USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Bristol > Bristol, Connecticut : "in the olden time New Cambridge", which includes Forestville > Part 36
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Several years ago, the branch factory in Germany was established and January 28, 1907, the plant and business of the Liberty Bell Company in East Bristol was purchased. This plant has been enlarged and is now the bell department of the company.
In 1907 also, additional buildings were constructed at the main plant, principally the large four story steel construction building on Valley Street, for the manufacture of the New Departure "two-in-one" ball bearing.
Until the first of last August, John H. Graham & Company of New York had been the selling agents of the company. On that date this arrangement was discontinued and the company now markets its product direct from the factory.
The name of the company was changed some years ago from that of the New Departure Bell Company to the New Departure Manufacturing Company. At the last session of the General Assembly, the company was authorized to increase its capital to $1,500,000.
The present officers are :- President, Albert F. Rockwell; Vice President, George A. Graham of New York; Secretary, DeWitt Page; Treasurer, Charles T. Treadway. These, with Charles F. Pope and W. A. Graham of New York, constitute the Board of Directors.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
THE WALLACE BARNES CO.
The Wallace Barnes company is busy installing the machinery in the large factory addition just completed. The new building is a four story brick structure, 40x140 feet, of mill construction, and containing all of the latest equipment for heating, automatic sprinkling, etc. The new factory gives an additional floor space of 22,000 feet, increasing the floor space of the concern to 55,300 feet and supplying the neces- sary room for the rapidly increasing business.
The whole of the new factory will be used for general manufactur- ing purposes. A large new hydraulic elevator is also being constructed on the south side of the new building. The first floor will be used as a press room and for other heavy work. The second floor will be util- ized chiefly for bench work and machinery. The third floor will be taken up by the machine and die room, while the lighter work will be done on the top floor.
The factory is well lighted and sanitarily equipped throughout. A telephone system has been installed to facilitate the factory commun- ication. Upon each floor an office space has been set off by grill work for the foreman of the room. A two story brick and concrete building, 25x25 feet, strictly fireproof, has been constructed for the die house.
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The machinery, tools and stock are being moved from the factory building on Main street to the new building, and the old building will be occupied by the office, shipping room, and for storage purposes. The present office room will be greatly increased.
The Wallace Barnes company is this year celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. It was established in 1857 by Wallace Barnes. Shortly after he consolidated with E. L. Dunbar and the business was conducted under the firm name of Dunbar and Barnes, but in 1866 Wallace Barnes purchased the interests of Mr. Dunbar and conducted the business till his death in 1893. For the next four years the business was conducted as the Wallace Barnes estate. In 1897 The Wallace Barnes Company was incorporated and the business has increased and prospered under the management of Carlyle F. Barnes. During the past ten years the concern has increased its capacity and business from six to eight times its former size.
The company is engaged in the manufacture of all kinds of small springs, made of sheet steel, flat or round wire of either brass or steel. The company has also taken up extensively the manufacture of small
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screw machine products, and drop forgings. There are 225 employees at work at the factory at the present time.
The company gets its power from two steam engines and a generator which transmits power to motors which are placed upon each floor of the factory. The power plant is of 300 horse power capacity.
S.M.JAR.NABU.&10. STEEL HEAD. CATTLE STANCHIONS
M. H. BARNARD.
White Rock Ice Cream has the reputation of being one of the purest and best Ice Creams on the market. We have one of the largest storage capacities of any concern in the state. We furnished the Sessions Foundry Co. with 4,100 individual boxes on July 10th, 1907, which was one of the largest orders ever filled in this State.
. This is also the home of the celebrated Barnard Cattle Stanchion. This stanchion is conceded by all who have used it to be the most prac- tical cattle fastener on the market. All parts are made in the factory from the raw materlai.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
GEORGE C. ARMS' MONUMENTAL WORKS.
George C. Arms was born in Duxbury, Vt., March 2, 1827. He engaged in the marble and granite business in 1862 in Waterbury, Vt., with a branch shop in Montpelier, he also dealt in mowing machines, lumber and furs, buying and selling several thousand dollars worth of the latter each year. In all he did a large and successful business.
His many duties were wearing upon his health and in 1875, he sold his entire business.
