Happy Hallowe'en from Southbridge!
Southbridge, Massachusetts has a long history of manufacturing optical products, earning it the unofficial title “Eye of the Commonwealth,” in reference to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Under the Wells family, the American Optical Company (AO) became the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic products. At its height, the company employed more than 6,000 people worldwide.
During World War II, many of its workers were exempted from the draft because they were engaged in vital defense work. This included manufacturing Norden bombsights, as well as contributing to projects related to the atom
ic bomb.

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