With a total population of over three hundred thousand citizens, Wigan is most definitely a large city even in relation to its neighbors Manchester and Liverpool. Like these other cities, Wigan started out as a humble territory that was fought over by Celtic tribes, Roman soldiers, and English forces. By the time the Industrial Revolution arose throughout Europe, however, Wigan was a U.K. city in every sense of the word and it quickly rose in size, population, and prominence.
Wigan was already a manufacturing town before the Revolution, however. Clock-making and porcelain were major industries in the city and by the 1400s coal mining became yet another economic cornerstone in the already bustling city. During the mining peak, there were over a thousand mines located within an eight kilometer span of the city, causing one commentator at the time to remark on the fact that a coal mine in the backyard was not an uncommon occurrence in Wigan. By the time of heavy industry, however, Wigan had once again switched its main trade and was now an important textile town. By the 1800s cotton manufacturing also became an essential part of the town's economy. The town's dependence on the cotton trade and its benefits from it rose dramatically in 1818, however, when the inventor William Woods introduced power looms to a willing Wigan population.
Sadly, this technology became synonymous with some of the darker and seedier elements of industry and manufacturing. The cotton factories became one of the first targets for complaints regarding unsafe working conditions, low wages, dangerous machinery, and child labor. The Wigan Pier was operating in full force at this time as well and many saw similar unfair treatment of workers occurring there as well. This prompted the famed George Orwell to pen "The Road to Wigan Pier". The book was heralded as one of the first blue-collar sympathy stories as it detailed the struggles and problems of the working class English. Though it painted a negative light on the city, the book still caused many tourists to come visit the city to see what all the uproar was about.
These days, however, one can scarcely complain about Wigan or its industry. Manufacturing still occurs in the city but it is fair, safe, and legal. Also, there is no one industry that dominates the city as companies from sectors as far ranging as food production and bookselling hold equal footing on the diverse market of Wigan. Wigan is the largest food processing city in the entire continent thanks to international corporations like Heinz using Wigan as their base in Europe. JJB Sports also enjoys a healthy presence in Wigan and the Tote bookstore company also dedicates much of its energy to the city. Casinos are also becoming a larger and larger force within Wigan, with both the Wigan Casino and The Ritz enjoying steadily rising incomes thanks to the gamblers from both Wigan and its surrounding areas. This makes Wigan more like most of the larger cities in England: An eclectic mix of trade and commerce that allows its citizens to enjoy every aspect of city life.
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