History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 152

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532

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The Methodists and Baptists occupied the old meet- ing-house on alternate Sabbaths until a Methodist quarterly meeting occurred on the Baptists' Sabbath, and was conducted with closed doors, according to the custom of those days. Some young men insisted on going into this meeting, and finally broke down the door to effect an entrance. Much excitement fol- lowed. The next quarterly meeting was held in Har- low Fyler's wagon-house, and a great company gatlı- ered for the occasion. This occurred in the autumn of 1832. A meeting of the members of this church was held Nov. 26, 1832, when the Rev. Heman Bangs, presiding elder, was chosen moderator, and Rev. Charles Sherman, the pastor, was chosen scribe, and they voted that "we deem it expedient to make an effort to build a meeting-house." They appointed a committee, consisting of Levi Munsill, Harlow Fyler, Archibald Dayton, Elihu Barber, and Amasa Wade, to fix on a site and forward the movement as trustees of the society. The house was built in 1833, and seated with slips instead of the box-pew.

In November, 1833, a subscription of one hundred and ninety-five dollars was raised, and a bell purchased at Medway, Mass., and ordered sent by water to Hart- ford; but, navigation closing, Mr. Harlow Fyler sent his team to Medway for the bell, which had been shipped to Boston to come by water, and the team went to Boston, and brought the bell in time for the dedieation. After a few years of full meetings and general interest the eause began to deeline; families were removing from the community almost yearly, some of them going to the far West. A debt of four hundred dollars remained on the meeting-house prop- erty, which continued to increase, although several efforts were made to pay it, until about 1850, when it was sold to the Advent society, and a series of meet- ings were held by Elders Miles Grant and Matthewson. For a time there was much interest manifested ; the meeting-house was filled on the Sabbath, and some

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

meetings were held in the Baptist house also, and a Second Advent Church was organized with thirty members; but after ten or twelve years the meetings ceased, most of the members went to Wrightville, and the meeting-house stood unused until 1876, when it was sold and taken down.

CHAPTER LXII.

TORRINGTON (Continued).

The Coe Brass Manufacturing Company-The Coe Furniture Company -The Union Manufacturing Company-The Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Company -- The Excelsior Needle Company - The Hardware Company-C. Il. Hotchkiss & Sons-The Alvord Mann- facturing Company-The Hardware Manufacturing Company-The Hendy Machine Company, Etc.

MANUFACTURING INTERESTS .*

The Coe Brass Manufacturing Company .- The first effort to make brass kettles in America by the battery process was commenced in Wolcottville in 1834. The old Wilson mill-privilege and property was purchased, and other lands on the south and west side of the river, for a dam and a raceway, and for the location of build- ings. The business was conducted in the name of Israel Coe, then of Waterhury, but who removed to Wolcottville. Anson G. Phelps, of New York City, and John Hungerford were associated with Mr. Coe, each owning one-third of the stock. The late Israel Holmes, of Waterbury, had an interest in the business, and removed to this village, and was the principal manager of the manufacturing part of the business. The enterprise included the rolling of brass in connec- tion with the making of brass kettles. Christopher Pope, an Englishman, was the prime mover in regard to the making of brass kettles, although he was of no benefit in the end to the business as introduced here.

Mr. Holmes went to England for the purpose of procuring machinery and workmen. His efforts in this respect were hindered by every possible ingenuity and power of those interested in the same kind of manufacturing in that country, but after a time he sent two battery-men to Philadelphia, one of whom died the next day after his arrival. Subsequently he procured others, and thirty-eight men, women, and children, in one vessel, arrived in New York. Con- siderable trouble was experienced in transporting them without a railroad to Wolcottville. When they were landed here the mill was not ready for operatives, and thereby the troubles were multiplied. The men re- ceived their pay, and, having nothing to do, most of them gave themselves to dissipation and disquietude of disposition. In the mean time, Mr. Pope bargained with other parties for a rival concern, and took three of the men with him. This was at first thought to be an injury, but eventuated in advantage, as these men proved to be worthless in this business. However,

some of the workmen remained, and the quick eye and ready hand of Wolcottville Yankees soon secured experts in the making of brass kettles.

