First published 1999
Cormier traces Leominster from its origins as part of Lancaster through its transformation into America's plastic capital. Gershom Houghton constructs the town's initial dwelling in 1725. The settlement grows around Obadiah Hills' comb-making operation, which he starts in his kitchen in 1775 and expands into the dominant industry of the 1800s. Entrepreneurs Bernard Doyle and Samuel Foster arrive with new manufacturing methods that shift the economy toward plastics production by the time Leominster gains city status in 1915. The narrative weaves together the stories of colorful residents including Buckskin Sam, who writes dime novels, Joseph Palmer, who faces persecution for his beard, and John Chapman, the legendary Johnny Appleseed. Through historical and contemporary photographs, the book captures daily routines alongside moments of struggle and success that define this industrial community's character across more than two centuries.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, slice-of-life
Setting: Leominster, Lancaster
Period: 1725, 1775, 1800s, 1915
128 pages · Paperback · Arcadia Publishing