Richard Henry Long was the son of a prominent Massachusetts shoe manufacturer who took over the family business upon the death of his father, John, in 1889. Originally located in South Weymouth, Long relocated the factory to Belchertown during the early 1890s and by 1896 employed 50 hands. At the turn of the century Long moved into larger quarters in Springfield and in 1902 purchased an existing factory in South Framingham for the manufacture of his popular line of men's footwear.
The shoe business grew and in November of 1904 Long leased a Boston factory formerly occupied by L. Prang & Co. for the manufacture of a new line of women's shoes. A second building was added to the Framingham complex in 1908 and all shoe manufacturing operations were consolidated there.
Subject ID: 69378
MoreRichard Henry Long was the son of a prominent Massachusetts shoe manufacturer who took over the family business upon the death of his father, John, in 1889. Originally located in South Weymouth, Long relocated the factory to Belchertown during the early 1890s and by 1896 employed 50 hands. At the turn of the century Long moved into larger quarters in Springfield and in 1902 purchased an existing factory in South Framingham for the manufacture of his popular line of men's footwear.
The shoe business grew and in November of 1904 Long leased a Boston factory formerly occupied by L. Prang & Co. for the manufacture of a new line of women's shoes. A second building was added to the Framingham complex in 1908 and all shoe manufacturing operations were consolidated there.
Long clearly needed additional manufacturing capacity and in mid-1918 purchased the Framingham factory of the Bela Body Company. Auto sales had suffered a steep decline with the entry of the United States into the European conflict and A.G. Bela and his partners were anxious to unload their automotive holdings.
Just shy of the three-month anniversary of the Bela Body Co. sale the Armistice was signed and Long's multi-million-dollar contracts were abruptly canceled.
When Long purchased the business he assumed whatever contracts Bela Body was in the process of fulfilling and with the end of the War, they resumed the manufacture of Franklin body sections. In 1919 Long closed down the Amesbury body plant and moved all body-building operations into Bela's Framingham buildings where he commenced the manufacture of entire sedan bodies for Franklin.
Subject ID: 69378
Subject ID: 69378