The Firestone-Apsley Rubber Company was a tire company and factory located in Hudson,

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. It succeeded the rubber clothing companies Apsley Rubber Company and Goodyear Gossamer Company. It operated in its various guises from 1885 to the 1930s. Today the Firestone-Apsley factory building is owned by Hudson Lock, LLC, which produces keys, locks, and related goods.

History

The Goodyear Gossamer Company was founded in 1885 in Hudson, Massachusetts, by businessman and later United States congressman Lewis Dewart Apsley and his partner J. H. Coffin of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. This company produced rubber or " gossamer" clothing. Within five years, Goodyear Gossamer Company became the largest producer of gossamer garments in the nation. The Hudson Historical Society 1976 In 1892 Apsley purchased Coffin's share of Goodyear Gossamer and reincorporated it as the Apsley Rubber Company. Halprin 2001: 27 Halprin 2008: 28 This company produced rubber clothing and footwear. Apsley expanded the company's brick factory building in 1916. Halprin 2008: 9 The plant employed between 1200 and 2000 people during its existence, more than half of all people employed in Hudson during that time period. In 1921 Apsley sold his company and factory buildings to the

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is a tire company founded by Harvey Firestone (1868–1938) in 1900 initially to supply solid rubber side-wire tires for fire apparatus, and later, pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheele ...

. The plant was renamed the Firestone-Apsley Rubber Company and started producing

tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

. A new brick smokestack with the word "FIRESTONE" spelled out on it in white-painted bricks was built by the Firestone Company. The factory helped attract immigrants from all over Europe to Hudson. In 1928 at least 19 different languages were spoken by Firestone-Apsley workers. Halprin 2001: 7 The factory folded in the 1930s during the Great Depression. From the 1940s through 1960s the former Firestone-Apsley factory buildings housed Victory Plastics. This company produced plastic footwear and 18 million plastic

scabbard A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. As well, rifles may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring carbine rifles and lever-action rifles on the ...

s for knives and

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s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Victory Plastics was recognized with an

Army-Navy "E" Award The Army-Navy "E" Award was an honor presented to companies during World War II whose production facilities achieved "Excellence in Production" ("E") of war equipment. The award was also known as the Army-Navy Production Award. The award was cr ...

for its contributions to the war effort. Victory continued producing scabbards and other war

materiel Materiel (; ) refers to supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commercial supply chain context. In a military context, the term ''materiel'' refers either to the specif ...

for use during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, including plastic-encased

land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

s designed in collaboration with Dow Chemical Company. The company also added various plastic

consumer goods A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike a intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good, b ...

such as thermal cocktail pitchers and

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

sets to their production line. Since 1963 the plant has housed Hudson Lock, LLC, which produces keys, locks,

locksmithing Locksmithing is the science and art of making and defeating locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies from country to country ...

tools, and related goods. The Firestone smokestack still stands. It is quite possibly the tallest structure in the town of Hudson, but is now shorter than its original height. Sometime in 2017 the smokestack was damaged — or perhaps intentionally lowered for safety reasons — such that it now reads "IRESTONE."

Notes

References

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External links

Hudson Lock, LLC Website
Bridgestone Companies based in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Hudson, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Industrial buildings and structures in Massachusetts 1885 establishments in Massachusetts Manufacturing companies established in 1885 {{coord, 42, 23, 41.69, N, 71, 34, 34.1, W, region:US, display=title

History

Notes

References

See also

External links