USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Bristol > Bristol, Connecticut : "in the olden time New Cambridge", which includes Forestville > Part 34
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VIEWS OF THE PLANT IN 1907.
him as officers in the company. The business was conducted by them, manufacturing of clocks in large variety until after Mr. Elisha N. Welch's death in 1887. In the meantime they had merged into the company the business of Welch, Spring & Co., which had been conducted by Mr. Solomon Spring and Mr. Elisha N. Welch in the manufacture of fine regulator clocks. Mr. George Henry Mitchell died in 1886 and Mr. James Hart Welch in 1902.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
WHIP-POOR-WILL WITH EGGS
After Mr. Welch's death in 1887 the company went out of busi- ness for some time on account of financial reverses. The company was reorganized in 1897 under the same name, the E. N. Welch Mfg. Co., by George W. Mitchell, James Hart Welch, Mrs. George H. Mitchell, Ed- ward A. Freeman, A. H. Condell and a number of others and conducted by them until the summer of 1902, when on account of the death of James Hart Welch, which occurred in the spring of the same year, they were financially embarrassed, and Mr. William E. Sessions, president and principal owner of the Sessions Foundry Co., was persuaded to interest himself in the business and did so largely in order to save the company from bankruptcy, and the village of Forestville from another period of adversity. He was elected President of the company, Mr. Albert L. Sessions, his nephew, was elected treasurer and Edward A. Freeman of Plainville secretary. The Messrs. Sessions secured a control of the stock of the company and within a few months purchased prac- tically every share of stock, when the name of the company was changed to The Sessions Clock Co.
Since that time, although the old company had rebuilt the case shop and movement shop with new modern brick buildings and equipped them with modern machinery, on account of fires which had destroyed the old buildings, the new company have erected still other large new brick buildings of modern construction and equipped them with the best machinery and appliances, which include the black enameling department, finishing department, power plant including new engine and boilers and brick stack, kiln drys, warehouse and shipping depart- ment, lumber sheds and railroad sidings and made very large improve- ments at a cost of a large sum of money. Since the Messrs. Sessions took up the enterprise the business has developed rapidly and employ- ment has been given to more than double the number of hands that had been employed for a number of years previously. The output of the company in eight day pendulum clocks compares favorably with that of the other leading manufacturers, and the prospects for the con- tinued success of the company are well assured.
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OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
The Sessions Foundry Company
There is no more complete plant of the kind in the world than the establishment of the Sessions Foundry Company, begun in August, 1894, and finished in December, 1895. It is a model in all respects. In it the Messrs. Sessions have met and solved the problem of economi- cal production by the construction of the plant in such a manner that the raw material on its way to the finished product, can be handled at the least possible expense and the least number of times. The works embody the best practice of the present time in design, arrangement and appliances. The members of the company have had long practical experience and are intimately acquainted with every detail of the busi- ness. This enabled them to so plan and construct as to provide for the most economical production of both large and small castings. Every department exhibits careful forethought and thorough knowledge of the business.
After an extended experience in the wood turning and trunk hard- ware business John H. Sessions bought out the foundry business of the Bristol Foundry company in 1879, and took his son William into part- nership, the business being conducted under the name of Sessions Foundry Company. Since the start the business has been under the direct man- agement of William E. Sessions, and has developed from a small plaut having but ten thousand dollars capital stock and a force of abont eighteen men to its present proportions.
BIRSEYE VIEW OF SESSIONS FOUNDRY. Cut loaned by Company.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
WILLIAM E. SESSIONS.
In July, 1896, the company was changed from a partnership to a corporation, under a special charter by the Legislature. The officers are John H. Sessions, president; William E. Sessions, treasurer; Geo. M. Eggleston, a graduate of Wesleyan University of Middletown, Conn., secretary, and Joseph B. Sessions, assistant secretary.
The plant, which includes some thirty acres, and is the largest plant of the kind east of Chicago, is about one mile from the center of Bristol, and is bounded on one side by the tracks of the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R.
