HISTORICAL TREND IN MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRIES 



1837 - 1933 



By David Rozman, Research Professor, and Ruth E. Sherburne, 

 Research Assistant, in Economics 



This is an attempt to present in graphic form the most essential data in 

 connection with trends of industrial development in Massachusetts cities and 

 towns. The statistics in this volume are presented in a series of charts indi- 

 cating the trend of population, number of manufacturing establishments, and 

 number of employees 1 for 142 cities and towns, beginning with 1837 or a later 

 date as statistics became available. 



STATISTICS FOR CITIES AND TOWNS 



This statistical presentation of historical trends for individual cities and 

 towns is based on the Massachusetts State Census, the Federal Census of 

 Manufactures and the Annual Reports of the State Department of Labor and 

 Industries. Cf the three items presented in these historical charts, the number 

 of establishments, number of employees, and population, only the last one is 

 based on uniform and consistent data throughout the period. 



In considering the trend in number of establishments and employees it is 

 essential to keep in mind that there have been some changes in the definition 

 of the manufacturing unit from one census to another. Consequently, through- 

 out the period for which statistics are presented, suitable allowance was made 

 for the variations introduced in different periods in the method of calculations. 

 With these corrections it is believed that the figures as presented, even though 

 not absolutely accurate, are fairly comparable and with a few exceptions 

 present an adequate picture of the development which has taken place in 

 individual localities. The bases adopted from one census to another in the 

 matter of enumerating the industries are as follows: In the State Census of 

 1837 a list of industries on which returns were to be made was definitely stated 

 in the Act. This definition was carried out consistently in the Censuses of 

 1845, 1855, 1865, and 1875. 



In the Census of 1885 a new division was introduced — Food Preparation. 

 Inasmuch as this had reference mostly to farm production and was not in- 

 cluded in the totals for the preceding period, this item was omitted from 

 subsequent calculations in order to make the statistics comparable and con- 

 sistent. 



The figures from the 1895 Census as incorporated in the charts present the 

 number of employees for that week in the year when the employment was at 

 its highest point, as compared with other censuses when employment was 

 given as of a certain date. 



Beginning with the Census of 1905, the census authorities adopted the 

 general principle of not disclosing the figures for individual towns where the 

 number of industries was small or where the disclosure of figures might be 

 equivalent to identification of individual industries. As a result it has not 

 been possible to obtain historical statistics for all towns up to the present 



1 In this bulletin the term "employees" should be understood as confined to wage-earners. 