The next difficulty which arose was the proportion- ing or mixing of the metal so as to form a compound that could be subjected to the hammering and anneal- ing without cracking, and for some years the company were under the necessity of importing the metal ready cast for this purpose. In 1842, Mr. Coe went to England and obtained the right materials and mix- ture, and thereafter this difficulty was overcome. From this time the business in this form would have been a great success but for the invention by Hiram Hayden, of Waterbury, of a new process, called the rolling or spinning process, by which a smoother sur- face and uniform thickness of the kettle was secured. This new method soon superseded the battery business, and hence this part of the Wolcottville enterprise was uot very profitable thereafter.

The rolling-mill part of the business was a success until 1837, when by the general suspension of business throughout the country, many who were indebted to the concern being unable to pay, the company were in a strait place, and for a time nearly suspended work in the mill ; but finally all claims were paid in full and business resumed, and continued with success.

On the 19th of May, 1841, the special copartnership of Israel Coe was dissolved, and a joint-stock company formed under the name of the Wolcottville Brass Company, with a capital of fifty-six thousand dollars, of which Israel Coe, Anson G. Phelps, and John Hun- gerford were the stockholders, each owning one-third. Israel Coe was appointed president, and Lyman W. Coe secretary and treasurer, and Israel Holmes the general manufacturing manager. In 1842, Mr. Coe went to Europe, and Mr. Hungerford was appointed president. In 1843, Mr. Holmes retired from the com- pany. In February, 1844, Israel Coe and L. W. Coe sold their interest in the company to Anson G. Phelps, and Mr. I. Coe then retired from the brass business. L. W. Coe remained as secretary and treasurer until 1845, when he resigned, and subsequently was elected secretary and treasurer of the Waterbury Brass Com- pany, of which Israel Holmes was president. Mr. L. W. Coe then removed to Waterbury, where he re- sided until 1863, when he purchased the property of the Wolcottville Brass Company, and formed a new company under the name of the Coe Brass Company.

While Mr. Coe was at Waterbury, in March, 1848, Mr. Phelps sold his interest in this mill to Mr. Hun- gerford, and Mr. Hungerford, at different times, trans- ferred portions of the stock to C. P. Marks, John Da- vol, J. H. Bartholomew, and Albert A. Mason, and others. About 1853, Marks and Davol, being large owners, sold their entire interest in this property to J. Hungerford, and he and his family became the owners of nearly all the stock.

Until 1852 the company had been moderately suc- cessful, but from that period to 1863 the property

* Principally from Orcutt's " Ilistory of Torrington."

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TORRINGTON.

steadily declined in value. This decline was owing in part to the decline of the battery process in making kettles and the great commercial panic of 1857, in which the company were large losers by the failure of their customers, from which they never fully re- covered.

In April, 1863, L. W. Coe purchased the entire capital stock, paying forty thousand dollars, and thereby became possessed of all its franchise and liable for all its debts. The Coe Brass Company was formed, with a capital of one hundred thousand dol- lars, and the mill property and real estate of the old company transferred to the new.

The new company immediately took its position in the front ranks of the brass wire and German silver business, and has steadily increased its business until at the present time it is producing more pounds of metal than any mill of the kind. It has attained its former reputation as a water-mill of about one hun- dred and fifty horse-power, but has now in addition four steam-engines with a capacity of four hundred horse-power. Their buildings cover an area of about three acres; the whole mill property includes nine- teen aeres.

For the past five years it has made a specialty of brass for small-arms, cartridges, and has had exten- sive dealings with foreign governments for such metal. The aggregate of this foreign trade has constituted two-thirds of the production of the mills.

The annual aggregate of the business of the com- pany now exceeds one and a quarter million dollars. Its present capital is three hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars. It employs directly from two hun- dred to two hundred and fifty men, and indirectly sustains a large proportion of the population of the town. During the last three years of financial de- pression in the country this mill has been under full operation, and some of the time working over-time, which fact has not only kept Wolcottville alive, but growing at the rate of nearly fifty dwelling-houses per year.

The annual consumption of wood at this mill is two thousand cords, and of charcoal fifteen thousand bushels, and of anthracite coal two thousand tons. The present officers are L. W. Coc, President ; Elisha Turner, Vice-President; Charles F. Brooker, Secre- tary ; Edward T. Coe, Treasurer.