Provision has been made for any growth that may become necessary in the future, as the works are located near the center of the tract owned by the company. At the entrance, which is at the south side of the grounds, is the main office building, to the rear and connected with which is the pattern storage building, containing the superintendent's office and pattern rooms. To the east of this is a large storehouse for inactive patterns, surplus castings and general storage. Directly north of the pattern storage building, and connected thereto, is the shipping department, to the west of which are the heater rooms, sorting room, tumbling barrel room and power house, while to the east are the shipping and cleaning rooms and carpenter and machine shops. Still further north is the large foundry or moulding room, on the south side of which is the foreman's office and foundry pattern repair room, and on the north side are the cupolas, core rooms and mold drying ovens. North of the foundry are molding sand bins and stockyard. To the east of these are the slag tumbling barrels.
The standard gauge track system, of which there' is about two miles inside the grounds, is most complete, and every building is ap- proached from the main line. This, in connection with the narrow gauge system of tracks, of which there is three-fourths of a mile, which traverse the buildings and yards, provides for the rapid and easy hand-
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OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
ling of supplies and material, and for the convenient shipment of the' finished articles. The business is of such magnitude as to demand the services of two locomotives, which are owned by the company. The track enters the yard at the southwestern corner, and branches east- ward to the shipping department, power house, cleaning rooms, and to the eastern end of the foundry, which it enters, so as to handle the heaviest castings.
Handling the Work.
When cars enter the property, their contents are weighed before being dumped into the bins, and a record is kept by the weighmaster of the amount of material in each bin and of the amount that is taken to charge each furnace. The furnaces are supplied by push cars, which after being weighed, are run over a trestle to the charging plat- form of the furnaces, which is on the level of the storage bins and about ten feet above the floor of the foundry.
The foundry building is six hundred and thirty feet long and one hundred and twelve feet wide, and is divided into three aisles by two interior rows of columns. The roof trusses in the wings are eighteen feet above the floor, while the trusses over the central aisle are forty feet above the floor.
Located against the north wall are four cupola rooms, each cupola room being arranged for two cupolas having a capacity of fifty tons each. Each cupola is supplied with a blast from a blower driven by a by a twenty-five horse-power electric motor.
Between the middle cupola rooms is a wash room for the workmen and a core room, the latter containing two core ovens. The small cores are made in a room one hundred and six feet long by twenty-three feet wide above the wash and core baking room. For about three-quarters of the length of the foundry building, a sand wall five feet high is constructed, with openings for the car tracks. Benches are constructed along both sides of this sand wall and along the south wall of the building, and it is upon these that all of the smaller molds are made.
MAIN OFFICE.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
At the eastern end of the foundry there is a pit forty-five feet wide and eighty feet long, and in this all of the heavy castings are made. This pit is three feet deep and is paved with brick. Two twenty- ton Morgan traveling electric cranes traverse the center aisle of the foundry for one-third its length, while on opposite corners of the pit are located four six-ton hydraulic jib cranes. The larger sized ladles are handled by the traveling and jib cranes. /
Steam from the engine boilers is carried to a large coil of pipe where it is driven through large galvanized flues to all parts of the buildings by the Sturtevant blower system, making an overhead heating arrange- ment that is sufficient and that gives the most perfect ventilation, the entire air of the buildings being subject to change once in twenty min- utes. This is a very important feature in a foundry. The flues which run overhead in all the rooms are large, tapering down to smaller sizes required by the smaller rooms. The flue which leaves the blower is seventy-eight inches in diameter and goes directly into the great foun- dry room, giving a large radiating surface. When the pouring is going on the heat is not needed and is shut off, or turned to other rooms.
The cleaning and shipping building is three hundred and twenty- three feet long and L-shaped. The west portion, containing the tumble- barrel room and sorting room, is fifty-three feet wide, and the east portion, containing cleaning and shipping room, is ninety-eight feet wide. A special feature of the shipping room is that eight cars can be placed in the building, the doors tightly closed, and the cars loaded at pleasure, avoiding any possible inconveniences in inclement weather.
When the smaller castings have been made they are taken to the tumbling barrels, of which there are fifty, and there cleaned. From thence they are taken to the sorting room and then to the shipping room adjoining, and after being packed and weighed are loaded on cars. The floor of the cars is on a level with the floor of the shipping room. The heavy castings are lifted from the pit by the cranes and put on the flat cars and taken to the cleaning room, where a pickling vat is pro- vided. The castings are cleaned and any machine work that is neces- sary is done in the adjoining machine shop, the castings being run in upon cars. A 10-ton electric travelling crane traverses the east end of the shipping and cleaning room for handling and loading heavy castings.
