USA > Connecticut > Connecticut yesterday and today : 1635-1935 : celebrating three hundred years of progress in the Constitution state > Part 19
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Caleb M. Packard and Flavins A. Brown entered into partner- ship as Packard & Brown at 20 State Street in May, 1835, buy- ing out H. F. Summer & Company, a bookshop which had been operating at that address for five years previously. In 1838 Mr. Packard retired from the business and became a bookkeeper in a bank. His successor as a partner was Edward W. Parsons, a youth of twenty-one. The name of the firm was changed to Brown and Parsons. In 1844 the firm bought out the book- store of John Paine, on Main Street, and for a while ran the
two stores, but in 1846 the business was moved to the corner of Main and Asylum Streets, where Brown and Parsons installed "the first real show windows ever seen in Hartford." The store remained there for over twenty-three years, becoming known as "The Old Corner Bookstore."
Mr. Parsons retired from the firm in 1852 and Flavins A. Brown carried on the business under his own name for the next six years, publishing a number of books under his own imprint. William H. Gross joined Mr. Brown in 1858 and the firm became known as Brown & Gross. This name lasted for thirty- three years until the death of Mr. Gross in 1891, although Mr. Brown died in 1880. The business was moved to its present location in 1869. Shortly after Mr. Brown's death, Leverett Belknap was taken into partnership. He had joined the firm as a boy in 1864, so that the lives of two men, Mr. Brown and Mr. Belknap, extend over the entire century of the store's existence. When Mr. Gross died in 1891, a year after George F. Warfield became a partner, the firm name was changed to Belknap and Warfield.
After forty-six years in the business and thirty years as part- ne:, Mr. Belknap retired in 19to and the firm became G. F. Warfield and Company. For ten years he was the sole owner, but in 1920 he took in as partner Israel Witkower, who had been with the store since 1903. When Mr. Warfield retired in 1929, Mr. Witkower became the sole owner and the name was changed for the seventh time to Witkower's.
Since Mr. Witkower has owned the store several changes have been made. The store has been extended in length, a large circulating library has been added as well as a greeting card department. Only this year the greater part of the basement has been turned into an Old Book Bargain Basement, which is proving very successful.
Although the personnel has changed from time to time, and although "Anthony Adverse" has taken the place of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" as a best seller, Witkower's remains a bookstore with a tradition of service and bookishness.
51691
P. O. POSTMA
Carries on Business Established in 1836
THAMONE
P.O. POSTMA JEWELER
JEWELERS SILVERSMITHS
JEWELRY REPAIRING
WATCH REPAIRING
DIAMONDS.WATCHES
P. (). Postma's Shop at 19 Pearl Street, Hartford, Connecticut
P. O. POSTMA
HE business now carried on by P. O. Postma at 19 Pearl Street was estab- lished by Thomas Steele in 1836 on Main Street, which at that time was the location of nearly all mercantile enterprise.
When Thomas Steele began busi- ness for himself over a century ago, nearly all of the goods which he sold were imported from abroad, there being as yet little jewelry or silverware industry in this country. At that time *[170}*
Connecticut-made clocks were well established, but metal movements were still looked upon as being impractical. Watches were made by skilled work- men by hand and were rare. The mass production of this article was still to come. Consequently this business at first consisted largely of repair work on the fine jewelry, plate and watches owned by the wealthier citizens, with an occasional commission from the sale of some imported goods.
The business prospered and some few years later Steele took his son in business with him and the partnership continued until 1886 at the same lo- cation.
At that time August H. Schmidt became successor to Steele and con- tinued the business at 19 Pearl Street. Later his brother-in-law, Jacob Fox, associated himself with him and they remained together in business until 1910, when it was purchased by J. Fred Bitzer, Jr. Mr. Bitzer died in 1930 and was succeeded by the present owner, P. O. Postma.
The present business presents a different picture than that of 1836.
Orro POSTMA
Rather than going abroad for goods to sell, today they are largely made in America (many of them in Con- necticut ) and of the trade a great part is watches which were a great rarity in the days of Steele. But aside from the changes in merchandise and its larger part in the total business, the business has remained with the same ideals that were given to it by . Stecke: a craft requiring great technical skill and training. Associated with Mr. Postma is his son, Otto Postma.
