David Allen Lambert

Stoughton in the 20th Century David Allen Lambert

The town of Stoughton has seen many changes since its incorporation in 1726. Stoughton families and fortunes were transformed in the mid-19th century as they prospered from the production of shoes, boots, wooden shoe lasts, and rubber goods. Farming dwindled, and industry was in full swing by the opening decades of the 20th century. Immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and the Azores changed the cultural community as they started their own businesses and became a driving part of the workforce. The town also saw its share of tragedy, mourning the loss of resident George Quincy Clifford, who perished on the RMS Titanic, and sending its residents from the farms and the factories to World Wars I and II. Stoughton would celebrate its bicentennial in 1926 as a community united in building a better town, a vision still carried out by residents today.