USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > An historic record and pictorial description of the town of Meriden, Connecticut and men who have made it > Part 88
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FACTORY OF MANNING, BOWMAN & CO. IN 1872.
In 1872 a small wooden building, previously occupied by the Parker & Casper Co., who had been making sil- ver plated ware, but who were at about that time absorbed by the Wil- cox Silver Plate Co., became the home of Manning, Bowman & Co. The first quarters of this company in Mer-
a frontage on three streets of 1,000 feet, an excellent illustration being shown on the following page.
The product of the factory has been noticeably changed within the past decade. A large volume of the orig- inal output was mounted enameled ware, britannia, planished tin and cop-
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MANNING BOWMAN & COMPANY. VMBỐN MIN
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MANUFACTORIES.
per goods. As far back as the Cen- tennial of 1876, the company had world's fair exhibits of its goods, which included their first enameled tea and coffee pots with white metal mountings. The company secured medals for these goods at the Centen- nial Exposition in Philadelphia and were also awarded prizes at other sim- ilar exhibits. The company's enameled wares with patented metal mountings rapidly gained popularity.
In 1898 George E. Savage, who had for twenty-five years been associated with the Meriden Britannia Co., be- came the active head of the business as president, treasurer and general manager. In 1900 Albert L. Stetson was elected secretary, which office he still holds. The output of the factory at the present day consists largely of chafing dishes, Meteor coffee perco- lators, prize trophies of varied and beautiful design, including those in solid copper with English pewter mountings ; plated table ware and a full line of bath room furnishings. The chafing dishes of this company have become famous, especially those with the patented "Ivory Enam- eled" food pan, which can be applied to any chafing dish, making a clean, attractive and desirable article. The product of the factory is not excelled in beauty and durability by the output of any similar establishment. Repeated enlargements of the factory have been made and new machinery has been purchased to keep pace with the con- stantly increasing demand for its goods. An equipment enabling the
company to generate its own electric- ity for lighting and power purposes has been installed and the large plant has been fitted with an adequate fire sprinkling system. The latest article of manufacture is the celebrated "Eclipse" bread kneader and mixer, which practical and economical house- hold labor-saving device is made in a separate building completely equipped for that purpose with special machin- ery recently installed, the latest and best procurable.
The present board of directors com- prises : George H. Wilcox, George M. Curtis, Samuel Dodd, George Rock- well, George E. Savage, Albert L. Stetson and William L. Mirrielees.
In addition to extensively fitted up show rooms at their factory, the com- pany have salesrooms in the Crock- ery Exchange building, at 25 West Broadway, New York, and in the North American building, corner of State and Monroe streets, Chicago, with agencies in San Francisco, Cal., and London, England.
George Edwin Savage, president of Manning, Bowman & Co., has for many years been one of the most fa- miliar figures of local manufacturing circles. He is the son of Edwin and Frances Sophia (Wilcox) Savage and was born in Berlin, Conn., February 27, 1851. He is a worthy descendant of one of the oldest families in Con- necticut, from 1652, when John Sav- age became one of the original settlers of Middletown, Conn.
From the New England Historical Record it is found that in 1674 John
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
- -
GEORGE E. SAVAGE.
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MANUFACTORIES.
Savage possessed 1,207 acres of land bordering on the Connecticut river and that his name is seventh on the list of the members who organized the First Congregational church of that town. The family name has ever since been a common one in this sec- tion of the state. He is a great grand- son of Seth Savage, who was corporal in the Revolutionary War.
George E. Savage began his busi- ness life at the age of seventeen, for it was upon the advice of his uncle, the late Horace C. Wilcox, that he left his father's farm in Berlin before he had fully completed his education at Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, Mass., and associated himself with the Meriden Britannia Company. There by close application and keen observa- titon, he obtained a thorough knowl- edge of the silver ware business and soon after was given the management of the Meriden salesrooms of that com- pany, which position he occupied for nearly a quarter of a century, until prevailed upon by the officers of the Meriden Britannia Co. to accept the position of general manager of Man- ning Bowman & Co. With the last named concern, Mr. Savage has been a potent factor in its recent remark- able growth, and previously having been one of the directors, in 1898 was elected president and treasurer, both of which offices he has since filled.
