USA > Connecticut > Connecticut yesterday and today : 1635-1935 : celebrating three hundred years of progress in the Constitution state > Part 28
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The original officers of the Company were John Mitchell, president and treasurer; Benja- min De Forest, Jr., secretary ; Henry H. Hayden, agent for the
company. The directors elected were: Gordon W. Burnham, Henry H. Hayden, John S. Mitchell, Benjamin De Forest, Jr., J. C. Booth.
The Company prospered in the first two decades of its growth and passed through the exciting and critical period of the Civil War under the able guid- ance of H. H. Hayden, who succeeded John Mitchell as president immediately following the cessation of hostilities.
After the Civil War business con-
tinued to increase through the efforts of J. Richard Smith, who had re- turned from the West and assumed charge of the company, of which his father was a large stockholder.
The past executives of the Water- bury Button Company are as follows: John Mitchell, president from 1849- 1866; H. H. Hayden, president from 1866-1871; Augustus S. Chase, près- ident from 1871-1893; J. Richard Smith, secretary from 1873-1893 1 and president from 1893-1920; and Ralph H. Smith, president from 1920 until his death in 1930. Mr. Ralph H. Smith was succeeded by Warren F. Kaynor, who ably fills that position today.
For over seventy years the Water- bury Button Company specialized ex- clusively in the manufacture of metal buttons, but in the post-war period they began to diversify their line of products to compensate for the falling demand for this product. At that time and in the years following they have added toys, lighting fixtures, furniture hardware, ferrules and radio cabinets to their catalogue; the greatest inno- vation being in the addition of a large department for the fabrication of many of these goods from Bakelite and Durez. The wisdom of this move has been well exemplified in the in- creasing business during the recent depression.
The Present Plant of the Waterbury Button Company in Waterbury, Conn.
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1876
THE PLATT BROS. & COMPANY
1935
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ALFRED PLATT
WILLIAM S. PLATT
CLARK M. PLATT
HE Platt family has been identified with Wa- terbury's industrial history for almost one hundred and fifty years, and two of the city's outstanding industries, The Platt Bros. & Co. and The Patent Button Co., were founded by Alfred Platt, son of Nathan Platt, who established a grist mill from which the Platt's Mills community takes its name, November 29, 1797. The property bought by Mr. Platt on the date named has remained in the Platt family ever since.
The Platt ancestral line is traced back to Richard Platt, who became the founder of the family in New England in 1638, at which time he came from England and made his home at New Haven. He was one of the first settlers of Milford, Conn., November 30, 1639.
Alfred Platt was born in Newtown, Conn., April 2, 1789, moving to Waterbury with his parents as a small boy when his father established his business there. Upon the conclusion of his education, at the age of nineteen years, he built a saw mill adjoining his father's grist mill, which he conducted for a time and then travelled through the South selling the old Waterbury wooden clocks.
Returning to Waterbury he became one of the earlier members of the firm of A. Benedict, which was formed in 1823, the outgrowth of a business begun by Aaron Bene- dict in 1812, devoted to the manufacture of bone and ivory buttons, and from which the Benedict & Burnham Manu- facturing Company originated.
Alfred Platt was the first to manufacture brass and copper wire in Waterbury, and all the wire used by the Scovill and the Benedict & Burnham companies was made by him for several years. Later he disposed of his interest in the Benedict & Burnham Co. and purchased from his father and Gideon Platt the mill and water power of Platt's Mills. After operating the a !! mall for a while he ballt a new one, which he continued : in the time of his death.
While he was operating the grist mill he invented a new process for the production of buckwheat flour, together with machinery for the purpose, taking out patents on both the process and the machinery.
Meanwhile he had also started the manufacture of but- tons, his sons, William S. and Clark M., neither of whom were yet of age, being employed in the factory. In 1847 a partnership was formed between the father and the sons under the name of A. Platt & Co., which later be- came A. Platt & Sons.
In 1876 the business was incorporated as the Platt Bros. & Co., with a capital of $30,000 and the following officers: William S. Platt, president; Charles M. Platt, secretary and treasurer. Its development continued rapidly, its con- stantly increasing business being due in a large measure te the inventive genius of both sons, who developed new ma- chines and equipment, which aided greatly in the efficiency of production.
