Textile manufacturing
The town of Spencer was settled in the 1720s and incorporated in 1753. Main Street, now Massachusetts Route 9, was essentially a former Native American trail that served English colonists as a major east-west route since the 17th century. At first strung out along Main Street, the town center grew at the junction of Main with Pleasant and Maple Streets (Massachusetts Route 31), which provided transport to the communities north and south of the village. The town remained economically agricultural until the 19th century, when the Embargo Act of 1807 spurred industrial development. Business engage in the manufacture of textiles, wires, and boots arose in the following years, spurring growth in population, housing, and supporting businesses. Textile manufacturing in particular was concentrated just south of Main Street, resulting in early growth of housing to the east and west. Later in the 19th century, as bootmaking changed from a cottage industry to a centralized one, the center again grew to accommodate workers at boot factories.