He is also one of the directors of Foster, Merriam & Co., and for some years has been a director in both the Meriden Savings bank and the Meri- den National bank. He is well known
in social life, being a member of the Home Club of Meriden, and of Captain John Couch Branch, Sons of the American Revolution, and is a man of marked executive ability. He is much interested in church matters, be- ing a member and one of the trustees of the First Congregational church.
He was married in Meriden June 9, 1875, to Charlotte P., daughter of Al- bert Foster, one of the founders of Foster, Merriam & Co., and from that marriage there is now living one son, Albert Wilcox Savage, born June 16, 1889. Mr. Savage is known as a man of strong personality, sound judgment and a most loyal citizen of Meriden.
CONN. TEL. & ELEC. COMPANY.
This fast growing manufacturing concern, whose busy plant is located on Britannia street, and the rear of whose factory adjoins the tracks of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., is the result of the small start made by E. C. Wilcox in 1893. In 1894, B. L. Lawton entered into partnership with Mr. Wilcox. It was at that com- paratively recent date that the foun- dation of the present business was laid in a small portion of the plant of the Meriden Malleable Iron Company. In 1902 the business of the firm had so increased that they were warrant- ed in purchasing the present factory, which had previously been occupied by the Bond Harness Company, and on March 1, 1903, were incorporated with a capital stock of $36,000, but which, by another act of the legisla-
47
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
ture, has since been increased to $45,- 000. Since the concern became incor- porated, the officers have been as fol- lows :
E. C. Wilcox, president ; B. L. Law- ton, vice-president and treasurer, and B. C. Rogers, secretary, all of whom are natives of Meriden.
The high quality of their product, which comprises telephones, telephone switch-boards, and electrical supplies, has placed them in the position of the
E. C. WILCOX.
largest manufacturers of their goods in this section of the country. Their plant has been several times enlarged and improved since they removed to the present factory buildings.
They make everything in their line from the raw material to the finished product. Among their latest triumphs is an inter-communicating telephone for interior use in buildings, which furnishes in itself, by pressing but- tons, complete exchange connections, with all parts of the building, and re-
leases the same automatically, and comprises the only successful system of its kind of the present age. The
B. L. LAWTON.
company are also turning out a new spark coil apparatus, the use of which is exceedingly advantageous when ap- plied to automobiles. Seventy-five
B. C. ROGERS.
hands on the average are employed and the business is now on such a firm basis that steady work is the rule.
MANUFACTORIES.
99
J. D. BERGEN CO.
Prominent among the industries which have made Meriden famous in the state of Connecticut is the cut glass manufacturing establishment of the J. D. Bergen Company, formerly located on Miller street. This factory had been operated to its fullest capac- ity for many years, and its product sold throughout the entire United States and in many foreign countries. The aim of the J. D. Bergen Co. has been to produce a line of cut glass which shall sell, not only during the holiday seasons, but through the en- tire year. This has been accom- plished by keeping always in mind the popular price feature, which has be-
PRESIDENT JAMES D. BERGEN.
come so intimately associated with the Bergen product that in the eyes of the trade "Bergen Cut Glass" and "Popular Price" is to-day synony- mous.
The present factory is the outgrowth of a venture having its inception in a partnership formed by James D. Ber- gen, the founder and present Presi- dent and Treasurer of the J. D. Ber- gen Co., early in 1880 under the style of Bergen & Niland. The prin- cipal business of the young firm at that time was the production of the caster bottles, then so much in vogue. A working arrangement with the Meriden Britannia Co. helped matters along with the new firm, and the bus- iness was successfully conducted for a period of about five years. J. D. Bergen, at the end of that period, seeing greater opportunities before him, purchased out the interests of his partner, and early in 1892 made a stock 'company of the business, forming the J. D. Bergen Company, with a capital stock of $40,000, sub- sequently increased to $60,000. It is of interest to note that the first board of directors included such men as Clarence P. Bradley, C. Berry Pects, E. J. Doolittle and C. E. Stockder, Jr. To-day, thirteen years later, Messrs. Bradley, Doolittle, Peets and Stock- der are still actively interested in the concern, and supplementing their ef- forts is N. L. Bradley, of the Bradley & Hubbard Mfg. Co., who is to-day also in the directorate.
