History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 25

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572

USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 25

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In order to aid the undertaking, the city of Bridge- port, at a meeting held March 2, 1837, voted to sub- scribe for stock of the new company to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, and individuals resid- ing in other towns upon the route subscribed for two hundred thousand dollars more.

Ex-Governor Gideon Tomlinson acted for a time as president of the company, but at the first regular election, April 5, 1837, the following persons were chosen officers of the road: William P. Burrall, President; William H. Noble, Secretary ; Jesse Ster- ling, Treasurer; William P. Burrall, Edwin Porter, Samuel Simons, Stephen Lounsbury, Charles De Forest, of Bridgeport, Anan Hine, Asa Pickett, of New Milford, Alpheus Fuller, of Kent, and Peter Bierce, of Cornwall, Directors.

Mr. Horace Nichols subsequently became treasurer of the road, and held the position until his resigna- tion, in 1848. A contract was made by the board of directors with Messrs. Bishop and Sykes to build the entire road for the sum of $936,000,-viz., cash, $636,000, and stock of the company at par, $300,000. Work was commenced in July, 1837, about three hundred men being employed by the contractors.

Owing to the panic of 1837, which caused nearly all the banks and moneyed institutions of the country to suspend specie payments, subscriptions for stock were not received as rapidly as had been anticipated, and the progress of the road was delayed.

In February, 1840, the southern division of the road --- viz., from Bridgeport to New Milford-was completed and opened for travel. The cost up to that time had been, for the road proper, $476,000; for cars, engines, depots, tanks, etc., $99,000; total, $575,000.

The remaining portion of the road was opened Dec. 1, 1842. Much annoyance was caused by the original track, which consisted of an iron strap fastened upon wooden sills by spikes, which often became loose, when the weight of passing trains caused it to curl up into "snake-heads." In 1846 it was replaced by iron rails of the present pattern.

March 25, 1838, the city of Bridgeport voted to con- firm the previous subscription of one hundred thou- sand dollars, and authorized an additional one of fifty thousand dollars, and Messrs. Henry Dutton, F. C. Bassett, and Lockwood De Forest were appointed agents for the city to raise the necessary funds by issuing coupon bonds. These bonds were paid to the railroad company in lieu of cash, and by the company were disposed of to other parties.

At the May session in 1838 the Legislature by a special act validated the action of the city of Bridge- port, referred to above, in subscribing for the stock of the Housatonic Railroad Company, and in issuing bonds in payment for the stock. This act of the General Assembly was approved at a city meeting held for the purpose, but no provision was made for the payment of the bonds or of the coupons as they fell due.

The action of the majority was viewed with alarm by many of the leading tax-payers, who in January, 1839, appointed a "Council of Safety" to advise as to what measures should be taken in regard to these bonds. This council was composed of thirteen mem- bers, Philo Hurd being chairman and Isaac Sherman secretary. Eminent counsel were also retained by the city, and an effort was made to secure the services of Daniel Webster, but Mr. Webster was obliged to de- cline the case on account of other engagements. No active effort seems to have been made by any one to repudiate the debt, but a very general desire was man- ifested tliat some competent tribunal should decide to what extent the private property of citizens in the minority could be taken to satisfy a debt created by the vote of a majority, many of whom were not tax- payers.

In June, 1843, the railroad company obtained judg- ment against the city in the Superior Court, and, an appeal to the Supreme Court of Errors having been decided in favor of the plaintiff, an execution on this judgment was issued and placed in the hands of Deputy Sheriff Smith, of Norwalk, to be by him levied and collected. This officer then first demanded payment of the amount from the mayor, clerk, and treasurer of the city in turn, and then, payment not having been made, called upon them to exhibit goods, chattels, or lands belonging to the debtors,-viz., the

medi inte half

In this l OWDe houn from road for th made. The built In 1 twent the large of the Ju missi state. miles Ma- capi and $ and i 03%; gage- stating

May wBic The brok les and the açai law aga Cour defe opin and Asse sued hole city -other with kno which Th at is the d adju

BRIDGEPORT.

