USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > A history of the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
The work of building and equipping this road was very great ; embarrassments came on, and in 1844 it passed into the hands of a committee of twenty citizens, and for some time was operated under the name of E. Gregory and Com- pany ; but after a time preferred stock was issued and a new organization of the company was effected. Its capital stock is $2,000,000 ; namely, $820,000 of old stock and $1, 180,000 preferred. The road now, under the management for a number of years of Hon. William H. Barnum, as president, is a successful, prosperous road. The present officers of this road are: President, Hon. William H. Barnum ; Secretary and Treasurer, Charles K. Averill; Directors, William H. Barnum, William D. Bishop, Horace Nichols, A. B. Mygatt, Edward Leavitt, John B. Peck, Charles K. Averill, William E. Downs, D. W. Plumb.
Alfred Bishop, born December 21, 1798, was the son of William and Susannah Bishop, and descendant from the Rev. John Bishop, the second minister of Stamford, Conn. For a time, when quite young, he taught school in his native town. He afterwards settled in New Jersey as a farmer, and while thus employed made personal experiments with his pick ax, shovel, and wheelbarrow, by which he accurately estimated the cost of removing various masses of earth to different distances. In this way he prepared himself for the great work of his life, as a canal and railroad contractor. Among the public works on which he was engaged, and which con- stitute a lasting monument to his name, are the Morris canal, in New Jersey ; the great bridge over the Raritan, at New Brunswick; the Housatonic, Berkshire, Washington and
30
234
History of Bridgeport.
Saratoga, Naugatuck, and New York and New Haven rail- roads. But in the midst of his extensive operations, and while forming plans for still greater works, he was taken suddenly ill and died June 11, 1849. At the funeral, which was on June 13th, his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Hewit, preached the sermon, and the Common Council of the city, which had previously passed resolutions of respect concerning his life and labors, attended in a body.
The Housatonic Railroad was projected and chartered before Mr. Bishop came to Bridgeport, but to him belongs much credit for taking the first steps to carry it into practical effect, and as in part the author of the complete system of railway communication now enjoyed by the city of Bridgeport.
Mr. Bishop married Mary, daughter of Ethan Ferris, of Greenwich, Conn., and had three sons, two of whom became prominent as railroad men.
The Naugatuck Railroad was projected by Alfred Bishop, of Bridgeport, who, after consultation with various parties whom he supposed might be interested in the enter- prise, brought the subject before the legislature of Connecti- cut, and a charter was granted in the year 1845, which was amended in 1847 and in IS48. The following persons were named as grantees: Timothy Dwight, of New Haven, Green Kendrick, of Waterbury, Thomas Burlock, of Derby, William P. Burrall, of Bridgeport, Philo Hurd, of Bridgeport, Alfred B. Brittain, of Bridgeport, and George L. Schuyler, of New York.
It was proposed at first to make the road only from Bridgeport to Waterbury, with a capital stock of $800,000, but afterwards it was extended to Winsted, and the capital increased to $1,200,000. This amount of stock was afterwards increased to $1,500,000, to furnish the road with engines, cars, coaches, and equipments. An organization of the company was effected in February, 1848, and a contract made with Alfred Bishop to build the road complete, and receive in pay $800,000 cash and $400,000 in bonds. The first officers of the road were: Timothy Dwight, President; Ira Sherman, Sec- retary ; and Horace Nichols, Treasurer; the last of these still holds the same office.
£
235
Railroad Enterprises.
The profile and survey of the road having been made by engineer R. B. Mason, was presented to the directors March 14, 1848, and was adopted, and in the following April the work was commenced. The contract stipulated that the road should be built in the most thorough and durable manner, with a heavy H-rail, similar to that used in relaying the Housatonic road, which that company had just completed.
In constructing the road no particular change of the route was made, except at the south end, where, instead of crossing the Housatonic river at Derby and coming direct to Bridgeport, it was continued on the east side of the river, as at present, to the New York and New Haven railroad, and on that the Naugatuck trains run to Bridgeport. On the 11th of June the road was opened to Waterbury, on the 23d of July to Plymouth, and on the 24th of September to Winsted. Mr. Bishop, the contractor, having died in June the completion was thereby delayed a few days.
The chief office of this road is located in Bridgeport, corner of Main street and South avenue, and their principal shops and freight depot not far from it.
