barn in Washington, Maine in 1970 ~

~ A recorded Agent for this company is John. D. Hurley 1886, and was
recorded in the - Canton Journal Newspaper 1876 to 1890. ~

As mentioned above - One mill in Fitchburg was that of ~ The Parkhill Manufacturing Company ~
who started in 1879 manufacturing fine Ginghams for markets both in Boston & New York. The
company maintained a good reputation throughout many years, it ended up being liquidated in 1928.
The mill was located on Circle Street and occupied what was the former Davis Chair Company site.

The mill was later bought by The Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. who was incorporated in 1831 in
Manchester - New Hampshire. The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company based in NH was in later
years to become the Largest Textile Producer in the United States having 30 mills, a large foundry
and also manufacturing Locomotives as well as rifles ( during the Civil War ). The Company as with
many others was eventually forced to close in 1936 mainly due to losses within the Great Depression.
In 1931 a cut to wages of 25% saw the first demise of company profits because of the great depression.
The company name is taken from the Amoskeag water falls - the hydraulic power from the falls being
uterlized to drive the waterwheels for the complete manufacturing site having been build beside the falls.
The Great Depression started on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929 when the Stock Market crashed and
triggering the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. The depression lasted
right through to the early 1940s, having put 15 million workers ( one-quarter of the workforce ) out of
work - the repercussion's being felt worldwide. Most mills (including flour) at this stage went to the wall.

~ A History page on the "Amoskeag" Company can be found in the links (2) page ~

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