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History of Vermont Wood Products | |
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Two hundred twenty-five years ago every town in Vermont undoubtedly had several individuals who made functional items for residents from wood. As the population increased, demand for wood products spurred the establishment of small wood products industries. Since the 1870s wood products have been the single most important manufacturing industry in Vermont. Through the mid-1900s large numbers of mass-produced and individually crafted wood products were sold to customers all over the U.S. and abroad. The variety of items seems endless: cutting boards and wooden bowls, agriculture equipment and tool handles, bowling pins, baskets, drumsticks, toys, cow stanchions, musical instruments, refrigerators, golf tees, cheese boxes, wooden dolls, gun racks, Scrabble tiles, snowshoes, clothes pins, and wooden shipping boxes. Wood created an identity for many Vermont towns. They have similar stories of logging, lumber mills, and a continuous succession of wood products manufacturers. In some towns, wood industries provided income for the majority of the population. Technology and products changed with the times to increase production and efficiency, meet market demand, and capitalize on popular trends and tastes. Owners of the mills and factories became community leaders who took responsibility for the commercial and civic growth of their towns. You may download a 16-page booklet on the History of Woodworking in Vermont as a pdf file (3.45 MB) or request a copy by email. |
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