Initial Publication Date: October 17, 2007

Images of Woburn

A sign reading "Welcome to Woburn"
Welcome to Woburn

Images from th 1922 Pollution Survey of the Aberjona River

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Westboro, Massachusetts

This report contains 170 photographs from the 1921-1922 field surveys documenting pollution of the Aberjona River
Surveyers from a 1922 Aberjona River pollution study
Field team begins winter survey 7107
Photo of black, tarry sediment in Aberjona tributary streambeds
Black, tarry, sediment lining many tributary streambeds 7108
Photo of debris and waste in Aberjona tributary streams
Debris and other wastes choke streams 7109
Photo of debris and waste in Aberjona tributary streams
Debris and other wastes choke streams 7110

Shoe manufacturing in New England

Photo of New England shoe factory
Shoe factory. 7111
Vintage advertisement for shoes
Vintage shoe advertisement. 7112
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment. 7113
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment. 7114
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment
Photo of worker operating shoe manufacturing equipment. 7115
Crowd of workers photographed outside a shoe factory
A crowd of workers assembled outside a shoe factory. 7116
Vintage advertisement for shoes
Vintage shoe advertisement. 7117
Workers box shoes at a factory
Workers box shoes at a factory. 7118

Piggeries in Woburn along floodplain of the Aberjona River

(photographs from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife report, 1922)

Photo of piggery near the Aberjona River
Photo of piggery near Aberjona River. 7119
Photo of pigs near Aberjona River
Pigs on an Aberjona piggery. 7120
Runoff from an Aberjona piggery
Runoff from an Aberjona piggery. 7121

Algonquin Tannery in North Woburn

(photographs from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife report, 1922)

Exterior of the Algonquin tannery near the Aberjona River
Exterior of the Algonquin Tannery near the Aberjona River. 7122
A covered flume at the Algonquin Tannery
Covered flume at Algonquin Tannery. 7123
Outfall drains to Willow Brook at Algonquin Tannery
Outfall drains to Willow Brook at Algonquin Tannery. 7124
Wooden flumes at the Algonquin Tannery
Wooden flumes at Algonquin Tannery. 7125

Buckman Tannery in North Woburn

(photographs from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife report, 1922)

Exterior of Buckman Tannery 1922
Exterior of Buckman Tannery. 7126
1922 beam house at the Buckman Tannery
Beam house at Buckman Tannery. 7127
1922 outfall drains at Buckman Tannery
Outfall drains at Buckman Tannery. 7128
1922 settling basin at Buckman Tannery
Settling basin at Buckman Tannery. 7129

Hide Preparations

Hide prepration, flaying
Flaying. 7130
Hide prepration, salting
Salting. 7131
Hide preparation, transport
Transport. 7132
Hide preparation, washing
Washing. 7133
Hide preparation, soaking
Soaking. 7134
Hide preparation, fleshing
Fleshing. 7135
Hide preparation, liming
Liming. 7136
Hide preparation, hair removal
Hair removal. 7137
Hide preparation, scudding
Scudding. 7138
Hide preparation, puering and bating
Puering and bating. 7139

Leather Tanning

Leather tanning, vegetable tanning
Vegetable tanning. 7140
Leather tanning, vegetable tanning
Vegetable tanning. 7141
Leather tanning, chrome tanning
Chrome tanning. 7142
Leather tanning, chrome tanning
Chrome tanning. 7143

Drying & Finishing

Drying and finishing, drying
Drying. 7144
Drying and finishing, staking
Staking. 7145
Drying and finishing, tacking
Tacking. 7146
Drying and finishing, graining
Graining. 7147
Drying and finishing, coating
Coating. 7148

John J. Riley Leather Co.