He was employed by Governor Proctor as traveling salesman, wholesaling marble, covering the middle and western states. He refused a very flattering salary and discontinued this business on account of the death of a son while he was away. In May, 1880, Mr. Arms started the monumental business in Bristol and has succeeded in building up a large trade, many monuments being shipped direct from the quarries to their destination. Being a man of sterling character and strict business
GEO. C. ARMS.
integrity, he has won an enviable reputation among the business men of the State, as well as the respect and esteem of the citizens of Bristol.
Mr. Arms has always striven to buy the most lasting material, furnishing the best of works, and selling at a moderate profit. This is substantiated by the fact that for fifteen years, not a stone was erected in Bristol by outside parties, and during the twenty-seven years he has been in Bristol he has placed nearly every job in our cemeteries, agents and dealers being frank to admit they could not compete with his prices.
He employs no agents, has never lost $100 during his business career of forty-five years and today, when nearly eighty-one years of age, can be found every day attending to his increasing business. His work, which is a standing advertisement can be seen in nearly every city and town in the State, as well as in New York City, Albany, Unadilla, N. Y., Springfield and many other Massachusetts towns, also Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, etc.
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Among the monuments illustrated in this book, erected by Mr. Arms are the Hull, Candee, Levitt, Sessions and others.
Mr. Arms takes pride in telling of a number of expensive monuments which he has sold for one thousand to five thousand dollars each, when he was told to put up a monument from a certain design as large as he could for such a sum, no contract being required.
Mr. Arms always does what he agrees to, consequently no dissatisfied customers. His son, Howard G. Arms, has been with him thirty-six years (excepting from 1894 to 1907) when he occupied the office of Chief-of-Police, resigning April 1, 1907, to assist his father. January 1, 1907, Mr. Arms removed from his old location on North Main street to No. 15 Center street.
Mr. Arms has always been active in church work, being for twenty- two years treasurer of the church and serving as superintendent of the Sunday School of the Advent Church for eighteen years. It has been the writer's privilege to know him thoroughly for many years, a consistent Christian seven days in the week.
Y NOVELTY CO,
THE BLAKESLEY NOVELTY CO.
The company was organized in 1887, for the manufactory of round arm bands, and the "easy" arm band was their first product and is today a great seller. In the manufacture of arm bands this company is easily the recognized leader.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
THE IDEAL LAUNDRY.
The laundry was started by Eli La Fabare, May 1, 1895, and for three years was operated under the name of "The Empire Steam Laun- dry." In 1898, the business was purchased by Card & Doudoin, who continued as proprietors until 1900, when the business was sold to E. E. Hart. Mr. Hart removed to Pearl Street, occupying the present quarters in the Brick Factory Building, erected by Joel T. Case, for the
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manufacture of the "Case Engine." Mr. Hart conducted the business for five years, after which he leased the business for one year to Bennett & Clary of New Britain, who changed the name to "The Ideal Laundry" and Mr. W. G. Fenn managed the business for them. December 1, 1906, Mr. Fenn bought the business and has today one of the best equipped laundry plants in the State.
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THE GIDDINGS' CARRIAGE, FORGING AND SHOEING SHOP.
The "Giddings" shop has for many years been a staid landmark on North Main Street. It was established in 1874, 33 years ago, by Watson Giddings, who came to Bristol from Terryville where he had run a shop for three years, and had previously run a carriage shop in Winsted for a term of years. The original shop building on North Main Street had a floor space of only 2,000 square feet, but by strict integrity, first-class work and honest dealing, the business has steadily increased, requiring additions being built on from time to time, having been enlarged no less than seven times, the plant now has a floor space of over 10,000 square feet, besides a two story storehouse on Foley Street of 2,400 square feet capacity.
F. W. Giddings, his son and the present proprietor, was admitted into partnership in 1886, twenty-one years ago, and has been continually identified in the business since that date. By building wagons of good material only, and of first-class workmanship, they have established a reputation for the durability of their work that reaches far beyond
the borders of the town, having built wagons and trucks for the Collins Company of Collinsville, the Echo Farm Company, and others of Litch- field and for parties in Ansonia, Waterbury, South Manchester, New Britain, and many other surrounding towns, also some light work for parties in Rhode Island. In April, 1901, F. W. Giddings bought out his father's interest in the business and has successfully conducted it since.