Mayor, Common Council, and freemen of the city,- which they were either unable or unwilling to do. The deputy sheriff then, acting under legal advice, broke open the dry goods store of Bronson B. Beards- ley aud the wholesale grocery of Niles, Thorp & Co., and, seizing a quantity of goods from the former, sold them at the post. Mr. Beardsley brought an action against the deputy sheriff for taking his property un- lawfully, but in June, 1844, the ease was decided against him. It was then carried to the Supreme Court of the State, where the decision in favor of the defendant was affirmed, Judge Church, in giving the opinion, using the following language :

"The eity of Bridgeport, with great deliberation and unanimity, and under sanction of the General Assembly, has contracted a debt. The securities is- sued by the city have been purchased by bona-fide holders, with its assent, and upon the faith of the city and the laws. No funds, either by taxation or otherwise, have been provided for payment. A right without a remedy is not an admitted principle. We know of no other practical remedy but the one to which this plaintiff lias resorted."

This was a very important deeision, as the question at issue-viz., the liability of private property for the debts of a municipality-had never before been adjudicated. Once definitely settled, however, im- mediate steps were taken for the payment of overdue interest and legal expenses, and a tax of seven and a half per cent. upon the entire property of the city was laid and eolleeted.

In 1856 a sinking fund of fifty thousand dollars -- this being the sum derived from the sale of the stock owned by the eity-was established by Mayor Cal- houn, which, by eareful management, has inereased from year to year, until the greater part of the rail- road debt of the eity has already been paid off, and for the balance, due in 1886, full provision is already made.

The Housatonie Railroad, which had largely been built with borrowed capital, was much erippled. In 1844 it passed into the hands of a committee of twenty citizens, and for some time was operated under the name of E. Gregory & Co. Preferred stock to a large amount was finally issued, and a reorganization of the company effected.

Judging from the last report of the railroad eom- missioners, however, this road is now in a prosperous state. At the beginning of the year 1880 it had 74 miles of track, extending from Bridgeport to Sheffield, Masz., besides several branches and leased lines. Its eapital stock is $2,000,000,-viz., $820,000 old stock, and $1,180,000 preferred. Its bonded debt is $550,000, and its floating indebtedness $228,038.73; total, $778,- 038.73. It has 20 locomotives, 32 passenger- and bag- gage-cars and 440 freight-cars, 420 employees, and 20 stations. It carried last year 252,740 passengers and 225,037 tons of freight, and its revenue from all sources was $599,660.09.

The railroad commissioners, in concluding their report, say of this road,-

"Steel rails have been laid as far north as Merwing- ville, and it is proposed to continue the steel track during the present year to the State line. The bridges, track, and rolling-stock of this road are all in good condition. The usual dividend of eight per cent. has been paid to the preferred stockholders."

The following are the officers of the company : William H. Barnum, President; David S. Draper, Vice-President; Charles K. Averill, Secretary and Treasurer; Henry C. Coggswell, General Freight Agent; Hobart W. Watson, Chief Clerk ; L. B. Still- son, Superintendent; William H. Barnum, of Lime Rock, Conn .; Samuel Willets, of New York; Horace Nichols, William D. Bishop, of Bridgeport; George W. Peet, of Falls Village; Edward Leavitt, John B. Peck, of New York ; D. S. Draper, of Great Barring- ton ; A. B. Mygatt, of New Milford, Directors.

In the year 1844 an act of incorporation was ob- tained from the Legislature of Connecticut by Joseplı E. Sheffield, of New Haven, Anson G. Phelps, of New York, and others, giving them permission to lay out and build a railroad, not exceeding six rods in width, from New Haven to the western boundary of the State, and to transport persons and property upon it by the power of steam or auy other mechan- ieal foree, by animals, or "by any combination of these which said company may choose." May 11, 1846, the Legislature of the State of New York granted the same persons permission to extend their proposed railroad from the Connectieut line to con- neet with the Harleni road at Williams Bridge, N. Y.

The first stockholders' meeting was held at New York City, May 19, 1846, when the following board of directors was elected : Robert Schuyler, Auson G. Phelps, Elihu Townsend, Morris Ketehum, of the city of New York; Henry J. Sanford, of Stamford; William P. Burrall, Stephen Tomlinson, of Bridge- port; Joseph E. Sheffield, of New Haven; F. R. Griffin, of Guilford. At a subsequent meeting of the directors Robert Sehuyler was chosen president and William P. Burrall secretary.