In this same year, 1876, the Patent Button Co. was organized to handle the button business, with the inclu- sion of representatives of Porter Bros. & Co., of New York, sales representatives, as stockholders. The officers were: Samuel M. Porter, president, and Clark M. Platt, secretary and treasurer.
Following the formation of The Patent Button Co. The Platt Bros. & Co. carried on the business of rolling sheet zinc and the manufacture of seamless zine tubing.
In 1893 the factory and the original grist mill were destroyed by fire, but a new plant was speedily erected under the supervision of Irving G. Platt, son of William S. Platt. The new building contained about 20,000 square feet of space, equipped with modern facilities for the use of both water and electric power. In 1929 an addi- tional building of about the same size was erected and is devoted to the manufacture of eyelets and small metal parts.
At this time, 1929, the Platt Bros. & Co. first began to draw zinc wire, a feature of the business which is growing rapidly, and it now specializes in rolled zine. rolled for fthe elements. In addition to these le .. ding linies the company manufactures eyelets of brass, steel and zinc and supplies an extensive trade with Japanned zine in coils for shoe and corset lace tips.
The present officers are: Roland H. Camp, president;
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1876
THE PATENT BUTTON COMPANY
1935
Lewis J. Hart, secretary, treasurer and general manager; Orton P. Camp, assistant treasurer; Howard P. Hart, assistant secretary.
THE PATENT BUTTON CO.
The Patent Button Co., following its organization in 1876, as previously noted, continued to manufacture but- tous at the plant at Platt's Mills, with a part of its opera- tions being conducted at the Platt Bros. & Co. factory on Brown Street. In 1923 it purchased the Brown Street property from the Platt Bros. & Co., and all of its pro- ducts have been manufactured there since that time, a new and modern building having been erected adjoining the original factory in 1925 to meet the increased demand for production facilities caused by the company's con- stantly increasing business.
The Patent Button Co.'s development include several changes affecting the financial structure, in addition to those pertaining to the plant and equipment. April 17, 1922, the company became interested in the formation of the Patent Button Co., Limited, of Canada, of which it is half owner. It also, in the same year, became half owner of the Hart-Cobb-Carley Co., formed to do business in Los Angeles, California, as selling agents of the Patent Button Co., and the Seamon's & Cobb Co., of Hopkinton, Mass., manufacturers of thread.
In 1924 the Patent Button Co. was one of the organ- izers of the Button Attaching Machine Co., of Water- bury, of which it is half owner.
In 1932 the capital stock of the Patent Button Co. was increased from $48,000 to $480,000.
The present officers are: Lewis J. Hart, president and treasurer; Leonard F. Carley, vice-president and general manager; Alfred L. Hart, secretary.
FOUR GENERATIONS OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
It is interesting to note that these two companies have been under the ownership and management of the Platt
family, from the founder to the present descendants, for four generations, and the family history supplies a chap- ter of Connecticut industrial history which typifies the char- acter and spirit of the men who have made the state what it is today in the industrial world.
The business life of Alfred Platt has been told in the history of the two companies of which he was founder. He married, June 8, 1814, Irene, daughter of Hiram Blackman, of Brookfield, Conn., and six sons were born to them: Nirom B. Platt, born September 1, 1818; Charles S. Platt, born July 30, 1820; William S. Platt, born Jan- uary 27, 1822; Clark M. Platt, born January 1, 1824; Alfred Legrand Platt, born June 1, 1825; Seabury B. Platt, born October 5, 1828.
WILLIAM S. PLATT
William S. Platt, one of the two sons actively asso- ciated with his father in the business, became adept before reaching his majority, in the art of rolling sheet zinc, and was the first to produce it in Waterbury. He had also invented and constructed machinery for the manufacture of buttons from zinc and for the manufacture of seamless zinc tubing. When Platt Bros. & Co. was incorporated he was chosen president. He married, October 1, 1844, Caroline, daughter of William and Alma ( Porter) Orton. Their children who reached maturity were Irving G. Platt; Helen I. Platt, who married Wallace H. Camp; and Caroline A. Platt.
CLARK M. PLATT
Clark M. Platt, the other son connected with the busi- ness as a partner, was employed in his father's factory to learn the button business while still a boy, but left that occupation before reaching his majority to complete a course at the Connecticut Literary Institute at Suffield, after which he returned to the factory and spent the rest of his life with the firm. He also was an inventor and perfected several machines and improvements, upon which
Platt's Mills from West Side of River, 1876
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ORIGINAL BUSINESS FOUNDED BY ALFRED PLATT
he received patents, all of which added to the successful operation of the plant.