Its present officers are : William D. Bishop, of Bridge- port, President; Horace Nichols, of Bridgeport, Secretary and Treasurer ; George W. Beach, of Waterbury, Superin- tendent ; Samuel Wilmot, of Bridgeport, Auditor. The directors are: William D. Bishop, of Bridgeport, J. G. Wetmore, of Winsted, A. L. Dennis, of Newark, N. J., W. D. Bishop, Jr., of Bridgeport, Joel B. Sperry, of New Haven, J. B. Robertson, of New Haven, R. M. Bassett, of Derby, F. J. Kingsbury, of Waterbury, David W. Plumb, of Shelton, all of Connecticut except one.
The Naugatuck enjoys the reputation of being one of the best managed roads in the country. It has neither floating nor bonded debt, pays all bills monthly, and its stock is in demand at a high premium.
The tables of revenue of this road for the last nineteen years give matter of interest, as well as satisfaction to stock- holders. In 1866 the revenue amounted to $494,026.47; but the next year it was a little less, then it rose gradually until in 1871 it was $624,761.86; then decreasing a little year by
236
History of Bridgeport.
year, it reached in 1877-8, $477,834.04; but again it took the rising scale, and climbing more rapidly than before, it cul- minated in 1881-2, at $714,898.01 ; then once more declining a little it stands in 1884-5, at $651,242.26. The balance sheet of the road for the year ending September 30, 1885, shows dividends to have been made during the fiscal year to the amount of $200,000.
Since an enterprise of this kind is largely dependent upon the few men who manage and take care of it, a few sketches of those who supervised and served it longest upon the road, will be appropriate here.
Alfred Bishop, the projector and builder, departed this life just before the completion of the road, yet he did a great work for the Naugatuck valley, the city of Bridgeport, and the State of Connecticut. A further record of him may be seen on page 697 of this book.
Rev. Ethan Ferris Bishop, son of Alfred Bishop, was president of the road a number of years. He was educated at Yale and took his master's degree at Trinity College, Hartford, was ordained priest in the Protestant Episcopal Church, served some years as rector of the Church of the Nativity, of Bridgeport, and after much suffering with ill health a number of years, departed to his final rest on the 7th of December, 1883. See page 657.
Hon. William D. Bishop, son of Alfred Bishop, was graduated at Yale College in 1849, and represented his dis- trict in Congress in 1859-61. He was president of the New York and New Haven Railroad some years, and continues to be one of its active and influential directors. He is now, and has been since the decease of his brother, president of the Naugatuck Railroad, and one of the most active and influen- tial railroad men of the State. He was a representative from Bridgeport in 1871, and State senator in 1877 and 1878.
George Wells Beach, son of Sharon Y. Beach, of Hum- phreysville, now Seymour, received in his native village an education fitting him for the duties of an active business life. In 1850, soon after the completion of the railroad, he entered
£
237
Railroad Enterprises.
the service of the company at Humphreysville, as a clerk, with the understanding that he should fill any position that might be assigned him on the road. In 1851 he was assigned the position of second clerk in the office at Waterbury, where, in the performance of various duties, he soon became acquainted with the management and work of the entire road. In 1855 he was appointed agent at the Naugatuck station, and in 1857 he was made conductor of the morning and evening passenger train, and while serving in this capacity he took charge of the general ticket agency, thus becoming still more familiar with the whole business of the road. In 1861 he was made agent at Waterbury, where he remained seven years.
In 1868 the office of superintendent of the Naugatuck Railroad became vacant by the death of Charles Waterbury, and Mr. Beach was appointed to that position and therein he still remains, much to the credit of himself and the road, with the general respect and esteem of the railroad officials and the general public. His headquarters are at the office of the road at Bridgeport, but his residence is in Waterbury. Thirty-five years he has had an active, and most of the time, a prominent part in the management of the road.
Alfred Beers, son of Jonathan Beers, of Canaan, Conn., became conductor of the Naugatuck Railroad in March, IS51, and served in that capacity thirty-two years, when his ner- vous system having become prostrated, he retired from active service, the road continuing his regular salary. He is a resi- dent of Bridgeport and Senior Warden of St. Paul's Church. His son, Leander J. Beers, is conductor on the New York and New England Railroad, and has been some years; his son, C. W. Beers, is in the U. S. mail service in Bridgeport, and another son, Alfred B. Beers, is Judge of the Bridgeport City Court.
Amos S. Beers, of Canaan, Conn., brother to Alfred, above, became conductor on this road in 1855, and continues the same at the present time, having thus served the road in this capacity over thirty years. He resides in Bridgeport.
