Those Hard Working Finns
The arrival of the Finnish families to this area coincided with work in desperate need to be done, especially in our quarries and mines. All the towns in the county seemed to have their quarries. Fitzwilliam had the Victoria, Blodgett, Angier, and the Reed Quarry, later the Webb Quarry, and others. Although granite work was well under way before the arrival of the Finnish workers, they brought with them a determined focus and welcome atmosphere. The coming of the railroad to this area in the mid 1800s enabled the granite to be shipped on flatcars all over the country. Marlborough also had a Webb Quarry at the turn of the century.
New Ipswich had a large Finnish workforce. Their skill and labor practices were respected and anticipated. One did not hesitate to hire them.
Farms were commonly identical to what people had known in Finland. Famine and political problems in the mother country forced some of them to focus on this country for permanent residence. It could take years of work before enough funds were gained to bring the entire family over. Land had already been taken by the folks who had been here for generations. That is the reason it was hard for the Finns as well as other groups to find large farms of their own and the reason they often ended up working for others.
Jaffrey and other towns needed skilled carpenters from the mid 19th century on. Alongside other ethnic groups, the tireless workers from Finland can lay claim to many of the businesses and homes that were built during that time. If the work involved hard, physical labor, chances are a Finn was involved.
Eight hours a day’s work, six days a week.
Minimum wage for granite cutters, $2.80 a day.
Minimum wage per hour, 35 cents.
One hour allowed for dinner.
Any cutter required to go from the shed to the quarries
to cut stone shall be paid 25 cents a day extra.
Double pay on holidays, and no cutter allowed to work on Labor Day.
From Granite Manufacturers of Fitzwilliam, Granite Cutters‘ International Association