The J. D. Bergen Co. employs a force of approximately 200 hands at
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
its Meriden plant, maintains offices and show rooms in New York and in Chicago, and resi- dent agents at Bos- ton, Baltimore and -- all other principal cities of the United States. In addi- J. VAL. BERGEN. tion to the regular traveling force, Mr. Bergen's two sons, J. Valentine Bergen and W. Tracy Bergen (who cover the south and middle west re- spectively), the Bergen Company maintains traveling representatives in the far West in the United States, and foreign representatives who take in practically all of Asia and Oceanica. There is also a resident agent in the city of Mexico and in Honolulu.
The product of the J. D. Bergen Company, while well known for many years, is constantly increasing in fa- vor among discriminating purchasers. This is perhaps due to the fact that its product is the legitimate expres- sion of a manager and subordinates who have practically been bred and born in the cut glass business. With this in mind, it cannot be any sur- prise to the reader to learn that the factory was usually oversold early in the fall, and, as a matter of fact, the Bergen Company has been unable to fill all its orders during the last few months of the year for at least half a dozen years past. This fact, and the opportunity offered to purchase the large five-story brick plant at Center
and Britannia streets, a few months ago, has resulted in the acquirement by the Bergen Company of the larger plant, an excellent view of which appears on the opposite page. The new location, where much greater facilities are enjoyed, was first occupied in March, 1906. The plant now occupied is one formerly used by one of the local indus- tries and is admirably situated for the large business now being there carried on by the J. D. Bergen Com- pany, as it possess- es not only more floor space but ex- cellent railroad ac- commodations, the factory fronting on the main line of the N. Y., N. H. & W. TRACY BERGEN. H. R. R., a private spur track from which extends alongside the factory.
Each department of the factory, while under the personal supervision and management of James D. Bergen, is under the superintendence of man- agers who have satisfactorily demon- strated their entire ability for their re- spective positions. The result is that the product of the Bergen Company, as offered on the market, is all that it should be, and holds high rank in the cut glass industry. This art, in which · the American workman, perhaps by reason of his superior deftness, seems to excel those of all other nations, has nowhere reached the excellence that it has in the United States.
J.D.BERGEN CO
MANUFACTURERS
OF HIGHE
T QUALITY AMERICAN CUT GLASS
FACTORY
MERIDEN, CONN
NICAGO BALTIMORE'AND
BOSTON
Douglas
FACTORY OF THE J. D. BERGEN CO.
I02
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
THE M. B. SCHENCK CO.
The inception of the M. B. Schenck Co. was in 1881 when the present president of the company began the manufacture of a line of double wheel
The fifteen years intervening be- tween the close of the war and the above date were devoted by Mr. Schenck to the hardware trade in Ful- ton, N. Y., his native town.
This had not only qualified him as
THE M.B. SCHENCKCO.
Mfr's High Grade Casters
MANUFACTURING PLANT OF THE M. B. SCHENCK CO.
casters of his own invention, suitable in their sizes and varieties for furni- ture and trucks. For nearly twenty- five years they have been known the world over as the Yale caster.
a merchant but had given him a prac- tical knowledge of the requirements of the trade which later on has proven an exceedingly valuable asset.
While fairly successful in his bus-
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MANUFACTORIES.
iness, it was limited by existing con- ditions, and could not be enlarged to cover the broader field to which his laudable ambition aspired.
With his invention as a nucleus, he sold out his business and came to New Haven in 1882, to learn the new and untried life of a manufacturer.
At the end of a five years' struggle,
1891, in company with his son, W. A. Schenck, they bought the Beecher Mfg. Co. plant which has since been brought to a high state of perfection.
The plant extends 600 feet along the main line of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R., which affords excellent advan- tages for a manufacturing business.
In 1897, it was incorporated with
M. B. SCHENCK.
with inexperience, insufficient active capital, patent lawsuits and discourage- ments almost overwhelming, and just as the tide was turning in his favor, a destructive fire swept away a very im- portant part of his business.
Inducements, seemingly promising, brought him to Meriden in 1887. In
M. B. Schenck as president, W. A. Schenck as secretary, treasurer and general superintendent.
Five distinct and exceedingly popu- lar lines of casters, all the product of Mr. Schenck's inventive talent, are now made and the business has grown to large proportions.