Other conductors have served on this road as follows: Frederick Gregory, twelve years: A. A. Tolles, six years ;
238
History of Bridgeport.
Edward Segears, as extra conductor, twenty-five years ; S. E. Granger, twenty years; L. McDermitt, twenty-three years; Frank Scott, five years; F. E. Dickerman, on the Waterbury and Watertown Railroad, two years; and T. Daily, three years.
The following engineers have served on this road : Henry Abell, thirty years ; E. L. Downs, seventeen ; Edward Crow- ley, fifteen ; Bruce Lane, fifteen; Frank Hubbell, thirteen ; Thomas Trueman, four; Wilbur Sherman, six ; B. Baker, eight; Wilson Burns, six; Fred Baker, four: George Hull, eleven ; Charles Tomlin, four.
New York and New Haven Railroad .- In the year 1844 an act of incorporation was obtained from the legislature of Connecticut by Joseph Sheffield, of New Haven, Anson G. Phelps, of New York, and others, giving them permission to build a railroad, not exceeding six rods in width, from New Haven to the western boundary of the State, and to transport persons and property upon it by the power of steam, or any other mechanical force, by animals, or " by any combination of these which said company may choose." On May II, 1846, the legislature of the State of New York granted the same persons permission to extend their proposed railroad from the Connecticut line to connect with the Harlem road at Williams' Bridge, N. Y.
The first stockholders'. meeting was held at New York City, May 19, 1846, when the following board of directors was elected: Robert Schuyler, Anson G. Phelps, Elihu Townsend, Morris Ketchum, of the city of New York ; Henry J. Sanford, of Stamford ; William P. Burrall, Stephen Tomlinson, of Bridgeport ; Joseph E. Sheffield, of New Ha- ven ; F. R. Griffin, of Guilford. At a subsequent meeting of the directors Robert Schuyler was chosen president, and William P. Burrall, secretary.
Preliminary surveys having been made by Alexander C. Twining, a contract was made with Messrs. Alfred Bishop and Sidney G. Miller to build the road from the depot of the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, in the city of New Haven, to Williams Bridge; the work to be commenced by the first day of December, 1846, and to be completed by
1
239
Railroad Enterprises.
August 1, 1848. The contract price was two and a quarter millions of dollars, payable as follows: "cash, in installments, as work is completed, $1,350,000; and $900,000 in stock." The contractors were each to receive, also, a free pass for the term of their natural lives.
The civil engineer, Roswell B. Mason from New Jersey, made the final surveys of the Housatonic Railroad, and of the Berkshire to the Boston and Albany Railroad, and was Superintendent of the Housatonic from 1840 to 1845. He then served as engineer in the construction of the New Haven and New York, and the Naugatuck roads. In 1850 he went to Chicago and for a number of years was connected with the land department of the Illinois Central Railroad. He was Mayor of Chicago at the time of the great fire in that city.
Trains commenced running from Bridgeport to Fairfield September 2, 1848, but though finished from New Haven to Westport in October, 1848, it was not until January 1, 1849, that the road was fully open for travel over its entire length. This was on only a single track. In May, 1851, an additional track was laid, and the capital stock was increased to three million dollars.
Two severe disasters have occurred in its history : the first was the terrible accident and loss of life at Norwalk bridge, May 9, 1853, and the second the fraudulent overissue of stock by its first president, Robert Schuyler, which came to light in July, 1854; but with these exceptions, it has had a career of almost uninterrupted prosperity. Much of this suc- cess is due to the ability of the Hon. William D. Bishop, of Bridgeport, who was its president from May 17, 1867, to March I, 1879, when ill health compelled him to resign. He is still a member of the board of directors. Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler has also been a director from May 19, 1870, to the present time. Mr. John T. Moody and Mr. William H. Stevenson, of this city, are connected with the road-the foriner as superintend- ent a number of years, and the latter is now the superintendent of the New York and New Haven division, having been, pre- viously, superintendent of the Shore Line division.
In the summer of 1872 the New York and New Haven road was consolidated with the Hartford and New Haven
£
240
History of Bridgeport.
road, and in June of the following year the work of equipping it throughout was completed. The consolidated road now leases the Boston and New York Air Line and the Shore Line. The capital stock of the consolidated road is $15,500,- 000, and its debt a little over $400,000.
