History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 47

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

USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > History of Litchfield county, Connecticut > Part 47

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197

WINCHESTER.

LIST OF OLD INHABITANTS.

The following is a list of inhabitants in the town in 1880 over seventy years of age, for which we are in- debted to the Winsted Herald :

Diadema Camp. 95

Mary Mccarthy. 75 Mary Richards 91

Hilamond Fyler 75

Sophia Brown 90

Mary Dute .. 75 Chester Wentworth 89

74 Mary Crocker. 89 Annie M. Norton,

Betsey Ilall .. 88 John McAlpine. Jeremiah Carey, 88 Polly Leroy. 74 74 Chester Bancroft 88 Silas Ilurlbut 74 Prnsha Culver 87 Lucy Chase. 74 Abi P'. Roys. 86 Norris Beckley.

Alva Nashı ... 86 James Craigh Sophia Wheelock

David Lewis

Orpha Ward

Lois Derry

Mary Evers

Emeline Catlin

Eben Johnson 84

Charlotte Austin. 84 83 Lavinia Welel.

Sophronia Dolphin 73 73

Lloyd Humphrey.

James Welch. 73

Julius II. McCoy. 83

Judson Wadsworth

83 Thomas C. Davis

Prter Bullis 73 73

Anna K. Shepard

82 Amelia Davis 73

Margaret Watson .. 82 Emily W. Case. 73 73 Roswell Smith 81 Isabella Bartlett. 73

James Newman

Nemand Adams

John Boyd ..

Polly Spencer

81 Abigail Phelps

Amos Brecher 81 Bennett Palmer.

Abigail Loomis. 80 William C. P'helps. 73

William Newton SU Lawrence Steger

Maria Corbin 80 William L. Gilbert. 73 73

Reuben Chase .. 80 Charles J. Inut.

Lucy Cleveland, 80 Rufus Eggleston

Henry Ward

Sarah Eggleston

#3 72 72

Electa Chase ..

Huldal Marshall

Joanna Mccarthy

79 Margaret Craigh 72

Elvira Coe.

Daniel S. Allen. 7.2

Mary Poole ...

John Wing 72

Laura Wilson.

Sarah Olmsted.

('atharine McGiro ...

Anna Knapp.

William F. Hatch. 78 Sally Humphrey 78 Sarah Goodsell.

Jentette Stillman.

Julia Shen .. 78 Aun Horne ....

Ruby Phillips. 77

Deborah Strong. 77

Philo G Sheldon. 72

Ira T. Nonl.

Charles 1 .. Norton

Harry Brooks 71

George W. Streetor. 71

Orson B. Ehlridge 71

Sophronin ('atlin.

Eliza Capron .. 71 7 1

EH Bnrtex

Julin M. Coe ...

Edward Camp Catlin Hills ...

1.ncia Williams

Vingenze Angiola,

Emily C. Hopkins

Whiting Miner

Amos Pierce. 70 Horace Rowley

Annie Miner .. 70 Sully Rowley.

B. B. Rockwell. 70 Lucy Smith. 76

Invina Hall 70 McPherson Hubbell

Kato Roach ..

Hiram Perklus.

Ann Price.

Elijah Morse .. Kivirn Miller.

Abel H. Snow

Hannah Murphy

Edwin Alanın

Asahel M. Rice

70 70

Morillo Palmer. 75

Saminel S. Beach 70

Bridget Downs .. 75

Rollin L. Hercher.

laicy A. Wetmore, 70 Charles I,. Norten. 75

Daniel Wilson ..

Edwin Halsted.

By the foregoing list it appears that of the one hundred and seventy-six persons in the town on the 1st of June last over seventy years of age four, all

females, were over ninety, two were eighty-nine, three were eighty-eight, one was eighty-seven, three were eighty-six, three were eighty-five, two were eighty- four, four were eighty-three, four were eighty-two, five were eighty-one, eight were eighty, five were seventy-nine, nine were seventy-eight, eleven were seventy-seven, fifteen were seventy-six, thirteen were seventy-five, ten were seventy-four, twenty-two were seventy-three, nineteen were seventy-two, fifteen were seventy-one, and eighteen were seventy.