Preliminary surveys having been made by Alex- ander C. Twining, on the 27th of October, 1846, a contract was made with Messrs. Alfred Bishop and Sidney G. Miller to build the road from the depot of the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, in the city of New Haven, to Williams Bridge. The contraet included the cost of obtaining a right of way of not less than four rods wide, and of building upon .it a single-traek railroad with four miles of turnouts, also the grounds aud buildings for eleven depots, sundry water-stations, and numerous culverts. It also called for substantial bridges over the various streams erossed, ineluding the Housatonic, Pequonnoek, Saugatuck, and Norwalk Rivers, and the marsh at West Haven. Work was to be commenced by the first day of De- cember, 1846, aud was to be completed by Ang. 1,

1 st

ZI-

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

1848. The contract price was two and a quarter mil- lions of dollars, payable partly in cash and partly in the company's stock, as follows,-viz. :

Cash, in installments, as work is completed. $1,350,000 9000 shares of stock at par. 900,000

Total. $2,250,000

The contractors were also each to receive a free pass for the term of their natural lives.

As usual in works of this magnitude, there was a slight delay in its completion. Trains commenced running from Bridgeport to Fairfield Sept. 2, 1848, but, though finished from New Haven to Westport in October, 1848, it was not until Jan. 1, 1849, that the road was fully open for travel over its entire length. The original fare, if the writer's information is cor- rect, was from New Haven to New York, one dollar and fifty cents ; from Bridgeport to New York, one dollar.

The capital stock of the road was originally two and a half millions of dollars, divided into twenty- five thousand shares, and at the completion of the road was owned as follows :

New York

15,374 shares.

Boston

4,600

Connecticut.

5,026

Total

25,000

As already noted, Messrs. Stephen Tomlinson and William P. Burrall, of this city, were stockholders and members of the first board of directors. So many Bridgeport gentlemen have been connected with this road that some additional particulars respecting it, though not in strictly chronological order, may prop- erly find a place here.

In May, 1851, an additional track was laid, and the capital stock was increased to three million dollars. Two severe disasters have occurred in its history,-the first the terrible accident and loss of life at Norwalk bridge, May 6, 1853, and the second the fraudulent overissue of stock by its first president, Robert Schuy- ler, which came to light in July, 1854,-but, with these exceptions, it has had a career of almost un- broken prosperity. Much of this success is due to the ability of Hon. William D. Bishop, of Bridgeport, who was its efficient president from May 17, 1867, to March 1, 1879, when ill health compelled him to re- sign. He is still, however, a member of the board of directors. Hon. Nathaniel Wheeler has also been a director from May 19, 1870, to the present time. Mr. John T. Moody and Mr. William H. Stevenson, of this place, are also connected with the road,-the former as assistant superintendent and the latter as superintendent of the Shore Line division.

In the summer of 1872 the New York and New Haven road was consolidated with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad, and in June of the following year the work of equipping it throughout was com- pleted. The consolidated road now leases the Boston and New York Air Line, paying that company six per cent. of the earnings of the main line. It has

also leased the Shore Line since 1870 for an annual rental of one hundred thousand dollars. The dis- tance from Springfield, Mass., to Harlem Junction is one hundred and twenty-three miles, but the total length of main lines and branches is two hundred and twenty-two miles.

The capital stock of the consolidated road is $15,500,000, and the total debt only $428,978.48. There are 1683 stockholders, and the earnings from all sources in 1879 were $3,997,892.96. About fifteen passenger-trains traverse the road in each direction daily. There are 57 stations, 84 locomotives, 1740 cars, and during the past year 3,587,899 passengers and 1,209,630 tons of freight were transported. The usual dividend paid to the stockholders is ten per cent.

The idea of a railroad through the Naugatuck val- ley, terminating at Bridgeport, is also due to Alfred Bishop. This road was chartered in 1845, the follow- ing persons being the incorporators: Timothy Dwight, of New Haven; Philo Hurd, of Bridgeport; Green Kendrick, of Waterbury; Alfred B. Brittain, of Bridgeport; Thomas Burlock, of Derby; George L. Schuyler, of New York; William P. Burrall, of Bridgeport.

At the organization of the first board of directors, Feb. 18, 1848, Timothy Dwight was chosen president, Ira Sherman secretary, and Horace Nichols treasurer of the company. Messrs. Dwight and Sherman both died many years ago, but Mr. Nichols still retains his post. The recently published history of Derby, Conn., makes the following brief reference to this veteran officer :

"When the Naugatuck road was started Mr. Nich- ols was elected treasurer, and has continued therein- a faithful, honorable, prompt, and energetic officer- until the present time. He is unostentatious, scarcely allowing a notice of himself to be made in print, constant in his attention to business, and therefore greatly successful, and merits and receives the esteem of all with whom he is associated."