In 1905 he erected the storehouse on Foley Street and last fall found it necessary to still further enlarge the shop building, and this spring has installed a power hammer to do the heavier forging, and has also added other improved machinery. The Giddings' shop is now by far the largest and best equiped wagon and forging shop in the State, outside of the larger cities.
The painting department has been conducted by F. R. Mallory & Son since 1891, who have built up a large and increasing trade in that line.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
THE FACTORY OF WILLIAM L. BARRETT.
This business was established in 1893 in what was known as the Root Shop at the corner of Main and School Streets, continuing there until the Root Estate went out of business in 1902, when quarters were secured in the Ira B. Smith factory on Parallel Street, remaining there until 1904, when the present factory was erected by Mr. Barrett.
Fifteen hands are here employed in the manufacture of glass cutters, of which about twenty-five different patterns are made. These goods are widely known and find sale in every civilized country on the globe
SOME BRISTOL GAME.
Photo by Moullrope.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
The BRISTOL GUN CLUB.
The Bristol Gun Club was organized July 25, 1887, at a meeting called for that purpose at the residence of A. Q. Perkins, who was elected its first President; H. J. Mills, Vice President, and G. W. Barnes, Sec- r'etary, being the other officers. The club took the place of two clubs previously existing, known as the North Side Club, and the South Side Club. In 1891, H. J. Mills was elected President, holding the office for a number of years. The present officers are: President, C. E. Kittell; Vice President, W. Moran; Secretary, J. Z. Douglass. The club house, below the Golf Links, was erected in 1890.
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MR. NEWELL MOULTHROPE, CELEBRATED COON HUNTER.
A MEMBER OF THE GUN CLUB-AFIELD.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
AT THE MOUTH OF THE OLD COPPER MINE.
COPPER MINES IN BRISTOL.
BY MILO LEON NORTON.
I T WAS late in the eighteenth century that copper was discovered at a spring issuing from the southern end of a mountain, then known as Zach's mountain, from an Indian hunter who made it his hunting ground, by Theophilus Botsford, a farmer living east of the mine in a house occupied many years by the Gomme family. Attention was called to the matter by the green colored water issuing from the spring, also tinging the small brook flowing from it, and destroying the vege- tation along the banks. Beyond scraping away some of the soil and exposing rich indications of ore, Mr. Botsford did nothing to develop the mine, and was succeeded by Asa Hooker, who, about the year 1800, leased the land of the owner, Widow Sarah Yale, but did little work upon. it, transferring his interest to Luke Gridley, a blacksmith, who lived in the Stafford District, near the site of the Boardman clock shop. Gridley worked the mine a few years, smelting some of the ore in his forge, but accomplishing little.
The real history of the mine begins with the development of the rich deposit of ore, said to have been the richest in the world, by George W. Bartholomew, a resident of Edgewood, who, in 1836, drained the
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hole made by Gridley, opening a trench twenty feet long, ten wide and seventeen deep, revealing veins of variegated ore, ranging from sixty to eighty per cent. pure copper, and so rich that it had only to be trimmed with hammers to fit it for the smelting furnace. It was shipped in bags by canal to New Haven, whence it was sent to England to be smelted, and was a very profitable venture. Mr. Bartholomew organized, in ยท 1837, the Bristol Mine Company, consisting of Andrew Miller, Harvey Case, Erastus Case, Sylvester Woodward, and himself. Miller was a practical miner from New Jersey, who soon acquired a controlling inter- est, selling a half interest in the mine to English capitalists for $28,000. Business prospered until the death of Miller by drowning in the Tunxis river, which was the first of a series of misfortunes that attended the subsequent working of the mine, eventually wrecking it. The original company failed in 1846, and the property passed into the hands of Rich- ard F. Blydenburg, of New York, to whom Abel Yale leased the lands of the mine, and also the water privilege where a dam was afterward erected to furnish power for the machinery of the mine, for the period of nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Blydenburg sold two thirds of his interest in the mine to H. Bradford, also of New York, for $61,849.
