Sprague Electric through Workers' Eyes
Tour Description
Since Arnold Print Works first opened at this site in 1860, 87 Marshall Street has been a center for economic activity in North Adams. Beginning in 1942, Sprague Electric Company employed thousands of North Adams residents until its closure in 1985. Now the site of MASS MoCA, this tour provides a view of what life was like at Sprague Electric through the perspectives of the men and women who worked there.
Locations for Tour
Arnold Print Works
Nestled between the north and south branches of the Hoosic River, the Marshall Street complex that now houses MassMoCA has played a major role in the history of North Adams. As the country entered the tumultuous years of the U.S. Civil War, the…
Sprague Electric during World War II
During World War II there were many different companies all over the globe aiding their allies in hopes that they would win. Whether it was through buying bonds, creating new technologies, or supplying the soldiers with what was needed, they were…
A Company Family, A Company Town
No company has left more of a mark on North Adams than Sprague Electric. To many older residents, the golden age of Sprague was also the golden age of North Adams. Look no further than this city for just how important a company can become to a…
Working for a Lifetime at Sprague
In 1926, Sprague Specialties Company was run by Ensign Robert C. Sprague, his wife, Mrs. Florence Sprague, and Mary E. Avery – Molly, to her friends. Sprague Specialties – later to be called Sprague Electric – grew rapidly from a family business to a…
Sprague Electric and the Space Race
In the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility, there is a small object, no bigger than a fifty-cent coin. It is made out of silicon and is in the shape of a disk. It may seem unimportant to the untrained eye this silicon disk contains the Apollo 11 Goodwill…
The 1970s Sprague Electric Strike
During a 10-week long strike in North Adams, workers stood outside the fences of the Sprague Electric Company in strike for better pay and conditions. This event changed the dynamic of Sprague Electric from fast productions to a much slower pace. The…