The Parallel Railroad .- Efforts to obtain a charter to build a railroad from New York to New Haven had been defeated in the legislature by the New York and New Haven Railroad, while the latter was seeking to consolidate with the New Haven, Hartford and Springfield road. Not being able to obtain the legislation necessary without the aid of the friends of the Parallel, a compromise, the general railroad law, was passed in 1871.
Under that law the New York and Eastern Railroad company was organized in February, 1874. In their efforts before the legislature the same year to obtain permission to bridge the Housatonic river, they were defeated, and the fact was demonstrated that it was impossible, if there was any opposition, to build a railroad under that law. The present New York and Connecticut Air Line Railway company was organized in October, 1881. During the interval of the legis- lature the friends of the enterprise were not idle, but steadily laying the foundation, through public sentiment and other- wise, for certain amendments to the law that would remove the difficulty, which was accomplished in 1882. Immediately following this action of the legislature this company located its road and presented the plan to the railroad commissioners, which was accepted by them in November, 1883. On the 24th of January, 1884, the work of construction was com- menced within the limits of the city of Bridgeport, by Mr. Henry R. Parrott, who threw out the first shovelful of gravel in the cut at Lindley street. Mr. Parrott is president of the board of directors, has devoted more time to the enterprise than any other member, and to him is due, in a large degree, the present favorable position of the company.
The following persons constitute the board of directors : S. E. Olmstead, deceased, E. R. Lockwood and George R. Cowles, of Norwalk; A. L. Winton, H. R. Parrott, of Bridgeport; W. T. Minor, of Stamford; Ira G. Briggs, of
241
Manufacturers in Bridgeport.
Voluntown ; Sheldon Collins, C. V. Sidell, Wm. T. Black, H. C. Hepburn, and C. D. Ingersoll, of New York; W. W. Douglas, of Providence.
Manufacturing Enterprises in Bridgeport.
The industries of this city are many, and some of them are of large proportions as to money expended and income received. A general, historical outline of these various en- terprises is here given as accurately as it was possible to obtain information in the short time at command, for no consideration whatever than that of a historical record, and this record is set forth as showing the cause of the rapid growth of the city. A large proportion of the mercantile business of the place, aside from manufacturing, came here, not so much to build a city, as to meet the wants of the people already here.
Hat Manufacturing was among the earliest enter- prises of Bridgeport. Thomas Gouge came here in 1792 and commenced business in a shop on the corner of Middle and Beaver streets. Reuben Tweedy came from Danbury in 1793 and followed the same business, and was soon joined by his brother, Smith Tweedy. Their shops were on Middle street, north of Beaver.
In the earlier stages of the business most of the hats were made of fur bodies, for the New York market, but subse- quently machinery was introduced for manufacturing wool bodies, which were napped with fur, and called napped hats.
Mr. Gouge employed five or six men and several appren- tices. R. and S. Tweedy did a larger business, employing twelve to fifteen men and five or six apprentices. They opened a house in Pittsburgh, Pa., and another at Charleston, S. C., but the latter was soon relinquished.
Samuel Hawley, Jr., who learned his trade of his uncle, Nathan Seeley, of Bethel, conducted the business a short time on Main street, near Gold. He died young, in 1826.
George Wade, a former apprentice, bought out Smith
31
242
History of Bridgeport.
Tweedy in 1826, and after two years Mr. Wade sold to Curtis Beardsley, and for several years manufactured by himself, until 1830, when he purchased the interest of Reuben Tweedy, and the firm became Beardsley and Wade. They introduced here the manufacture of silk hats, Gilson Landon being an expert in that work. In 1837 Mr. Wade sold to Landon and the firm of Beardsley and Landon continued until 1841, when the business was given up.
Pewter Ware manufacturing was among the earliest enterprises in Bridgeport, and was conducted on the site of the old mill at Old Mill Green. B. and W. Stillman and Company, consisting of Benjamin and Wyllys Stillman and Capt. Nathan Sherman, bought the old mill site? in 1814-it being then, as it had been many years, without buildings- built a mill and engaged in the manufacture of pewter ware, such as cups, spoons, plates, and buttons. After a short time Mr. Sherman withdrew from the company and there was added the making of syringes and other articles of pewter. Afterwards wool carding was established, and later, cloth dressing, by the Stillman brothers. These were the persons who advertised for wool carding in 1818, as seen on page 278, except on that page the name is erroneously written Silliman instead of Stillman. The cutting of dye woods for market- at first by an imported expert-was also added. A then well known druggist, William B. Dyer, was the agent for their sale. His flaming advertisements of this specialty may be found in the local journals of that period.
