WRIGLEY STREET

One of Masterton’s most successful early businessmen is remembered in Wrigley Street. James Wrigley was born in Yorkshire in 1825, and learnt the shoemaking trade from his uncle. He immigrated to New Zealand in 1852 and moved on to Masterton in 1855. He set up as a shoemaker in Queen Street, a business he ran very successfully. He was also an enterprising land developer, breaking his small farm block into a number of streets, including the one that bears his name. He developed Wrigley, Albert and Victoria Streets in 1878. At that time a proposed road, to be called Mary Street, was named although it was never formed. For many years the unformed road was used as a walking track from Villa Street to the Side School in Wrigley Street. Wrigley Street was a blind street with no connection to Villa Street until 1908.