1884 -
THE SAMUEL DONCHIAN RUG COMPANY
-
1935
HE SAMUEL DON- CHIAN RUG COM- PANY was founded in 1884 by Samuel Don- chian who had come to this country shortly before and settled in Hartford. Mr. Donchian's first store was located in a bookshop and was shortly afterwards moved across. the street to a spot near where the present building of the Actna Fire Insurance Company now stands. For many years the company was located on the site of the present Judd Build- ing at 75 Pearl Street. In 1910, how- ever, the company erected its own building, which it now occupies at
PAUL S. DONCHIAN
SAMUEL DONCHIAN
205 Pearl Street. Mr. Donchian died as this structure was being completed and since this time the business has been carried on by his family. The officers of the company are: Mrs. S. B. Donchian, President; Paul S. Don- chian, Vice-President and Treasurer; and Richard D. Donchian, Vice-Pres- ident and Secretary.
The position of the company has
been one of notable progressiveness. Samuel Donchian was among the very first importers of oriental rugs in America and for twenty-three years he dealt exclusively in this line. However, in 1907, he broadened his merchandise to include rugs of the domestic variety and from that time the company has continued to expand their line. During the last year the company has emphasized their lino- leum line and today . it handles every- thing which is used to cover floors. From small beginnings the Samuel Donchian Rug Company has come to be the largest exclusive floor covering company in New England.
RICHARD D. DONCHIAN
INSURANCE
WAKEFIELD, MORLEY & CO. INSURANCE
DENERAL URANCE NOENCY
INSURANY OF FVILAY
DESC
HE SAMUEL, DONCHIAN RUG CO.
THE SAMUEL DONCHIAN RUG CO
DONCHIAN BUILDING - Home of Connecticut's Largest Rug Establishment
1
H. A. WILLARD-Hartford's Oldest and Largest Antique Dealer-Est. 1917
A remarkable still life photo showing the portrait on pine of the famous Dame Pitkin and the famous Pitkin glass jur
ONNECTICUT for many years has been the happy hunting ground for the seekers of rare antiques. Auctions held in various towns from time to time have dis- closed pieces of almost priceless value. H. A. Willard, in 1917, began specializing in the appraisal of such {17212
articles and in the conducting of auc- tions at which have been sold some of the rarest finds in the last quarter century; such as the earliest known dated pine dower chest found in New- ington and sold to William Goodwin of Hartford; the rarest example of a four skirted turned center stretcher table in oak, a picture of which is
shown on this page, and also the por- trait on pine of Dame Pitkin, head of the family who conducted the famous Pitkin Tavern and glass works, also the unique Pitkin glass jar.
Mr. Willard has always conducted his business in Hartford county, also he is frequently called outside the county in the course of his anction and appraisal work. During the pres- ent Tercentenary year Mr. Willard has opened to the public a permanent exhibit and private salesroom at 39 Mulberry Street, where he welcomes all those interested in antiques. Here the visitor will find a constantly chang- ing group of valuable and unique picc- es. During the current year, for ex- ample, there has passed through his hands more than a half a dozen rare Oriental silk prayer rugs. Pieces from his collection of carly glass have been sought for by important col- lectors and Metropolitan dealers all over the country.
During the depression many valu- able pieces have appeared on the mar- ket that would not otherwise have been available. Some families have been forced by necessity to dispose of heirlooms that have been precious family possessions for many genera- tions. Many of such pieces Mr. Willard has bought outright, while others he has undertaken to dispose of to the best advantage on a commission basis. At his salesrooms at present may be seen a rare collection of small baby chairs, including a fancy Car- ver arm chair, a plain Carver arm chair, the only slant arm baby chair, a Queen Anne baby arm chair, and many others.
CHARLES DICKENS VISITS HARTFORD - 1842
Charles Dickens
HARLES DICKENS, while in America in 1842, proposed to visit Hartford, Connecticut, going by way of Springfield, Massachusetts, from Boston. As it was in the midst of the winter the roads were in bad shape and it was decided to make the trip by steamer on the river to save time. February was unusually early in the year for the hazarding of the trip but the pilot, Adna Allen, was ap- parently unafraid so, after a hearty dinner in Springfield, Dickens embarked on the steamer Massachusetts. The novelty of this passage so impressed him, that in "American Notes," he writes of it at length. The following passage is his description of travel in the nearly toy boats of that day.