The original intention was to build only from Bridgeport to Waterbury, but the capital stock was afterwards increased from eight hundred thousand dollars to one million two hundred thousand dollars, and the road was extended to Winsted, Mr. Alfred Bishop being the contractor. He did not live to see the work entirely completed, but died in June, 1849, while the road was not finished until September 24th of the same year. Since the opening of the road vil- lages upon the line have grown into thriving and prosperous cities, manufactures known the world over have been established, and the value of real estate has been increased fivefold.

The Naugatuck enjoys the reputation of being one of the best-managed roads in the country. It has neither floating nor bonded debt, pays all bills monthly, and its stock is in demand as a sound, dividend-paying investment.

yet is Lyon mant linson build turn Ea- sn es The are Hon

Pequ were d the ci compl place. Mans

the M brak paid The proy first 1853 t in 18 prin ciate charte cembe was in

in of f Th last iron kep cars

ploy

cont from rosd. cap sidi Am while were

Hor Cler Hil R. mon Bro sett, T Ha cent,

BRIDGEPORT.

The present officers are: E. F. Bishop, President ; Horace Nichols, Treasurer; James Potter, Chief Clerk; George W. Beach, Superintendent; Samuel Wilmot, Auditor. The directors are W. D. Bishop, R. Tomlinson, E. F. Bishop, Bridgeport; J. G. Wet- more, Winsted; A. L. Dennis, Newark, N. J .; H. Bronson, J. B. Robertson, New Haven; R. M. Bas- sett, Derby ; F. J. Kingsbury, Waterbury.

The Naugatuck now leases and operates the New Haven and Derby road, paying the latter twenty per cent. of the gross earnings of both corporations, the contract to be readjusted every five years. Its length, from Winsted to its junction with the consolidated road, near the Housatonic River, is 563 miles. Its capital stock is $2,000,000,-held by 432 persons, re- siding in every quarter of the world except South America, -- and its total debt does not exceed $30,000, while its earnings from all sources in the year 1879 were $516,594.14. This road has 19 stations, 254 em- ployees, 11 locomotives, and 310 cars, and transported in the above year 261,469 passengers and 199,845 tons of freight.

The railroad commissioners of the State, in their last annual report, say of it,-

"Steel rails have taken the place of the original iron the whole length of the road, and the track is kept in good surface and alignment. The passenger- cars have, during the past year, been equipped with the Miller platform and the Westinghouse automatic brake. The usual dividend of ten per cent. has been paid to the stockholders."

The decade between 1850 and 1860 was one of great prosperity for Bridgeport, and during this period it first began to assume the appearance of a city. In 1853 the Bridgeport Water Company was formed, and in 1854 and 1855 water-mains were laid through the principal streets by Nathaniel Greene and his asso- ciates. The Bridgeport Gas-Light Company was chartered in 1849, and commenced business in De- cember, 1851. In June, 1850, the Bridgeport Library was incorporated. About the same time the Farmers' (now the First National), the Bridgeport City, and the Pequonnock Banks were chartered, several churches were dedicated, and two new bridges opened between the city proper and East Bridgeport. The newly- completed railroads brought much business to the place, and many new residents were attracted hither. Manufacturing, except for home consumption, was yet in its infancy, but the old-established houses of Lyon & Calhoun, afterwards Lacey, Mceker & Co., manufacturers of saddlery and harness, and of Tom- linson, Wood & Co., now Hincks & Johnson, carriage- builders, gave employment to many workmen and turned out an excellent class of work for export.

East Bridgeport now began to attract attention as an excellent site for building and for manufactories. The following paragraphs relating to its rapid growth are slightly abridged from the " Autobiography" of Hon. P. T. Barnum :