The carpenter and machine shop is a separate two-story building, about one-half of the lower floor being occupied by the carpenter shop and the other half by the machine shop. The upper floor contains the pattern shop. All patterns are stored in the two-story building specially provided for the purpose.
The office building is a handsome structure of Roxbury granite, two stories high, with a south and west frontage looking out upon a large grassed lawn. This office building is conveniently arranged and equipped for the rapid transaction of business, having two long-distance telephone systems which can be used alternately, an independent local telephone system reaching to twenty-four localities in the works, for immediate communication with all the departments, and a pneumatic- tube system connecting with the shipping office for the transmission of orders and documents.
The gate-house, which is also the time keeper's office, is fitted up with self-registering time clocks. Each employe of the company has to pass through the gate-house upon entering or leaving the foundry.
The best proof of the interest taken in the employes is what has been done for their comfort and convenience. The toilet rooms are samples. They have received attention from a sanitary standpoint, as well as that of utility. The washbowls are provided with hot and cold water supply. Employes have individual lockers in which their clothing and belongings can be kept. The time-honored custom which regards a foundry as inevitably associated with dirt, smoke and smudge, is upset at the Sessions foundry.
OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
SHIPPING ROOM. MAIN FOUNDRY.
PATTERN STORAGE.
401
CLEANING ROOM. ENTRANCE TO SHIPPING BUILDING.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
Along the south front of the plant runs a trout brook, as clear as crystal, and this has been turned to run by the roadside furnishing a natural boundary to the grounds and lawn in front of the plant. A handsome stone bridge across it furnishes entrance to the premises. In addition to the plant proper, the Sessions' company has purchased large tracts of land with buildings in the immediate vicinity which may be developed into a residence section for its employes. The com- pany will not establish any tenement system but will sell to its employes at reasonable prices, having a view to encouraging them to form a model industrial community. All objectionable features will be excluded, and the workmen employed by the firm will not only have a comfort- able factory in which to work, but opportunity for self-improvement as well, and that without anything that savors of patronage.
There were used in the building of this great plant seven hundred and sixty tons of structural steel, three million bricks, and four hundred tons of slate. There are three and one-half acres of floor space in the buildings, mostly on one floor.
Within this immense enclosure the Sessions Foundry company cast anything ordered from the smallest to the largest, its customers coming from the manufacturing trade of New England and near by. There is naturally an almost endless variety to the work turned out, but any one seeing this foundry room with its splendid equipment will be satisfied that whatever is wanted can be turned out with rapidity and with the greatest possible economy.
TOILET ROOM.
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OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
SESSIONS LOUKORN GE-
JJO-KEN.
"JO-KEN"-SESSIONS FOUNDRY CO.'S YARD ENCINE.
This was the old Ingraham Movement shop, built for a hardware shop, corner Meadow and North Main Streets. For description see At- kins' notes, which also descripe the old case shop. later Turner Heater works. The building to left of shop was office of Ingraham Co. (upper floor) for many years.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
HOBRO & ROWE. Hobro & Rowe's Granite and Marble Works.
Alfred H. Hobro is well known to the people of Bristol, being for- merly in the employ of Geo. C. Arms as his foreman from 1896 until entering into business for himself in 1906 at the same location formerly occupied by Geo. C. Arms, which was bought by William H. Rowe, member of this firm. Mr. Hobro first went to learn his trade with his father in 1890 at the well known firm of Thomas Phillips & Son of New Haven. After serving his time at the trade, he severed his connection with that firm to accept a position as foreman for the P. W. Bates Granite Works of Norwalk, Conn., which he held until 1896 when he accepted the position as foreman for Geo. C. Arms. His work can be seen on most of the monuments illustrated in this book. Many of which were erected by this firm. William H. Rowe is well known to most of the people of Bristol, being successfully engaged in the coal and wood busi- ness for the last thirteen years his sheds being located on side track in the rear of the Granite Works. On and after January 1, 1908 the granite and marble business will be conducted under the name of Alfred H. . Hobro, he to buy out the interest of his partner, William H. Rowe. \ He expects to be located in a new building which is to be erected where the old shop now stands and will be equipped with latest machinery making a first class shop so as to handle his increasing business.