He married, May 20, 1846, Amelia M., daughter of Selden Lewis, of Naugatuck, and to them were born Bertha Lewis Platt, who married Jay H. Hart, of Water- bury; Lewis Alfred Platt and Edward Legrand Platt, both of whom died in childhood, and Lewis Alfred Platt, II.
LEWIS ALFRED PLAT'T
Lewis Alfred Platt was the last of the name to partici- pate in the management of the companies. He early be- came familiar with the process of button making, and after his graduation from Yale in 1879 he entered the factory of Platt Bros. & Co. and worked his way upward through all the branches of the business. He acted as secretary dur- ing his father's presidency and succeeded to the presidency upon his father's death. He was also treasurer of the Patent Button Co. and was active in public life. June 20, 1882, he married Ellen Brainard of Middletown.
IRVING G. PLATT
Irving G. Platt, while not an executive officer of the companies, was actively engaged in the advancement of both. Possessing the inventive mind and the mechanical bent which characterized others of the family, he was in- tensely interested in the supervision of plant operation, de- vising many improvements in the machinery and being re- sponsible to a great degree for the efficiency of production. As previously stated, it was under his supervision that the Platt's Mills plant was rebuilt following the destruction of the original buildings by fire, and the machinery was in- stalled in accordance with his plans.
He was a man of varied attainments, as was evidenced by his achievements in improving the real estate holdings of the family, many of the more important acquisitions and developments being due to his exceptional judgment and executive ability in that field.
OTHERS IDENTIFIED WITH THE BUSINESS
JAY HIScox HART, connected with the Platt family through marriage with Bertha Platt, was actively identified with the development of the business, beginning in a minor capacity as an employe in 1872 and working up to posi- tions in the executive staff. He was made a director of the Platt Bros. & Co. when it was organized in 1876 and also served as secretary of the Patent Button Co., and later as its president. He was a director of The Platt Bros. & Co.
WALLACE H. CAMP, who married. Helen I. Platt, suc- ceeded to the presidency of the Platt Bros. & Co., upon the death of Lewis A. Platt, being elected February 21, 1919, and serving until his death in the summer of 1924. During his incumbency of the office much of the devel- opment of the business occurred. Mr. Camp also was a director of the Patent Button Co.
In addition to his industrial interests, Mr. Camp was extensively interested in real estate, controlling large prop- erties throughout the city.
PRESENT OFFICERS PLATT DESCENDANTS
With the exception of Leonard R. Carley all of the present officers of the two companies, previously named in connection with the companies' history, are great grand- sons of the founder of the business, Alfred Platt.
Roland H. Camp, president, and his brother, Orton P. Camp, assistant treasurer of the Platt Bros. & Co., are descended through their mother, Helen I. Platt, who be- came the wife of Wallace H. Camp.
Lewis J. Hart, president and treasurer of the Patent Button Co., and secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Platt Bros. & Co., together with his brothers, Alfred Hart, secretary of the Patent Button Co., and Howard P. Hart, assistant treasurer of the Platt Bros. & Co., are descended through their mother, Bertha L. Platt, the wife of Jay Hiscox Hart.
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Brown Street Plant of the Patent Button Co., 1880
1235}-
1915
THE AMERICAN FASTENER CO.
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WATERBURY
HE history of Connecti- cut's industrial advance- ment is based largely upon the genius of her inventors, coupled with untiring dili- gence on the part of the men inter- ested in producing the fruits of these inventions, and while the American Fastener Company of Waterbury is of comparatively recent origin its suc- cess is founded on that Connecticut tradition.
The business originated from the invention of a machine for the pro- duction of snap fasteners by Max Kiessling, Sr., who has been the head of the company ever since its organ- ization in 1915. At the time he per- fected this machine, which offered many advantages over anything then in existence, Mr. Kiessling was asso- ciated with John Draher, who for over a half century has been recog- nized as one of Waterbury's most expert machinists and who is the pres- ident of the General Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Kiessling is also an officer.
