Grafton is located in Taylor County
WV
WikiMiniAt
(
39°20′30″N
80°1′11″W / 39.34167°N
80.01972°W / 39.34167; -80.01972). Grafton was settled in the late 1700s by the Current family.
Their surveyor was George Washington around 1835 Grafton became a railroad town
with the building of the B&O Railroad. In 1895-1928 Tygart Valley Glass
(bottles, fruit jars, jelly tumblers) opened in Grafton. It was their first glass company. Other companies to operate
there are Beaumont Glass Company 1902-1906 (pressed pattern glass, tableware), Dominion Glass Company 1904-1912 (window glass),
Empress Glass Company 1906-1910 (unknown), Grafton Window Glass Company 1906-1910 (window glass),
Columbia Tile Company 1906-1910 (glass tile), Royal Window Glass Company 1915-1924 (window glass),
Hazel-atlas Glass Company 1916-1959 (hollow-ware, fruit jars),Southern Glass Company 1922 (window glass), Salem Glass Company 1960-1966 (hand blown stemware and barware), Minners Glass
Company 1966-1974 (hand blown stemware and barware).
Lewis Hines took pictures of boys working in the glass
factories in Grafton. Grafton is also the
place that started Mother's Day.
Glass Blower and Mold Boy, Grafton, WV
October 1908
National Archives and Records Administration
Records of the Department of Commerce and Labor, Children's Bureau
Record Group 102
ARC Identifier: 523090
Glass Blower and Mold Boy, Grafton, WV
Thank you for the information on Grafton. It is an interesting old town.
ReplyDeleteI like your choice of information and pictures. We see that one of our preeminent founding fathers has a connection to Grafton (and the Ohio River Valley as he surveyed and owned land in Mason County). This is a great tie in to make West Virginia relevant in our studies of American history. We also see in the photograph a young boy, about a middle school student’s age, working with the glass blower. Again, this brings relevance to our students.
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