After a journey to England inspecting industrial operations, he returned to Boston intending to construct a similar enterprise. Although Waltham was incorporated as a separate town in 1738, it was primarily a farming community until 1814 when the location attracted the attention of Boston financier, Francis Cabot Lowell. Located on the Charles River eight miles west of Boston, Waltham is often called the true birth place of America's Industrial Revolution. This composition certainly directs attention to the town's two major industries. Meanwhile the American Watch Company, also located on the river's edge, appears at the bottom center. The central focus is a large industrial complex located on the river and identified as the Boston Manufacturing Company. Drawn from the southwest looking towards the northeast, this view of Waltham emphasizes the town's location straddling the Charles River.