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405
OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
THE BARTHOLOMEW FACTORY, EDGEWOOD.
The factory called "Grinding Shop" was built by George W. Bartholo- mew, 1846, for use in the manufacture of table cutlery. The street was one of the pieces of abandoned road, called in the deed of 1828 to Asa Bartholomew, "Mill Road." Re-opened, 1846, and known as "The New Road," until 1882, when the first Bristol directory published the name "Warner Street." The cutlery business was closed when Mr. Bartholomew in the fall of 1848 went with his friends to. California. In 1855 George W. and Harry S. Bartholomew, (father and son) formed the partnership under firm name G. W. & H. S. Bartholomew to manu- facture bit stock braces, beginning their project in the "Grinding Shop." In the early sixties the business was removed to the former clock factories. Soon after the removal of the Bartholomews, a wood turning enter- prise was started and conducted at this place by Alpress, Carpenter & Company (Charles H. Alpress, Wm. B. Carpenter, Jr. and Augustus H. Warner). There were changes in the personnel of the firm. C. H. Alpress' interest was bought by Henry A. Warner, father of Augustus (Carpenter & Warner). The second change was in the purchase by Mr. H. A. Warner of W. B. Carpenter's share in the business. The firm then was H. A. & A. H. Warner till their removal to District No. 8, after the burning of the first (Grinding Shop) and second (New Factory) built on its site. These fires were the beginning of a series of similar calamities sufficient to dishearten a common man. Ruin's mark the locality of the Grinding Shop and its successor (1907).
BARTHOLOMEW FACTORY FROM RARE SKETCH (ORIGINAL IN COLORS)
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
The first manufacturer and builder known to have a business career at the location marked 61, was the remarkable beaver that built the first dam. Date of construction unknown. In 1788, Benjamin and William Jerome, 2d (brothers), purchased from Amasa Ives an interest in the gristmill which was increased in 1803. In 1809 William Jerome, 2d, was three-quarters owner with Isaac Graham owner of the remain- ing one-quarter. The mill was sold to (Byington and Graham (Martin Byington and Isaac Graham, Sen.), who conducted the mill for some years. William Jerome, 2d, died 1821. On the site of the gristmill or in it, George W. Bartholomew with his cousin Eli Bartholomew began to make clocks, 1828. G. W. Bartholomew continued the business alone until 1840. A second factory with bell was on the north side of the road(the bell was finally used in Bristol for a school-house), where decorating clock tablets and filling numbers for clock faces was done by young women.
The Winstons did a brisk wood turning business for five years. Possibly Allen Winston may have had for a short period an industry in this building. Some of the Winstons made at one time coffee roasters and Edward M. Barnes of Peaceable Street made candle sticks in the basement. Soon after 1860 G. W. and H. S. Bartholomew employed the Bunnell Brothers (Warren and Norris) of Burlington to move the bell shop across the street where it was joined to the first building to increase the room needed for the bit brace works. It was destroyed by fire 1884 when G. W. Bartholomew retired. Harry S. Bartholomew built anew and was identified with this business at the time of his death, February 19, 1902. His son Joseph P. Bartholomew who had relieved his father of all care for several years continued the business until.sold to Stanley Rule & Level Company of New Britain. The factory is still in possession of heirs of H. S. Bartholomew.
VIEWS OF PLANT IN 1907.
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OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
THE E. INGRAHAM COMPANY.
The E. Ingraham Company was founded by Elias Ingraham, who was born in Marlborough, Conn., November 1st, 1805.
From 1827 to 1835 he made clock cases under contract for various parties, and in the latter year bought a shop with water privilege in Bristol, Conn., where the present factories now stand, and commenced making clocks on his own account. This he continued until 1843, in which year he and his brother formed a partnership with Elisha C. Brewster, under the firm name of Brewster & Ingraham. This firm was succeeded in 1848 by E. & A. Ingraham, who continued business until 1855 in which year the plant was entirely destroyed by fire. Two years later Elias Ingraham rented a shop and continued the manu- facture of clocks, and in 1859 formed a co-partnership with Edward Ingraham, his son, which was continued until 1881. In that year a joint stock company was formed, comprising Elias Ingraham, Edward Ingraham and the three sons of Edward Ingraham, Walter A., William S. and Irving E.