The Coe Furniture Company .- This business was commenced in about 1840 by a company consisting of Henry P. Coc, Henry P. Ostrum, and Benjamin Smith, in a shop about forty rods east of Main Street bridge, on the north side of the river. After a short time Mr. Smith sold his share to the two others. About 1850, Mr. Ostrum sold to his partner, Henry P. Coe, who continued the business with success several years. When his sons, A. W. Coc & Brothers, took the enterprise, before 1860, they took possession of larger buildings on the south side of the river, and began to add the improvements in machinery by

which their products and sales were greatly increased. This prosperity continued until 1870, when the Coe Furniture Company was formed, with a capital of twenty thousand dollars, for the purpose of making household furniture.

The Union Manufacturing Company .- This company was organized Feb. 18, 1845, with a capital of ten thousand dollars, and the same day purchased the brick building and water-privileges which had been used as a finishing-house by the old woolen mill com- pany, and entered upon preparations for the manufac- ture of woolen goods, the stockholders being John Hungerford, president, and William R. Slade, superin- tendent and secretary, and from this time forward this mill appears to have been moderately successful. In 1849 this mill was burned, and a building much larger than the former was erected, and the business conducted by F. N. Holly and William R. Slade as the stock-owners, and success rewarded the efforts and skill with which they conducted it. In 1856 this building was burned, and all that was in it, leaving a mass of ruins unseemly and discouraging. Another one was soon erected and fitted for the same business, and the work started anew. The business was pros- perous, and in 1859, Jesse B. Rose, Samuel Workman, and Ransom Holly became stock-owners, and the owners thus continued until 1873, when the Messrs. Holly retired, and others became members of the company in 1867.

The present owners are Jesse B. Rosc, Samuel Workman, George D. Workman, Albert Tuttle, and James Iredale. Mr. Rose came from Plymouth in 1850, and engaged with this company as foreman of the carding-room, and continued in that relation nearly fifteen years, when he became a stock-owner and superintendent of the manufacturing work.

Mr. Samuel Workman came to New York, and thence in 1836 to this place, having been employed to work in the wool-sorting apartment in Wolcott- ville Manufacturing Company, and has continued in the same work to the present time. When the Union Company started he engaged with them, and has be- come largely interested in the business.

Mr. George D. Workman, son of Samuel, is the sec- rotary, treasurer, and agent of the company, and be- came stock-owner in 1867.

Mr. Tuttle came from Woodbury in 1858, and was employed as finisher of cloth, in which relation he still continues. lle became stock-owner in 1865. Mr. Iredale, formerly from England, came from Mns- sachusetts in 1865, and became overseer in the " gig- room," or one department of cloth-dressing. He became stock-owner in 1867.

This company commenced with a stock capital of ten thousand dollars, which was increased to fifty thousand, where it has remained. The sales of the company amount to two hundred thousand dollars annually, which indicates prosperity even in moderate times. The capacity of the mill is much greater than

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HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

that usually attained. The main building is one hundred and twenty-two feet by thirty-five, six stories high, and has an "L" part thirty-five by forty feet, three stories high. There is also a wing attached to the main building that is eighty-five by thirty feet, one story. The second building is one hundred by thirty- eight, two stories and a basement, and is used for a drying-house. The third building is eighty by thirty- five feet, three stories high, and is used for office and storage room; and besides the large water-power, they have three steam-boilers, with an engine of one hundred horse-power.

At first this company manufactured only plain black doeskin cloths, and from this they have varied but little until later years. They now make black docskins, ribbed and diagonal goods, - all single breadth. Seventy-five persons are regularly employed in the mill, producing on an average about five. hun- dred yards of cloth per day.

Jesse B. Rose, President; George D. Workman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Agent; Directors, Jesse B. Rose, Samuel Workman, George D. Workman, Albert Tuttle, and James Iredale.

The Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Company oc- cupy the privileges of the first woolen-mill in this village. This woolen-mill was built in 1813 by Fred- erick Wolcott. It passed through various hands, and in 1844 was burned. A cotton-mill was soon after erected on its site, which passed through various vi- cissitudes, being known successively as the Wolcott- ville Manufacturing Company, the Torrington Manu- facturing Company, and the Wolcottville Knitting Company. Before 1863 this property stood idle for a time, which fact being known to the Waterbury Hook and Eye Company, they began to consider the feasi- bility of removing their business to Wolcottville. At the same time the Wadhams Manufacturing Company had stopped work, and the buildings were standing idle. This latter was a company of more than twenty years' standing. In 1838 it was first organized, under the title of Wadhams, Webster & Co., " for the pur- pose of manufacturing gilt and other buttons, or any articles composed of brass, copper, or other metals," and the officers were Russell C. Abernethy, Presi- dent, and George D. Wadhams, Martin Webster, and Laurin Wetmore, Directors, the capital stock being fourteen thousand dollars. In 1851, after apparently a successful term of twelve years, a new organization was effected under the name of the Wadhams Manu- facturing Company, taking the property of the old company, and adding stock so as to make twenty thousand dollars. The stock-owners were George D. Wadhams, Phineas North, Demas Coe, Samuel T. Seelyc, H. P. Ostrum, J. F. Calhoun, Albert A. Ma- son, Samuel J. Stocking, William S. Steele, Ebenezer Wilson, and William De Forest. The building of the old company was called the button-shop, and it stood east of Main Street, on the old road to Torringford, on the East Branch, at what is now called the iron

foundry. After 1851 it took the name of the papier- maché shop, which indicated the character of an additional part of the business of the firm,-the mak- ing of daguerreotype-cases, work-boxes, writing-desks, and other articles made in part or wholly of paper. In the beginning of the war this company closed its business.

Some of the members of the hook and eye com- pany at Waterbury formed a company in 1863, called the Seymour Manufacturing Company, to be located at Wolcottville, and these persons were F. J. Sey- mour, E. Turner, L. W. Coe, S. L. Clark, and J. S. Elton. They, with a capital stock of twenty thousand dollars, purchased the Wadhams property, or papier- maché shop, and continued some of the kinds of work which had been done there, and added others. They made a specialty of brass window-trimmings, including a variety of articles for hanging window- curtains and ornamenting windows.

In 1864 the Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Company purchased the knitting-mill, or the old cotton-mill property, the building standing on the site of the old or first woolen-mill, and transferred their hook and cye business from Waterbury to this mill.

In 1866 these two firms consolidated under the name of Turner & Seymour Manufacturing Com- pany, retaining possession and continuing work in both mills. After a short time an iron foundry was erected adjoining the papier-maché building, where they have continued to cast a variety of articles, mostly for household use, including American scis- sors of several classes or sizes, ends or fixtures for window-curtains, and many other items, varying their work according to public demand or invention and use. Their illustrated catalogue covers one hundred and twenty pages, many of which pages are a con- densed schedule of articles of the same name, but varying in size or style or adaptability.

The capital stock is one hundred thousand dollars, and their sales run fron two to three hundred thou- sand dollars a year. They are now selling goods at half the price they sold the same article seven years ago. The wholesale store of this company is at 81 Reade Street, New York City.

The present officers are Elisha Turner, President ; L. W. Coe, Treasurer ; L. G. Turner, Secretary.

The Excelsior Needle Company .- This company was organized March 2, 1866, with twenty thousand dol- lars capital, and the following persons as directors : Achille F. Migcon, President; Charles Alvord, Sec- retary ; and Elisha Turner, James Wooding, George M. Isbell. The superintendency of the work devolved upon Mr. Isbell until 1869, since which time that posi- tion has been filled by James Alldis.

This company has for its customers all sewing- machine companies except those who make their own needles. The Wheeler & Wilson Company, of Bridgeport, purchase their needles here, the contract

637

TORRINGTON.

with them for several years having been one hundred and fifty thousand needles per month.

The company have at the inventory of every year between four and five millions of needles, or, in other words, they carry about forty thousand dollars' worth of stock the year through. The capacity of the shop is twenty-five thousand per day. The amount of sales per year is about one hundred thousand dollars.

The Hardware Company .- This company was organ- ized Jan. 1, 1864, with a capital of twelve thousand dollars, and the stock-owners were George B. Turrell, Franklin Farrell, and Achille F. Migeon. They com- menced work in the old lock-shop in Torrington Hol- low, formerly occupied by Edmund Wooding, where they continued one year and a half, during which time they purchased land- and water-privileges half a mile down the Naugatuck, and erected commodious buildings about one hundred and fifty feet long, and removed into them in the autumn of 1865. The lead- ing work at this time was the making of skates of all sizes and various styles. In February, 1870, the cap- ital stock was increased to fifty-two thousand dollars, and in October of the same year they bought of George B. Turrell, of New York, a patented beer- cooler, and increased their capital to one hundred thousand dollars. The work of making this beer- cooler has constituted a considerable portion of the business of the company since that time, being one important branch of business.