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A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
M. B. SCHENCK.
Martin B. Schenck was born April 29, 1838, in Fulton, New York. He was brought up on his father's farm, educated in the common schools
the rebellion, and from 1865 to 1881 was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He came to New Haven, Conn., in 1882 but five years later his factory was burned out and he came to Meri- den.
RESIDENCE OF M. B. SCHENCK, BROAD STREET.
and in Falley Seminary, Fulton, N. Y.
In the years following he taught school, learned the builder's trade, served from 1862 to 1865 in the 147th Regiment, N. Y. Vols., in the war of
In creed he is a Methodist ; in pol- itics a Republican, from the birth of the party. He is a devoted member of Merriam Post, No. 8, Grand Army of the Republic, and a manufacturer.
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MANUFACTORIES.
He was an active "Wide Awake" in the campaign of 1860, cast his first presidential vote that year for Lincoln and again four years later, sending his ballot home from the army in an en- velope.
His experiences the last fifty years have been exceedingly varied, inter- esting and instructive. He is a lover of choice literature and has traveled extensively in his own country and abroad.
His pleasant home on Broad street, surrounded by well-kept grounds, is one of the most desirable locations in the city. It stands at an elevation of 135 feet above the business portion of the city, away from the throb and whir of its many great industries and commands a view of city, park and mountain range rarely equaled in the many beautiful, busy cities of Connec- ticut.
Mr. Schenck is, on his father's side, of pure old New York Knickerbocker Dutch blood, and belongs to the ninth generation in this country.
His first ancestor of his name in this country was Roelof Martense Schenck who came from Holland in 1650, and married, in 1660, Neeltje Gerretse van Couwenhoven (now called Conover) whose grandfather came from Holland in 1630. They all settled in New Am- sterdam, later in Flatlands, now Brook- lyn, and were prominent among the Hollanders in New York under the old Dutch regime.
His mother's first American an- cestor, Newman Perkins, came from England with Roger Williams, and
finally settled with him in Rhode Island. He is of the sixth generation in this country in this line. Descendants from these families inheriting the sturdy qualities of their ancestors, have been prominent in business, social and political circles all along the line from the earliest times. Through all the great wars from the revolution down to the present time, each gener- ation has filled its full quota, always regarding loyalty to high civic princi- ples as the paramount duty of the American citizen.
MERIDEN GAS LIGHT CO.
Meriden has been well provided with gas by the above public service corporation since 1863, when the com- pany received its charter from the Connecticut Legislature. The busi- ness has always been conducted by Meriden men and local capital, and during its entire history the company has furnished pure coal gas.
The first plant occupied was that which stood on the site of the pres- ent plant of the Meriden Electric Light Company on South Colony street. The original gas works suf- ficed for the needs of the town for some years. The company began bus- iness with a capital stock of $35,000, but this has been since gradually in- creased to $350,000.
The first cost of gas to the people of Meriden was $4.65 a thousand feet. As a result of that necessarily high price, gas was then principally used for illuminating purposes and largely by
WORKS OF THE MERIDEN GAS LIGHT COMPANY,
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MANUFACTORIES.
people of means. Happily for the ty-five men. The annual output is housekeeper of the present day the 100,000,000 cubic feet. charge per thousand feet made by the During the past eleven years the company has reduced the price of gas from $1.80 to $1.25 net per thousand feet ; these reductions having been en- tirely voluntary on the part of the company, have been appreciated by the public and resulted in the freer use of gas, there being, in 1906, 4,800 met- ers in use. Large additions to the street mains have recently been made and there are now forty-five miles of pipe laid, covering practically every street and avenue in the city limits, and, to a certain extent, beyond. company, makes gas an economical as well as labor and time-saving fuel. The passing of time only has made possible a gradual reduction in the price of gas ; so that it has finally be- come generally and even liberally used in Meriden. By 1874 the demands were such that the company, after erecting a new and larger plant on Cooper street, abandoned the former location for their new one. From that time to the present, and more es- pecially within the past decade, new buildings have been erected on the The late James A. Hadley was su- perintendent of the plant from the commencement of business by the company until his death which oc- curred in October, 1895. The present superintendent and manager has served in that dual capacity since May, 1896. property, which covers several acres ; until the works comprise, in 1906, one of the best equipped in all New Eng- land. Among notable improvements is the acquisition of a giant gas hold- er. Previous to the construction of this gasometer the gas holding capac- ity of the plant was but 200,000 cubic The officers of the company are: President, Walter Hubbard ; secretary and treasurer, Samuel Dodd; mana- ger and superintendent, Charles A. Learned. The above officers with Charles F. Linsley, George M. Curtis, E. J. Doolittle and F. C. Sherman, comprise the board of directors. feet. A new building for purifying gas and another for the office and sta- tion meters have also been added with- in recent years. The plant now con- sists of a retort house ; exhauster, con- denser and washer building ; purifying building ; a holder of 200,000 cubic feet capacity ; and a steel gasometer, 100 feet in height, capable of holding MERIDEN ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. 700,000 cubic feet. There is also a governor house which regulates auto- While electric lighting was in vogue some years previous to 1887, it was in that year that the above company was organized by charter from the state legislature, the capital stock then being $25,000. The station, at that matically the pressure in the gas mains ; and coal sheds of generous ca- pacity adjoin the tracks of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. The manufac- turing and distributing force is thir-
L
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MANUFACTORIES.
