First settled in 1672, Westborough officially became a town in 1717 after a second petition was sent to the General Court requesting township. Similar to many small New England towns, when Westborough entered the Gilded Age, the character of the town changed forever. Industrialization, innovation, and its idyllic location propelled the town to rank eighth among the top 10 manufacturing cities of Worcester County in 1885. In the late 19th century, Westborough's National Straw Works alone had over 2,000 employees and was recognized as the largest factory in the world for straw hats. Sleighs, bicycles, pianos, boots, and shoe production provided employment for residents and immigrants, and after World War II, Westborough expanded even farther. The interstate highway system grew, putting Westborough at the heart of Massachusetts's highway systems, and new homes were built, creating the residential community that it is today.