In its 19th century heyday, the city of Springfield in Massachusetts produced the first industrial assembly line, the first gasoline-powered automobile and the first sleeping rail car. Wason, one of its leading companies, made passenger coaches and streetcars for clients across the US and countries as far afield as Egypt. While Wason went out of business in the 1930s, Springfield prospered well into the 20th century before deindustrialisation forced many of its factories to close.
在19世紀的鼎盛時期,麻薩諸塞州斯普林菲爾德市有了第一條工業裝配線、生產了第一輛汽油動力汽車和第一節臥鋪車廂。Wason是該市領先的公司之一,當時它生產的列車車廂和有軌電車不僅供應美國各地的客戶,還供應遠至埃及的海外客戶。雖然Wason在20世紀30年代破產,但斯普林菲爾德在進入20世紀後還繁榮了很長一段時間,直到後來去工業化迫使該市許多工廠關閉。