Mr. Kiessling's first connection with Mr. Draher was as an employe in the latter's machine shop, shortly after his arrival in this country from Germany. Their association has con- tinued ever since, the experience and inventive genius of each supplement- ing that of the other to a degree which has made them responsible for the perfection of many extremely valuable additions to the machine production of Connecticut, while notable in- stances of their genius in this direction is to be found in machinery used by other concerns all over the country.
The American Fastener Company, originally formed to manufacture the snap dress fasteners with the machine perfected by Mr. Kiessling, also pro- duces metal hose supporter trimmings and other metal specialties, and in the course of successfully conducting this business the company has sponsored
MAX KIESSLING, SR.
two newer concerns now affiliated with it, the Sterling Novelty Mfg. Co. and the Hayes & Donahue Mfg. Co., both prosperous and growing rapidly.
Beginning in a small room in the building of the General Manufactur- ing Company, the American Fastener Company soon erected a factory of its own, a four-story mill construction building, 98 by 40 feet, fronting on Maple Avenue, built in 1917. In 1927 it became necessary to put up another building of mill construction, 134 by 40 feet of four stories, fronting on Maple Street. Now all of these build- ings are in use and there are indica- tions that still further enlargement will be necessary soon.
As this would indicate, the growth of the business has been rapid and con- tinuous, with a constantly increasing volume of business from the time of its inception to the present and a notable increase in the number of its employes. When it began business its
employes numbered 12 persons and in 1931 the company employed 55 workers. During the four years which followed, with unemployment gener- al, the number has been increased to 200, with the prospect of further in- creases bright.
It should be borne in mind, of course, that these employes are en- gaged in working on the products of other companies in the group as well as on the American Fastener Com- pany's output, all being interrelated, but the figures present an inspiring picture of the unusually prosperous conditions existing in the plant during a time when many concerns, were cur- tailing extensively or shutting down completely.
The company's products are most favorably known all over the country and abroad and that they are in de- mand is attested by the record of full time employment at regular wages for constantly increasing forces previously referred to. The value of such a com-
MAKERS OF PATENT FASTENERS AND NOVELTIES
1935
pany to the community in which it is located is self evident and supplies an impressive instance of Connecticut in- dustrial progress in the face of diffi- cult conditions.
The officers of the American Fas- tener Company are Max Kiessling, Sr., president; Max Kiessling, Jr., secre- . tary; Alphonsus J. Donahue, vice- president ; John Draher, treasurer. The New York sales office of the company is in charge of Mr. Donahue.
THE STERLING NOVELTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY
The story of the Sterling Novelty Manufacturing Company demonstrates the progressive spirit which accounts to such a degree for the success which has characterized the group. Organized for the manufacture of snap cuff but- tons and similar products the company found, with the change of styles, its market diminishing. Something new, however, had appeared, the slide fas- tener, and Mr. Kiessling early in the development of this field set his in- ventive faculties to perfecting a ma-
chine for the manufacture of slide fasteners. It was an extremely diffi- cult task and a long period of strenu- ous effort, disheartening results and great financial outlay followed. At times abandonment of the enterprise was urged but Mr. Kiessling counseled continued effort and guaranteed final success. Here the American Fastener Company and Mr. Kiessling person- ally came to the aid of the project with financial assistance and at last, at the cost of much personal effort and the possibility of great financial loss, Mr. Kiessling and the men closely asso- ciated with him in the development of . the machine, John Draher and Adolph Krieger, won the battle.
In 1931 application was made for the patent and the machines have been in operation at the plant for over three years. The company had been manufacturing slide fasteners previous to the completion of Mr. Kiessling's invention, however, for several years. The new machine gave the company great advantages and the business is increasing most satisfactorily.
The officers of The Sterling Novel- ty Mfg. Co. are Max Kiessling, Sr.,
president; Alphonsus J. Donahue, vice-president; John Draher, treasurer.
The New York sales office of the company, which is building up a most satisfactory record, is in charge of A. L. Clark.
THE HAYES DONAHUE MANUFACTURING COMPANY
This company was taken in as an associate of the American Fastener Company in 1931 and has had a record of continued growth ever since. It manufactures hair wavers, curlers, bob pins and similar novelties and notions including the celebrated Nell Brinkley products which are widely and favorably known all over the United States.