"The captain of a small steamboat was going to make his first trip for the season that day (the second February trip, I believe, within the memory of man), and only waited for us to go on board. Accordingly, we went on board, with as little delay as might be. He was as good as his word, and started directly. It certainly was not called a small steamboat without reason. I omitted to ask the question, but I should think it must have been of about half a pony power. Mr. Paap, the celebrated Dwarf, might have lived and died happily in the cabin, which was fitted with common sash windows, like an ordinary dwell- ing-house. These windows had bright red curtains too, hung on slack strings across the lower panes, so that it looked like the parlor of a Lilliputian public-house, which had got afloat in a flood or some other water accident, and was
The above account is taken from "The Connecticut River Bank- ing", a memorial volume issued by that institution in 1925, its con- tennial year. Henry W. Erving is the author. The book is intimately concerned with the development of transportation on the river.
drifting nobody knew where. But even in this chamber was a rocking chair. It would be impossible to get on anywhere, in America, without a rocking chair.
"I am afraid to tell how many feet short this vessel was, or how many feet narrow; to apply the words length and width to such measurement would be a contradiction in terms. But I may state that we all kept the middle of the deck, lest the boat should unexpectedly tip over; and that the machinery by some surprising process of condensation, worked between it and the keel; the whole forming a warm sandwich about three feet thick. It rained all day, as I once thought it never did rain anywhere but in the Highlands of Scotland. The river was full of floating blocks of ice, which was constantly crunching and crack- ing under us; and the depth of water in the course we took to avoid the larger masses, carried down the middle of the river by the current, did not exceed a few inches. Never- theless we moved onward dexterously; and being well wrapped up, bade defiance to the weather, and enjoyed the journey.
"The Connecticut is a fine stream; and the banks in summer-time, I have no doubt, beautiful. * * After two hours and a half of this odd traveling (including a stoppage at a small town), where we were saluted by a gun considerably bigger than our own chimney), we reached Hartford, and straightway repaired to an extreme- ly comfortable hotel."
Mr. Dickens was given a most cordial reception at Hart- ford, and the city and its inhabitants impressed him most agreeably. His opinion, expressed later, was that Hartford was a lovely place where he had many friends whom he never could remember with indifference. He declared that he should always entertain most pleasant and grateful recollections of the city.
The River Steamer "BARNET", owned by the Connecticut River Company.
:173₺
CROMPTON T. JOHNSON : RARE BOOKS & FIRST EDITIONS 123 TRUMBULL STREET : HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
WINTER.
SPRING.
SUMMER.
Mr. Johnson always has on hand a large collection of Connecticut Town and Local Histories as well as the more general works on the History of the State. First Editions of the works of New England authors and a carefully selected 'stock of second hand and out of print books. En- quiries solicited.
AUTUMN.
THE HARTFORD SCHOOL OF MUSIC, INC. THE J. M. NEY
ARCHIBALD A. WELCH, President HELEN TIFFANY, Music Director ROSAMOND H. PORTER, Secretary
HE HARTFORD SCHOOL OF MUSIC was founded in 1890 by Mrs. Archibald A. Welch at the request of Dr. Hartrant, President of the Hartford Theological Seminary, who felt that his students needed to know some- thing of ecclesiastical singing and instru- mental music. During the first years of its existence the School was located in the buildings of the Seminary on Broad Street. Later it moved to the old Abbey house on the corner of Spring Street and Asylum Avenue, and eminent teachers of voice, piano and violin from Boston and New York such as Villa, Whitney, White, Edward H. Noyes and Emilio de Gor- gorza were members of the faculty.
During the early period Mrs. Welch devoted much of her time and energy to the direction of the School and its devel- opment. After her death it was necessary to secure the services of a musical director and at that time it was decided to find a permanent home for the school and the
house at 834 Asylum Avenue was pur- chased.
The school has occupied these quarters for the past eight years during which time many changes have taken place. On the fortieth anniversary of its founding an endowment fund was announced. The need of a more active string depart- ment became apparent and that same year marked the start of the Hartford School of Music Orchestra under the leadership of Harold Berkley of New York. Under his guidance it has grown from its original modest beginning of seventeen players to a membership of some fifty players. This is the third season that concerts by the orchestra are being spon- sored by the Bushnell Memorial as part of their free series. There is also a Junior Orchestra conducted by Charles Krane of New York.
Piano, violin, 'cello, voice and theory are taught at the School and the heads of the different departments are:
MAUDE HURST BLANCHARD, piano HAROLD BERKLEY, violin CHARLES KRANE, 'cello ELEANOR SCHEIB, voice ROBERT DOELLNER, theory
COMPANY-1812
The J. M. NEY COMPANY, the oldest dental gold manufacturer in the United States, traces its origin back to the year 1812 when Marcus Bull set up his shop in Hartford for the working of gold. Fifty-three years later upon the death of E. Hurlburt, the owner of the business at that time, John M. Ney pur- chased and reorganized the concern. He remained as its president until his death in 1907. Upon incorporation in April, 1909, this position passed to his son, Harry C. Ney, its present president.