"In 1851 I purchased from Mr. William H. Noble the undivided half of his late father's homestead, consisting of fifty acres of land lying on the east side of the river, opposite the city of Bridgeport. We in- tended this as the nucleus of a new city, which we concluded could soon be built up, in consequence of many natural advantages that it possesses. Before giving publicity to our plans, however, we purchased one hundred and seventy-four acres contiguous to that which we already owned, and laid out the entire property in regular streets and lined them with trees, reserving a beautiful grove of six or eight acres, which we inclosed and converted into a public park. We then commenced selling alternate lots at the same price which the land cost us by the acre. Our sales were always made on the condition that a suitable dwelling-house, store, or manufactory should be erected upon the land within one year from the date of purchase ; that every building should be placed at a certain distance from the street in a style of archi- tecture approved by us ; that the grounds should be inclosed with acceptable fences and kept clean and neat; with other conditions which would render the locality a desirable one for respectable residents. A new foot-bridge was built, connecting this place with the city of Bridgeport, and a public toll-bridge which belonged to us was thrown open to the public free. We also put up a fine covered drawbridge, between the two bridges already existing, at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars, which we also made free to the pub- lic for several years. We built and leased to a Union Company of young coach-makers a large and elegant coach-manufactory, which was the beginning of the extensive manufactories subsequently built in East Bridgeport."

The sagacious policy of Messrs. Barnum and Noble laid the foundation of the prosperity of East Bridge- port, but it was not until the Wheeler & Wilson Manu- facturing Company removed here that its remarkable growth really commenced. Since that time many other large manufactories have been located here, --- notably the Howe Sewing-Machine Company, in 1863 ; the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, in 1865; the Frary Cutlery Company, Messrs. Glover, Sanford & Sons; the Bridgeport Brass Company ; the Farist Steel Company ; the Monumental Bronze Com- pany ; J. A. House ; and not a few smaller concerns. All these have in a greater or less degree contributed to the prosperity of the place.

The same is true of such establishments upon the west side of the river as the Eaton Cole & Burnham Company, the Furniture-Manufacturing Company, the Burlock Manufacturing Company, Thompson, Langdon & Co., the Spring Perch Company, Hineks & Johnson, the Read Carpet Company, the R. Tom- linson Spring Company, Ives, Blakeslee & Co., the Pacific Iron-Works, the John S. Way Company, Bridgeport Patent-Leather Company, Warner Broth- ers, Bridgeport Malleable Iron Company, Hotchkiss

och

ich-

The per

100

HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Sons, Parrott Varnish Company, Bridgeport Spring Company, J. B. Secor, Smith & Egge Company, Wheel and Wood-Bending Company, White Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport Organ Company, Lee Arms Company, Fray & Pigg, American Belt, Tin, and Tube Company, Ornamental Wood Company, Bridge- port Coach-Lace Company, Bridgeport Elastic Web Company, Belknap Manufacturing Company, W. F. Swords, Bridgeport Paper-Box Company, Bridgeport Silver Company, H. D. Gates & Company, ÆEtna Spring and Axle Company, the Pequonnock Paper Company, J. S. Follansbee, Giles and Clancey, Coul- ter & Mckenzie, and a multitude of others.

It is much to be regretted that the limits of the present sketch do not admit of an extended account of each one of them. The Wheeler & Wilson Com- pany, however, has been so long and so intimately connected with Bridgeport, and has given employ- ment to so large a number of the population, that no history of the city, even though a brief one, can be written without containing some account of it.

This company removed to Bridgeport in 1856, but, in order to gain a clear idea of its history, it is neces- sary to go back to 1849, the year when Allen B. Wil- son first invented his sewing-machine. Nathaniel Wheeler, who was born in Watertown, Conn., in 1820, was then carrying on the manufacture of light metallic goods in his native place. Happening to be in New York upon business, he went to see the new sewing- machine, which was then on exhibition in a room in the old Sun building, and was attracting considerable attention. Mr. Wheeler quickly recognized the merits of the invention, and at once entered into a contract to build five hundred of the machines at his factory in Watertown, Mr. Wilson agreeing to remove to that place and superintend their manufacture.

Further improvements having been made in the machine, an application for a patent was filed, and the document was issued Aug. 12, 1851. Messrs. Wheeler and Wilson now entered into copartnership with Alanson Warren and George P. Woodruff, of Watertown, under the firm-name of Wheeler, Wilson & Co., and began the manufacture of machines under the patent. Several hundred had been sold, and Mr. Wheeler had succeeded in introducing them into the extensive shirt-factories at Troy, N. Y., and New Haven, Conn., and had established depots for their sale in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, when, for the better prosecution of the business, the firm was dissolved, and the Wheeler & Wilson Manufac- turing Company was organized in October, 1853, with a capital of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, one hundred thousand of this sum representing the patent-right, and the remainder standing for tools, machinery, and working capital already employed in the business.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Fairfield County, Connecticut : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 25

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1572

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) comp. cn
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1572