time purchased from the old company, was located on State street and passa- ble service was rendered the public. The equipment consisted of two 100 h. p. boilers ; two engines of the same capacity and two fifty arc light dyna- mos, thirty-seven of which were de- voted to city street lighting.
The enterprise of the new company soon began to assert itself ; for by in- creasing the capital stock to $50,000, a new power station was erected on South Colony street on the land where once had stood the buildings of the gas company. In 1902 the electric light station was thoroughly remodeled and made practically fireproof, the capital being then increased to $200,000. All the old engines were removed and compound condensing engines of 1,100 horse power substituted which are di- rectly connected with the dynamos. New steam boilers of 750 horse power . have also been installed giving the sta- tion a combined machine capacity of 750 K. W. For some years the com- pany has furnished a twenty-four hour service for both light and power, the
rate being 12 I-2 cents per K. W. for lighting ; and for power from 10 cents to 5 cents per K. W., according to the quantity used. The company has al- ways supplied the municipality with street light ; and in 1906 furnish 200 arc lights for that purpose ; 8,000 in- candescent lights of sixteen candle power are also supplied from the sta- tion and considerable power for man- ufacturing and other purposes. With its service the company covers the city proper most effectively and the same
is rarely complained of but com- pares favorably with that of any pro- gressive New England city. Since 1887 the local electric light company has been under a management whose offi- cers and directors have been the same as those of the Meriden Gas Light Company ; yet a friendly rivalry exists between the two companies, for the business is kept entirely separate.
James A. Hadley, during the latter years of his life, was the superinten- dent ; but since 1896 Charles A. Learned has held the office of general superintendent. The officers and di- rectors are recorded previously in the description of the Meriden Gas Light Company.
CURTISS-WAY COMPANY.
From its remarkable growth during the past six years, for since 1899 only has it been under its present manage- ment, the Curtiss-Way Company has added more than its full quota to the good name of Meriden as a manufac- turing center. This company, whose now extensive plant, covering more than one acre of floor space, located on Pratt street, was materially en- larged in 1905 and the formal open- ing after the marked changes had been miade, occurred November 20 of that year. The accompanying illustration gives an excellent and truthful repre- sentation of the extensive printery, the product of which comprises a most varied and extensive. line, not only of book, job and mercantile printing, but advertising novelties, calendars, mem-
IIO
A CENTURY OF MERIDEN.
orandum and other books. The com- pany also runs its own electrotyping plant, does its own paper ruling and also its own book and pamphlet bind- ing, being thoroughly equipped to turn
Photo by Akers & Pigeon. JAS. A. CURTISS.
out complete the work undertaken by the busy concern.
The business was first established about 1880 by A. J. Converse, and after having been conducted by him for some years, was acquired by James A. Curtiss, a prominent busi- ness man and wholesale grocer of this city, who formed a company known as the Converse Publishing Company, which was managed by Mr. Converse until his retirement in 1899. It was in that year that the present company was organized, the principal stock-
holders being James A. Curtiss and William H. Way, the former who had become extensively concerned finan- cially, and the latter who had been su- perintendent of the plant since 1891, and whose names the corporation has since borne.
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