Shirt Manufacture was commenced here in 1836. David and Isaac N. Judson, it is supposed, were the first parties in the county to make a special business of manufac- turing shirts for trade. They had in their clothing store in New York a department devoted to shirts. At first a few dozen shirts were cut and sent to their sister, Miss Caroline Judson, of Old Mill Green, who gave them out to women in the vicinity, who made them, laundried, and returned them, ready for the salesroom. The business so increased that
? See map, page 41, No. 88.
-
£
243
Manufacturers in Bridgeport.
Wyllys Stillman became the superintendent in the place of Miss Judson, and the work was conducted in the mill building at the head of Pembroke Lake, which was used many years as a storehouse and laundry.
The Rev. Cyrus Silliman, then residing at Green's Farms, aided in placing the work in proper hands, at first, in his vicinity, and afterwards conducted a separate business, in which he traveled through a considerable extent of country.
Mr. W. M. Stillman, who entered the establishment of Messrs. Judson in New York as a boy, early became the superintendent of the shirt department, prepared the first patterns, cut, sent out, and received the work, and still con- tinues in the business, he must be considered a veteran.
Mr. Thaddeus Barnes came here from New Haven in 1849 and commenced the manufacture of shirts for Messrs. C. B. Hatch and Company, New York, at number 360 Main street. In 1853-4 Mr. Barnes built the original building of what is now the Burlock shirt factory, on Golden Hill, attracted thither by the springs of excellent soft water for laundry purposes. He early introduced the use of the Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines, and was one of the first to apply steam power for running them. Messrs. C. B. Hatch and Company took the establishment in 1858, and enlarged and run it until 1861. The present proprietors have still further enlarged the buildings and perfected the facilities.
Leather has had a place in the industries of this locality from the first, but only recently has it assumed any consider- able proportions. About 1845 S. J. Patterson commenced the manufacture of patent leather in the usual varieties, but specially to meet the demands for carriage tops, boots, and trimmings. In 1849 he was joined by Stephen Tomlinson and formed the Bridgeport Patent Leather Company, which was again enlarged in 1866, embracing all the modern im- provements. The works are run by a steam engine of twenty- five horse power, and in ordinary times they handle and finish from twenty to twenty-five thousand hides per annum. The present officers are : President, S. J. Patterson ; Treasurer, S. J. Patterson ; Secretary, John E. Pond. The capital stock is $100,000.
£
244
History of Bridgeport.
Furniture for home use, consisting at first of plain bedsteads, chairs, tables, and sometimes a chest of drawers, constituting the "setting out" of almost every young lady, was made in the vicinity of Bridgeport from the earliest settlement of the place, the same as in other parts of the country. High-post bedsteads, and high-back, ornamented chairs were indulged in by the more well-to-do families-a few enjoyed elegant chairs and court cupboards, brought from England.
This furniture was produced, at first, by the village cabinet and chair maker, to which was added, as occasion demanded, the invariably one shaped coffin, made of cherry, or of white wood, stained red, with a rude plate bearing the initials and date, or the same put on the lid in brass headed nails.
A writing desk is still preserved, which was made for Lieut. David Sherman. An apple tree was cut, taken to the saw-mill, made into boards, and the cabinet maker trans- formed it into a desk of great beauty and strength, for the period, and it appears to be good for another hundred years.
So far as remembered, William H. Peabody was the first cabinet maker in Bridgeport. Lemuel Hubbell was the sole cabinet maker here for some years, and he had a wind-mill for producing power to drive a turning lathe, located on Beaver street. Mr. F. W. Parrott learned this trade of Mr. Hubbell, and made the first sofa in Bridgeport.
About sixty years ago, a shop of considerable size was built on the west side of Main street, a little south of State, and occupied as a chair manufactory, by a New York party by the name of Finch, but it was continued only a few years. About the same period, William B. Thomas was in the same business on Bank street, near the North Church Chapel, and the veteran Fenelon Hubbell was his apprentice. Mr. Hub- bell, afterwards, joined Mr. F. W. Parrott, and they established a shop and salesroom on Main street, where Cannon street now enters it. During this time Carlos Curtis had purchased the establishment of Mr. Thomas-who removed to Savannah, Ga .- and enlarged the business on Bank street. After a time Mr. Parrott started anew near his residence on North Wash-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.