In 1694 the first European settlers arrived in what is now South Easton, Massachusetts, 30 miles south of Boston. They found a pure spring that provided abundant drinking water for native Americans centuries before. One of these settlers, William Hayward, built his home near the spring. His son, born the next year, lived there for 79 years.
After the Hayward homestead was abandoned in the late 1700s, the land came to be known as Cynthia Park. The pure spring water provided refreshment for outdoor religious services and festivities for many years. Samuel Simpson acquired the spring about 1830, and it was during that time that the spring became known as "Simpson's spring".
In 1878 Simpson's grandson-in-law, Frederick A. Howard, persuaded Simpson to sell him the spring site. Howard founded the Simpson Spring Company that year. At that time a new and exciting carbonated beverage based on Joseph Priestley's experiments of 100 years earlier was emerging. Fred Howard seized the opportunity to make carbonated beverages with his pure spring water and the business sprang to life. Today the Simpson Spring Company is one of the oldest soft drink manufacturers in the country, highly respected for its excellent products.
The following newspaper article of historical interest appeared in the June 13th, 2000 issue of "The Enterprise" published in Brockton, Massachusetts (4 clippings):
In 1694 the first European settlers arrived in what is now South Easton, Massachusetts, 30 miles south of Boston. They found a pure spring that provided abundant drinking water for native Americans centuries before. One of these settlers, William Hayward, built his home near the spring. His son, born the next year, lived there for 79 years.
In 1878 Simpson's grandson-in-law, Frederick A. Howard, persuaded Simpson to sell him the spring site. Howard founded the Simpson Spring Company that year. At that time a new and exciting carbonated beverage based on Joseph Priestley's experiments of 100 years earlier was emerging. Fred Howard seized the opportunity to make carbonated beverages with his pure spring water and the business sprang to life. Today the Simpson Spring Company is one of the oldest soft drink manufacturers in the country, highly respected for its excellent products.