To raise capital for extensively working the mine, the property was mortgaged to Dr. Eliphalet Nott, President of Union College, for $212,052. Blydenburg sold his third interest to Nott for $31,000, and he became the owner of the entire property. The mine was worked on a large scale, extensive drifts were made, large buildings erected, and ore of exceeding richness was taken out in vast quantities. Ex- travagance in management and expenditures soon exceeded the income from the mine, great as it was, and Dr. Nott got out of it finally, wiser, undoubtedly. but decidedly no richer for his mining experience. The property passed into the hands of John M. Woolsey, son of President Woolsey, of Yale College. Under the direction of Prof. Silliman, the most extravagant schemes and experiments, of a costly nature, were indulged in, the Professor being a fine theorist, but a very poor practical miner. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, from first to last, were poured into the mine, and, as the longest purse has a bottom, so in this case the bottom of the purse was reached, and the Bristol Mining Company, organized in 1855, became bankrupt in 1857, the year of the financial crash, although an income of $2,000 a month above necessary expenses was being received from the mine up to its closing. In 1858, Woolsey, having acquired the entire property by foreclosure of a mortgage, closed up the property, and for thirty years it remained idle. The extensive buildings, machinery, etc. were sold at what they would fetch, Colonel Dunbar purchasing the bell, which has never ceased to ring at nine o'clock since it was installed in his factory; the engine was placed in George Jones' clock shop, now the old building of the New Departure Co .; and the conical hopper, in which the crushed rock was placed to be ground still finer before separating, was removed to his farm in East Bristol by Lemuel Hollister, who utilized it, inverted, as the roof of an out-building, where it still stands. Some of the smaller buildings were moved away, and converted into dwelling houses; and the lumber of the large buildings was utilized by neighboring farmers for enlarging or repairing their farm buildings.
In 1888, the attention of Burton S. Cowles, who was then foreman in the box factory of Rev. B. Hitchcock, was called to the large quan- tity of crushed rock, from the workings of the mine, and from which not all of the copper had been extracted; and, being something of an amateur chemist, he experimented with the sand, extracting the metal by means of acid, depositing it upon scrap iron, from which it could be removed in a pure state. Mr. Cowles succeeded in interesting E. G. Hubbell of Pittsfield, Mass., who entered into the project, securing the co-operation of other capitalists, when the control of the mine and the lands connected with it, passed into their possession. The Bristol Copper and Silver Mining Co., was organized at Albany, with a capital
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
of $500,000. The separation of the metal still remaining in the tailings of the old workings not proving practicable, the new company pumped out the old Williams' shaft, 240 feet in depth, and explored the old workings in every direction. New drifts were excavated, new shafts sunk, and the Williams' shaft sunk to a depth of 400 feet. The rich deposits of ore looked for did not appear, however, although immense quantities of low-grade ore were found. Much of this was hoisted to the surface, and crushed by the expensive machinery installed, of the most modern and approved construction.
In 1893, Col. Walter Cutting foreclosed the mortgage he held for money advanced, and acquired the title, in whose estate the title now remains. In 1895, becoming disgusted at the outlay of money, and the meager returns, owing partly to the low price of copper that pre- vailed, Col. Cutting closed the mine, which soon filled with water. The expensive machinery is rusting in the great buildings put up by the company, and the hoodoo which has attended the working of the mine from the first, seems to have succeeded at last in wrecking the fine prop- erty. which no doubt contains valuable ore, sufficient to pay good re- turns on the money invested, if practically and capably administered. The chapter of calamities that befell the mine property was fittingly closed in 1896, when, following a heavy downpour of rain, the waste weir of the great dam of the mine pond became clogged with ice, causing the dam to give way, precipitating a disastrous flood down the stream, washing away every bridge between there and Forestville, and wrecking a freight train on the railroad, by undermining the roadway. The privilege has since been procured by the municipality of New Britain, together with the water shed above, as an auxiliary supply to the city water works.
LAKE AVENUE CEMETERY,
The original plot of ground was deeded to the town of Bristol by Ezra Norton in 1841. Additional portions were added by his son in 1872. Restoration and improvements begun in 1899.
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REV. GEORGE E. TYLER.
HISTORY OF THE ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The Advent Christian Church of Bristol, Conn., was organized on the 24th of February, 1858, with the following charter membership: Luther L. Tuttle, Henry L. Bradley, William O. Hough, John H. Sut- cliff, George L. White, John W. Whiting and Edmond Tompkins. This number was materially increased by the addition of many new mem- bers during the months following.
