Amory Maynard

Amory Maynard (February 28, 1804 – March 5, 1890) was an American textile manufacturer and the namesake of Maynard, Massachusetts. He co-founded the Assabet Woolen Mill in 1846 and managed the business until his death.

Early life Amory Maynard was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in 1804 to Isaac and Lydia Howe Maynard. The Maynards were descendants of a Puritan, John Maynard, who came to Massachusetts from England in 1635. At age fourteen, Amory Maynard left school to work in his family's farm and saw mill at Fort Meadow Pond. At age sixteen, Maynard took over management of the family saw mill when his father died. Maynard also started a large construction business. In 1826 Maynard married Mary P. Priest. They had three sons: Lorenzo (1829–1904), William (1833–1906) and Harlan (1843–1861).

Creation of Assabet Woolen Mill and Town of Maynard Maynard's first mill was forced to close when the City of Boston acquired Fort Meadow Pond for the City's water supply. With the money he received from the buy-out, Maynard partnered with William Knight (who retired in 1852) to purchase land and water rights for the Assabet River in Sudbury and Stow. They founded the Assabet Woolen Mill in 1846, producing carpets and later wool used in military uniforms during the American Civil War. Expansion of the mill combined with hiring of people to work in it led to a population increase in what was known as Assabet Village. In 1871 the people of the area petitioned the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the right to become a town. The Town of Maynard—named after Amory—came into being on April 19, 1871.