1914
"The Taft-Peirce Manufacturing Company is one of the oldest special machine and tool manufacturing organizations in the United States. Founded in 1875, its growth and development have been coincident with that of light and high grade machinery requiring interchangeable parts. The sewing machine, the type-setting machine, the typewriter, the adding machine, the motorcycle, the automobile, the aviation motor, and countless other mechanical devices have been assisted to commercial perfection by the talent and facilities of this organization, which also provides many of the fine tools and machinery, both special and standard, required in their manufacture.
This company has made a business of developing manufacturing processes, planning the work, designing and building the necessary tools and fixtures, and providing machines, small tools, and gages for production; and today it has one of the largest and best equipped plants in the country for general and special machine and tool work of the highest quality.
It has played such a large part in the rapid progress made in the mechanical field that it has necessarily kept abreast of modern machine practice, which it has in considerable measure helped to bring about.
Originally devoted solely to the performance of special jobbing and contract work, in which it was the pioneer company, the plant and personnel today comprise two major divisions, the Contract Division and the Small Tool and Gage Division, the latter organized in 1914 to develop and manufacture an extensive line of standard products, which are described in detail in this volume.
Combining the finest of craftsmanship with the forward-looking principles of modern industry, the company retains the best traditions of a long and distinguished history, yet employs equipment, policies, and methods conforming to the most advanced practices.
The plant is accessibly located in Woonsocket, R. I., 14 miles north of Providence, 28 miles south of Worcester and 38 miles southwest of Boston on the New Haven Rail¬
road, and is but a mile from the Blackstone (Mass.) depot of the same line. Frequent rail and bus service is available to Woonsocket, to Blackstone, and to nearby Providence, Worcester, and Boston." (Quote from 1952.)
The firm was dissolved in October 1995
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