Wildwood Street
Woburn

Chrome tanning preparation at the Riley Tannery
Chrome tanning preparation at the Riley Tannery. (Thorstensen, 1969) 7149
Toggling to dry leather at the Riley Tannery
Toggling leather at the Riley Tannery. (Thorstensen, 1969) 7150
Flow coating machine to apply solvents to hides at the Riley Tannery
According to Thorstensen (1969), flow coating machines were used to apply solvents to leather as a means of treatment. 7151

Trial-era photo of barrels near an Aberjona tributary
Fred DeFeo photo of barrels near an Aberjona tributary. 7152

Woburn dump

The old Woburn dump
Old Woburn dump (1965). 7153
The new Woburn dump
New improved Woburn dump (1971). 7154

Merrimac Chemical Company

(photographs from Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife report, 1922)

Rear view of the Merrimac Chemical Company
Rear view of main building with area of tarry sludge in foreground. 7155
A settling pond at the Merrimac Chemical Company
Liquid waste settling pond from hydrochloric acid production. 7156
A tributary to the Aberjona at the Merrimac Chemical Company
Refuse choked tributary to Aberjona River immediately below Merrimac Chemical Company. 7157

NOVA Images

Aerial view of the Merrimac Chemical Company
Aerial view of Merrimac Chemical Company, circa 1900. (NOVA, Toxic Trials, 1986) 7158
Exterior of the Cryovac plant in Woburn
The Cryovac plant on Washington Street was operated by W.R. Grace manufactured food processing equipment. (NOVA, Toxic Trials, 1986) 7159

Excavated drums behind Cryovac plant
Excavated drums buried behind the Cryovac Plant (1983 photo by Steve Maslansky) 7160
Propspect Tool & Die leased the space on the far end (north) of the New England Plastics building
Woburn mystery industry. 7161
Industry in Woburn
Woburn mystery industry. 7162

Stop #4

Preparations for a seismic study at well sties
Dave Johnson (this one) and Julio Olimpio (other one) of the U.S. Geological Survey helped performed a seismic study to delineate the top of bedrock in the area around wells G & H. (1985 photos by Chuck Myette) 7163
Preparations for a seismic study at well sites
Dave Johnson (other one) and Julio Olimpio (this one) of the U.S. Geological Survey helped performed a seismic study to delineate the top of bedrock in the area around wells G & H. (1985 photos by Chuck Myette) 7164
Woburn well S40
Well S40 was constructed on the 15-acre woodland owned by the John J. Riley Tannery Company in 19__ to supply water to the tannery. The well is __-feet in diameter and has a__-foot long screen __-feet below land surface. (1999 photo by Scott Bair) 7166
Measuring water level in well H
Measuring water level in well H prior to the commencement of pumping on December 4, 1985. (1985 photo by Chuck Myette) 7167
Discharge line and flowmeter installed at Well H
Setting up discharge line and flowmeter at well H. (1985 photo by Chuck Myette)







Stop #8

A decaying debris pile on Riley
Decaying debris piles and isolated drums on Riley's 15-acre woodland. (1983 photos by John Drobinski) 7169
A decaying barrel on Riley
Decaying debris piles and isolated drums on Riley's 15-acre woodland. (1983 photos by John Drobinski) 7170
An isolated drum on Riley
Decaying debris piles and isolated drums on Riley's 15-acre woodland. (1983 photos by John Drobinski) 7171
Rotting barrels on Riley
Decaying debris piles and isolated drums on Riley's 15-acre woodland. (1983 photos by John Drobinski) 7172
A pile of decaying barrels on Riley
Debris pile on Riley's 15-acre woodland containing decaying 55-gallon drums. (U.S. EPA collection) 7173
A pile of rotting debris on Riley
Another debris pile on Riley's 15-acre woodland containing decaying drums. (U.S. EPA collection) 7174
Rotting barrels on the Hemmingway Trucking property
Debris pile on Hemingway Trucking property, just noth of Riley's 15-acre woodland, containing discarded and decaying 55-gallon drums. (1982 photo by Steve Maslansky) 7175
Drum storage at the Whitney Barrel Company
Drum storage area at Whitney Barrel Company, just south of the Riley 15-acre woodland (1982 photo by Steve Maslansky) 7176