The manufacture of gold for dental purposes has continued to be the principal business of the Company. By the devel- opment of new materials, the Research Department of this Company has made important contributions toward the ad- vance of American Dentistry. In addition the Company manufactures precious metal alloys for jewelers and industrial firms and maintains a modern refining plant for the conversion of scrap metals.
[174]>
£
1892
THE HARTFORD ENGRAVING CO. - HARTFORD
1935
England, is Street.
HE Hartford Engraving Company, one of the very oldest, if not the oldest con- tinuous relief printing plate engraving company in New located at 125 Trumbull
This well known concern has passed through many new methods of producing illustrations for transmitting persuasive power of pictures to mental registration.
Knowledge represents combined and collective experiences, impressions and ob- servations, transformed into sound and hieroglyphics or symbols, from which all nations derive their dialect alphabets. Chiseling out relief lines or cutting away the surface of wood blocks around the lines by hand originated among the Chi- nese about 1418, for the purpose of dec- oration of draperies and wearing apparel. It was done with a maul and chisel.
Origin of Planographical Printing-plates
Intaglio methods or sunken lines into the solid surface of wood and stone plates, which appeared about 1450, undoubtedly descended from the period of carving "the ten Commandments" upon stone slabs (which were done in the same man- ner), followed in 1470 by hand tooling in stipple, producing graded shadows.
For a long time stone slab intaglio en- graving prospered. Not until the carly part of the 17th century were many changes made. With the coming of "Ar- mor-plate" and other polished metallic surfaces, intaglio methods became useful for initials, official charters, maps, rewards of merit, etc. In 1670 "mezzotint" a mechanical overlay device for shading tints, improved results. Ruled parallel and geometrical lines are a hundred year later mechanical invention, for decoration of certificate borders, banknotes, and plain background shading.
Origin of Typographical Printing-plates WOOD ENGRAVING
Thomas Bewick, who is called "the father of modern wood-engraving" upon end grain of boxwood, received a medal of excellence from the London Society of Arts in 1771. (This was closely fol- lowed by planographic Lithography in 1796.)
JARED BUTLER STANDISH
THE HARTFORD ENGRAVING COMPANY COR. OF TRUMBULL & PEARL STREET'S HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Mr. Jared Butler Standish, proprietor of the Hartford Engraving Company, en- tered the employ of A. Mugford, Wood Engraver, 71 Asylum Street in October, 1883, and became a master of portraiture upon boxwood. He relates his recollections as follows: "I remember very well the rumblings of distant peril as a new photo- mechanical process called 'Photo-Engrav- ing' which was being used successfully in New York to illustrate outline and full tone shaded drawings as well as photo- graphs from objects, in circulating publi- cations. Groups of subjects were etched upon zinc and copper in a few hours, which previously took many engravers many hours to execute by hand singly upon boxwood. This sounded the knell in a slowly growing procession for the decline of wood engraving."
Etching of relief lines upon metalic surface for printing, became accomplished in 1826, eliminating by the middle of the 19th century an army of wood en- gravers employed in the work, who only a short time previously had mortally wounded the profession of planographic stone, steel and copper-plate engraving industries.
Speaking of those days, Mr. Standish wonders about the reaction of the appren- tice of today "if he was obliged to get out of bed before daylight, milk two cows, walk, or, in winter skate four miles
on the river, to his work, leaving the ice about sunrise, build a fire and dust out the office before 8:00 A.M."
About 1890 Mr. Standish helped to make the first copper half-tone plate in Hartford, which was used by the Ameri- can Publishing Company.
Photo Engraving
The Hartford Engraving Company first started at New Britain in 1892 by Lewis & Atwell. In 1894 it moved to Hartford and located in the Hartford Courant building, having a contract to do the Courant illustrating by the recently per- fected method of "Half-tone etching."
In 1902 Mr. Standish bought a half interest in the Hartford Engraving Co., forming a co-partnership with Frederick . Wessel (formerly of Wessel, Churchill and Lewis of New Britain, Jewelry Man- ufacturers), resigning from the Mugford Company, where he had been 19 years. His company engaged in illustrating the last few years of the "Connecticut Quar- terly" with Edward B. Eaton and Her- bert Randall, editorial associates.
The company were pioneers in three color halftone illustrating, doing work for the Phelps Publishing Company, then lo- cated in Springfield, Mass., publishing the "Good Housekeeping" magazine.