For several years the public services of the society were held in various halls near the center of the town, and it was not until the year 1880 that a church building was occupied. In that year as the old Methodist Church at the North Side had been vacated the Adventists leased the building and continued to occupy it until it was totally des- troyed by fire on the 5th of October, 1890. Steps were taken at once to build a new church on the same site which had now become the prop- erty of the Adventist people. The present building was dedicated with appropriate services on July 1, 1891.
Quite a heavy mortgage rested upon the property at the time of its dedication, but this has all been paid, important additions also have since been made and paid for, and besides the church has a permanent endowment fund of $2,000, the interest of which is applied to the current expenses.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
INTERIOR VIEW-SUNDAY SCHOOL IN SESSION.
Since the organization the following clergymen have served as pastor of the church: Rev. Ralph Williams, 1860-62, Rev. Benajah Hitchcock, 1867-75, Rev. A. A. Hoyt, 1879-80, Rev. H. H. Tucker, 1880-83, Rev. J. C. St. John, 1884-88, Rev. George M. Tuple, 1889-91, Rev. J. C. St. John, 1891-93, Rev. L. F. Baker, April, 1894-July, 1894, Rev. William Gibb, Dec., 1894-July, 1897, Rev. George E. Tyler, March, 1898 to the present.
The membership of the church is about 175 and of the Sunday School about 125. The Young People's Society of Loyal Workers numbers 60. And there is also a Mission Society which is doing good work. The church is a mission church and has given large sums of money each year for home and foreign missions.
Three young yeople from the church have (in 1907) volunteered to go as missionaries to China and are training and preparing for the foreign field.
It is a principle with the church to raise all moneys for religious purposes by free will offerings and voluntary gifts. All expenses are met in this way. The pews are all free and strangers are welcomed to all services.
The present pastor, Rev. George E. Tyler, is now serving his tenth year as pastor and this is his third pastorate, the other two having been in Sturbridge, Mass. and Hartford. He is president of the United Loyal Workers of Connecticut, also President of the American Advent Mission Society whose headquarters are at Boston.
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ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH-WEST STREET.
THE PRUDENTIAL INSURANCE COMPANY. Elton Photo.
The Prudential Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey, opened a branch office at No. 13 Prospect Street, in 1899. December 8th, 1902, Niels Nissen came here from Hartford, Conn., to take charge of the office and the agency has grown, under his management, so that he has an agency force of seven men and a stenographer.
The above is a photograph of Assistant Superintendent N. Nissee and his staff of agents working under him in April 1907.
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BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT
Genealogical Section.
WING to the limited space in a work like this we have been obliged to mentlon only a few of the prominent people of the past, who have been citizens of the town. These biographies have been written with much painstaking care, and with the utmost impartiality, and it has been thought best to make no attempt to arrange them in chronological order. This section of the work has been under the supervis- ion of Mr. Milo Leon Norton, and the information given may be depended upon as being as correct as it is possible to make it.
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EPHRAIM DOWNS.
FRANKLIN DOWNS.
DOWNS (OR DOWNES) FAMILY.
Ephraim Downs, one of Bristol's first clock makers, born in Wil- braham, Massachusetts, 1787, was son of David Downs and Mary Chatter- ton. His father was a soldier of the American Revolution. He was descended in several lines, from first New England settlers, and in six or more from original settlers of New Haven. The earliest of the name here was John, of New Haven, 1646 (of the same family as John Downs the regicide, who signed the death warrant of Charles I).
Ephraim began clock making in Waterbury, Connecticut, 1811.
In 1822 he married Chloe (spelled Cloe on her old sampler) Painter (daughter of Thomas Painter, revolutionary soldier) and settled at Hoadleyville, now Greystone, with Seth Thomas, Eli Terry and his brother-in-law, Silas Hoadley. He began the clock business for himself here, but in 1825 removed to Bristol, bought the property now known as "Downs' Mill," of George Mitchell, "paying half cash, and balance in wood clock-works, three dollars each"-his own make. The grist mill he rented on shares, "one half toll" being his own share.
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