MANSFIELD - The bitter end has finally come for the century-old former Lowney chocolate factory on Oakland Street. After a year-long wind-down, factory owner Archer Daniels Midland confirmed Friday it has finally shuttered the old plant, which ushered Mansfield into the industrial age when it opened in 1903. The chocolate factory had been on borrowed time for a while. ADM first announced its intention to close the plant in the fall of 2009. The company, one of the largest food processors in the world, decided to consolidate its cocoa processing operations at a newer, larger factory in Hazleton, Pa... The arrival of the factory and a largely Italian immigrant workforce that sheltered in multi-family houses that sprang up around the plant permanently altered the character of the town. It also sent a distinctive cocoa aroma through the neighborhood on many days that became familiar with residents.
Say it aint so. Growing up in Mansfield there was 3 things you could count on, Route 106 was going to have pot holes, 99 percent of after school fights were happening at Memorial Park and Mansfield center was going to smell like hot chocolate 24/7. Think about that shit. Your home town always smells like chocolate. Fuckin balls right? We could have grown up in East Rutherford, NJ and lived in a town that smells like wet dog meets, jock strap at low tide. Mansfield townies, dont take this sweet smelling aroma for granted. We were spoiled growing up. While other towns spelt like a dump, our town smelt like sex and candy. I encourage all you mofo's to raise a Charleston chew to the sky tonight and observe a moment of silence.
Is it just me, or did anyone else always have an urge to go inside this plant and see if there were little orange men swimming in rivers of chocolate singing mad ryhmes?
Ps. Veruca Salt was a cunt.