Mr. Standish furnished many of the il- lustrations for the Adams, Stiles Histories of Wethersfield, designed the Wethers- field Town Seal, Washington bi-centennial cachet, originated the first and second congregational church buildings as they first appeared and visualized in pictures several historical events. Like most old time engravers, Mr. Standish is a historian of recognized authority and has executed a great deal of historical research regard- ing the priority of the town, which has been adopted and recorded officially, also a town guide with a map of important historical locations; all of which he has given to the welfare and prestige of his native home town without expense.
PAUL DINSMORE STANDISHI.
The 52 years of experience of this firin is exemplified in the quality of its pro- ductions (having made the illustrations for this Connecticut book).
For the past 12 years of the time, Mr. Standish has had his son, Paul Dinsmore Standish, as his business and photographic associate, and the company welcome diffi- cult stunt illustrating .-- Editors.
11751
PLANT
'srcos
PLANT HART'S CEROS
HE Chas. C. Hart Seed Company, of Wethersfield, prides itself on being a direct descendant of one of Connecticut's oldest nationally known business enterprises-the production and distribution of gar- den, field and flower seeds. Established in 1892 by Mr. Chas. C. Hart, who had formerly been connected with Johnson, Robbins & Co., one of America's pioneer seed houses, the business rapidly increased and in 1894 Mr. Hart entered into partnership with Mr. Frank J. Welles. At this time their extensive trade in growing canner's stocks of sweet corn seed was established and wider fields were entered with the wholesale and jobbing trade of the seed business.
Mr. Hart's four sons became associated with the firm and in 1913 a mail order department was established, in 1916 Mr. Welles' interest in the concern was acquired. In 1922 the busi- ness of E. M. Lyman & Son, of Springfield, was purchased and moved to Wethersfield and in 1924 the seed business of Robert M. Reeves and Co., of New York City, was acquired. In 1925 the firm incorporated under its present name and since that time its growth has been rapid and continuous.
The growing and distribution of seeds is a highly specialized industry requiring infinite skill and patience in the breeding of new strains of high quality and in the maintenance of quality
in existing strains. No seed house can successfully continue unless it is able to win and hold public confidence. The Chas. C. Hart Seed Company takes pride in their reputation for fair and honest treatment and in the high quality and purity of their product. Thousands of hardware and general stores throughout New Eng- land and the Atlantic seaboard aid in the distribution of Hart's Seeds to home and market gardeners.
The Hart Company maintains growing stations in Maine for the breeding and production of selected strains of Peas and Beans and in Connecticut for hybrid crosses and open pollinated strains of Sweet Corn. Connecticut grown Sweet Corn seed possesses unusual vigor and vitality and produces green corn of a flavor and sweetness unknown in seed from any other section of the country. Beet, Carrot, Lettuce, Onion and various other seeds of importance are grown along the Pacific coast and in Colorado, Michigan, Idaho and New Jersey and vast quantities of Spinach, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Turnip seed are imported from Den- ma:k, Holland, England, France and Italy.
Over three million packets are required to distribute Hart's Seeds to the consumer and these are filled and sealed by machines whose capacity is over 3000 per hour. Thus, from a small begin- ning, The Chas. C. Hart Seed Co., has attained a position of considerable importance in the nation's seed trade and has earned and held public confidence since 1892.
FRANK S. HART
WILLIAM G. HART
CHARLES C. HART
EVERETT H. HART
FREDERICK C. HART
JOHN OLDHAM SETTLED
WETHERSFIELD IN 1634
ARTHUR W. WILLARD Town Clerk
Photo by Arthur C. Hart
Famous Wethersfield Elm
THE ORIGINAL "ADVENTURERS" who purchased the Wethersfield land from the Indians in 1636
JOHN OLDHAM ABRAHAM FINCH JOHN STRICKLAND JOHN CLARKE ANDREW WARDE ROBERT ROSE LEONARD CHESTER ROBERT SEELEY NATHANIEL, FOOTE WILLIAM SWAYNE
LEWIS W. BUTTON Town Clerk of Rocky Hill
HE first white man known to have visited what is now Wethersfield was John Oldham. He came to this place with two others overland from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, returning in September, 1633. He was well received by the Indians and accordingly made plans to return the following spring of 1634, with a party. This he did without the per- mission of the General Court of the Massachusetts Colony. Oldham's companions, all from Watertown, Massachusetts, built a few rude huts and planted wheat in prepara- tion for a permanent settlement.
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