On Feb. 13, 1872, they bought the skate-manufactur- ing business of Frederick Stevens, of New York, and increased the capital to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and erected a new three-story building one hundred feet long by forty wide, thus greatly increas- ing the manufacture of skates, and many other arti- eles have been added to the goods produced of iron, wood, and leather.

The company employ in good times about one hundred men, using both water- and steam-power, and their sales amount to about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. Their buildings are located at the northwest corner of Wolcottville, and have been the occasion for the erection of a number of fine- appearing dwellings in that part of the village. This is one of the largest parlor-or roller- skate manufac- turing establishments in the world. The present officers are George B. Turrell, of New York, Presi- dent; Achille F. Migeon, Secretary ; and J. F. Cal- houn, Treasurer.

C. Hotchkiss & Sons .- In 1857, Deacon Charles Hotchkiss and his son, Edward C., purchased what was known as the Wilson mill property and fitted it for their work as builders, under the name of C. Hotchkiss & Son. This name was changed afterwards to C. Hotchkiss & Sons, in which form it still stands. Mr. IFotelikiss had been engaged in building pre- vious to this, in Wolcottville and the country around, more than ten years, but his mill was two miles north of Torrington Hollow and inconvenient; now he sc- 41

cured this mill property, and arranged it for all the various parts of a complete business of building dwell- ings, meeting-houses, mills, and the like throughout the region. During the twenty years this firm have been engaged in this business, with what Mr. Hotch- kiss had done previously, they have put up a large proportion of the buildings in the village, besides doing much work at distanees from five to twenty miles.

The Alvord Carriage Manufactory was founded in 1831, and was a large concern. Its officers were Nel- son Alvord, president ; and among the directors were Henry Hopkins, A. G. Bradford, Charles B. Smith, and B. R. Agard. It closed upon the breaking ont of the late Rebellion.

The Wolcottville Hardware Manufacturing Company was organized with the following stockholders : Wol- cottville Brass Company, Norman Cady, Gordon W. Quinby, Elezur D. Harrington, Nelson Alvord, George D. Wadhams, Henry Hopkins, Charles G. Pond, George N. Pond, Virgil C. Goodwin, N. B. Lathrop, Darius Wilson, Edwin W. Moseley, and George P. Bissell.

The Hendy Machine Company was started in 1870 by Henry J. and Arthur Hendy, and is in suceessful operation.

THE WOLCOTTVILLE REGISTER

was established by Henry Bolton in August, 1874, by whom it was continued about three years and then sold to C. James, A.M. Mr. James published it three years, when it was sold to Mr. E. A. Hayes, the present proprietor. It is an excellent local journal, and justly .merits its present prosperity. Independent. It is now called the Torrington Register, to conform to the change of name of the village.

CHAPTER LXIII.

TORRINGTON (Continued).

CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY.

Incorporation of Town-Representatives from 1762 to Present Time- Military Record, 1861-65.

Tins town was incorporated in 1732.

REPRESENTATIVES FROM 1702-1882.

1762 .- John Cook, Jonathan Coe.

1763 .- John Cook, Epaphras Sheldon.

1764-65 .- John Cook, Jonathan Coe.

1766-70 .- Jolını Cook, Noah Wilson.

1771 .- John Cook, Noah Marshall.

1772 .- Ephraim Bancroft, Capt. Amos Wilson, John Cook.

1773,-Epaphras Shofdon, John Cook.

1771-75 .- John Cook, Epaphras Sheldon, Nonh Marshall.

1776 .- Ephraim Bancroft, Capt. Shubaci Griswold.

1777 .- Col. Epaphras Sheldon, Capt. Shubael Griswolil, Abuer Marshall, John Cook.

1778 .- Abner Marshall, Aaron Austin, Capt. Shubael Griswold.

1779 .- Noah North, Abner Marshall, Cof. Epaphras Sheldon.

1780,-Col. Epaphras Sheldon, Nonh North.

1781 .- Nosh North, Capt. Shubael Griswold, Col. Epaphras Sheldon.

1782,-Col. Epaphras Sheldon, Abner Marshall, Anton Austin, David Grant, Elipbalet Eno.

638

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

1783 .- Noah North, Eliphalet Ene, Col. Epaphras Sheldon, Samuel Woodward.

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 152

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1532

Author: J.W. Lewis & Company (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1532