Originally a part of Lancaster, Leominster’s first house was built in 1725 by Gershom Houghton. By the mid-1800s Leominster had become an industrial center. The comb-making industry, begun in Obadiah Hills’ kitchen in 1775, dominated 18th-century work life. By the time Leominster became a city in 1915, visionaries like Bernard Doyle and Samuel Foster were developing tools and techniques that would revolutionize the plastics industry, which commanded the 20th century. Leominster is known today as the Pioneer Plastic City, and the plastic industry still provides the foundation of the city’s economy.
Leominster, the first comprehensive town history in over 100 years, shows the evolution of the town from the late 19th century to the present by contrasting historic photographs and illustrations with contemporary photographs. Within these pages, we meet local characters like Buckskin Sam, noted fivecent-and-dime novelist; Joseph Palmer, the man persecuted for wearing a beard; and John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. On this visual tour, we also visit a variety of the town’s residents, viewing scenes that illustrate their daily lives as well as their trials and triumphs.