Alphonsus J. Donahue, one of the original partners, is president of this company, vice-president of the Ameri- can Fastener Company, vice-president of the Sterling Novelty Mfg. Co. and is in charge of the New York sales office of both concerns. Max Kiess- ling, Sr., is vice-president and John Draher is treasurer and secretary of this company. Al Quinlan is sales promoter at its New York office.
ECEWY-UCZE CIN UZUNL
Present Factory Building of the American Fastener Co., Waterbury, Conn.
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THE BRISTOL COMPANY, WATERBURY, CONN.
Founded 1889
LTHOUGH today Bristol's instruments are to be found in thousands of plants throughout the world, they were pioneered and developed amid the most inauspicious surroundings 46 years ago.
At that time Prof. William H. Bristol, instructor of mathematics at Stevens Institute of Technology from which he had been graduated five years earlier in 1884 with the degree of mechanical engineer, was already displaying the inventive genius for which he later became nationally famous. Born in Waterbury, July 5, 1859, a descendant of. New England ancestors who were among the early settlers of the New Haven colony, Prof. Bristol combined to an unusual degree the sound thinking of the university teacher with the painstaking thoroughness of the re- search worker and the vision of the inventor.
One of his earliest patents covered a simple steel fastener for joining leather belting. Since this was easy to apply, saved time and made pos- sible putting belts back into service without de- lay, it soon won a wide acceptance.
With the help of a brother, Franklin B. Bristol who had been educated in the public schools of Naugatuck and had the practical turn of mind of the skilled arti- PROF. WILLIAM H. BRISTOL, Founder and President Until His Death on June 18, 1930 an, The Bristol Co. was organized in 1889. A barn located near Platt's bridge at Waterbury was chosen as the first factory. As the demand for the new steel lacing grew rapidly, larger quarters became necessary. So in 1892, the business was moved to its present site in Waterbury where railroad facilities were available and sufficient land could be acquired for future ex- pansion.
It was about this time that Prof. Bristol's thoughts turned to the need in industry of a recording instrument that would give a continuous graphic record of pressure, for example, of air, gas or steam confined in a closed vessel.
Prof. Bristol's experiments were devoted to various designs of modified Bourdon tubes. Out of this research was developed a sensitive actuating element. With subsequent improvements this has been perfected into the popular flat metal coiled tube or helical measuring element now employed in Bristol instruments and accepted throughout industry as the standard of accuracy.
A natural evolution of the pressure recorder, a temperature recorder soon followed. It utilized a pressure spring similar to that in the recording gauge. It was connected by means of capillary tubing to the sensitive bulb which was located in the furnace, oven or other space where the temperature was being measured. The entire thermometer system was filled either with a liquid, vapor or gas, depending upon the application.
Although electricity was still in its infancy, the development of a complete line of electrical measuring recorders was next undertaken. As a result, a recording voltmeter, ammeter and wattmeter were brought out in quick succession.
In 1904 Prof. Bristol developed the first practical pyrometer (high temperature thermometer) for general commercial use. This utilized a base metal (copper-constantan instead of platinum -platinum rhodium) thermo-couple and was the beginning of a complete line of indicating and recording instruments for the accurate measurement of high temperatures in industry.
Out of these four original basic classes of instruments grew the present line of Bristol's recorders.
The products manufactured today include: recording gauges for pressure and vacuum; pressure controllers; recording ther- mometers, pyrometers, psychrometers, voltmeters, milli-voltmeters, ammeters, shunt ammeters, milli-ammeters, watt meters, fre- quency meters and power factor meters; thermometer and pyro- meter. controllers; humidigraphs and thermo-humidigraphs; electrical operation recorders, mill time recorders, indicating and recording tachometers, speed indicators, automatic speed con- trollers, automobile time recorders, mechanical motion recorders, counters; long distance electric indicating and transmitting system for pressure, temperature, motion, liquid level and time; radii averaging instruments; process cycle controllers, process signal indicators; air operated recorder controllers; electric and dia- phragm motor operated valves; recording, integrating, controlling and indicating flow meters; potentiometers.
One of the latest developments that is attracting attention in many industries is automatic process control. This is recom- mended particularly for plants where the product is made by a recurring cycle of operation. For example, the rubber and food industries find wide use for such an instrument since it auto- matically and unerringly makes possible strict uniformity in quality which heretofore has always been ditheult to obtain.
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