Elias Ingraham died in August, 1885, and Edward Ingraham in August, 1892. The officers of the company and its managers at the present time are: Walter A. Ingraham, president; Irving E. Ingraham, vice president; and William S. Ingraham, secretary and treasurer.
The company is engaged exclusively in the manufacture of eight- day wooden case pendulum clocks and nickel alarms. The line of eight-day clocks comprises practically every style of wooden case clocks consisting of hundreds of patterns.
The plant at the present time consists of two main buildings, the case shop and movement shop, with the necessary auxiliary buildings, all built of brick and equipped with the most modern machinery for the manufacture from raw material of practically every "part" entering into the construction of a clock. The case shop is 400 feet long, four stories high, connected by an overhead passage with the movement
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
shop, which is 250 feet long, four stories high. The auxiliary buildings consist of engine house, boiler house, kiln dry, casting and plating shop, raw material warehouse, finished stock ware house (capacity 100,000 clocks) and other smaller buildings.
L. H. SNYDER & COMPANY.
The firm of L. H. Snyder & Company, was organized in January of 1902. They commenced business in the factory formerly occupied by The Codling Manufacturing Company, and continued operations there for one year. In 1903 they purchased the Churchill property on the corner of East Street and Riverside Avenue, which is their present location.
L.H.SNYDER & CO.
409
OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
THE TURNER HEATER COMPANY.
The Turner Heater Company was organized September 18, 1890, as a joint stock company capitalized at $50,000, for the purpose of manufacturing and dealing in hot air heaters and other heating devices. The officers being: W. A. Ingraham, president, George S. Hull, vice president and S. K. Montgomery, secretary and treasurer. The com- pany bought all the patents of L. W. Turner covering the Turner hot air heater and started business in the old case shop of The E. Ingraham Company which was bought for the purpose.
THE TURNER HEATER ÇO. AIR FURNACES! PIPING ROOFING & JOB WORK.
In 1892, S. K. Montgomery resigned as secretary and treasurer and G. W. Neubauer was elected to the position. Geo. S. Hull was elected president in 1893 and held the position until his death in 1906, when W. E. Fogg was elected to the position. The old case shop was destroyed by fire in 1904 and in spring of 1905 the present shop was built. Besides wholesaling and retailing furnaces the company does a jobbing business in smoke stacks, blowers and metal roofing.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
PLANT OF BRISTOL PRESS-1907.
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OR "NEW CAMBRIDGE."
THE HORTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
The Horton Manufacturing Company, situated at No. 135 North Main Street, manufacturers of the famous Bristol Steel fishing rods, organized in 1887, has a capitalization of $100,000, with the following officers: Charles F. Pope, president, residing in New York; Charles T. Treadway, treasurer, and Willis H. Bacon, secretary.
The plant consists of a three story brick building and tower, forty by two hundred feet, of the best construction, a one story hardening shop, twenty-five by twenty-five feet, and a two story finishing shop, twenty by twenty-five feet.
The factory equipment is of the best, with latest improved ma-
chinery. About one hundred skilled workmen are employed the year round, producing a line of steel fishing rods ranging from the lighest fly tackle to the heavier styles used in deep sea angling, as well as a comprehensive line of rod mountings and sundries.
Rood & Horton, established in 1874, machine work 'and novel- ties, sold out in 1880 to New Haven Clock Company, Mr. Horton oing to New Haven.
In 1886 Mr. Horton came back to Bristol and started in the same line as before, and invented the steel rod in 1886 and 1887. The Hor- ton Manufacturing Company was formed, and Mr. Horton eventually selling his interest in the rods and patents to them.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
JEROME B. FORD MACHINE SHOP.
Jerome B. Ford Machine Shop was established in 1894. The shop contains 30 different machines for the manufacture of dies and tools, and special machinery. It is equipped with machinery for both large and small works of all descriptions.'
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