Of the above list six at least have died since the enumeration was made.

There were two hundred and sixty-four persons between the ages of sixty and seventy, and one hun- dred and one less than one year old.

The most numerous family is that of Carroll, forty- eight; while the Smiths number forty-six, the John- sons forty, and the Whites thirty-eight. The most common Christian name is Mary, of which three are two hundred and twenty-four. The names of Orpha, Sarepta, Abigail, and Polly are apparently running ont. Of the six Pollys the average age is sixty years.

THIE BOROUGHI OF WINSTED.

The borough of Clifton, which comprised what is now known as West Winsted, was incorporated in 1832. This municipal organization was succeeded in May, 1858, by the present borough of Winsted, which embraces the East and West villages and the Flat.

The first borough-meeting was held Aug. 2, 1858, when the following officers were elected: Wm. II. Phelps, Warden ; Rollin L. Beecher, Edward Camp, John T. Rockwell, Charles Cook, Charles B. Weed, John G. Wetmore, Burgesses; John Hinsdale, Clerk and Treasurer ; Caleb P. Newman, Bailiff.

WARDENS.

The following is a list of wardens from the incor- poration of the borough to 1881 :

Win. Il. Phelps, 1858-61 ; John G. Wetmore, 1862-65 ; Chas. Cook, 1866- 68; Ellas E. Gilman, 1869; Wm. C. Phelps, 1870; James .A. Bush- nell, 1871 ; Harvey B. Sterle, 1872; Mortimer E. Dutton, 1873-71 ; David Strong, 1875-76; Alex. Water, 1877-78; Wilbur F. Coo, 1879-80.

BURGESSES.

Rollin L. Heecher, 1858-61, 1867-68, 1871 ; Elward Camp, 1858-62; John T. Rockwell, 1858-62, 1801; Chas, Conk, 1858-65 ; Chns. B. Weed, 1828-63, 1865-68; John G. Wetmore, 1858-61, 1871-73; Wmn. H. Phelps, 1862-64; Ch: «. B. Hallott, 1862; James R. Alvord, 1863-66; Ellas E. Gliman, 1863-66; Thomas Watson, INGS-GA ; Albort N. Bench, 18G5 ; IHram Perkins, 18GG-73 ; Chas. Alvord, 1806; Wheelock T. Hatcheller, 1867-70, 1873-74 ; James A. Bushnell, 1867-70; David S. Miller, 1867 ; Chus. S. Norton, 1868; Francis Brown, 1869-71 ; Ralph Il. Moore, 1849-74; Samuel W. Pino, 1869-70; Rufus E. Holmes, 1871 ; Hlenry G. Colt, 1872-53; Sidney F. Dickerman, 1872- $3; Timothy Hulbert, 1872; George Dudley, Jr., 1871-75; Timothy P. Skinner, 1854-75 ; David Strong, 1871 ; Wm. V. Harelay, 1874-76, 1879-80; Ellzur B. Parsons, 1573-80 ; Joseph Pettit, 1876; Jeffrey Skinner, 1825; Hiram P. Lawrence, 1876-70 ; Samuel Greer, 1876- 78; Willard S. Wetmore, 1876; Burrall D. Pinney, 1876 ; Janice G. Woodruff, 1877-78 ; Orlow D. Hunt, 1877-78; Willmr F. Coo, 1877- 78 ; Samnel S. Newton, IS79; Lawrence MeDermont, 1870-80; Kl- ward If. Welch, 1870; Lucien V. P'inney, 1880; James T. Morgan, 1880; Chas. B. Androwa, INSO.

Polly Rout .. 76

Hiram Hoot 75

74 Carolino Inwrence 73 70

75 Mary Keegnu. 75

Samantha Phillips 7.5

Sophia Duquet.

Wilbur Richards. 70

Joanna Hanley 70

Rowswill Perry

Lucy Loomis

79 Elian I'. Hewitt, 72 72 Unonah Burnham 77 Mary P'latt. Imman Catlin 77

Hannah Andrews, 77 Harvey Wakefiell 77 Mary Thompson 77 Mary Rouse ... 77 77

Selinda Bradley.

Mary Maloney 77

Marin Lewis. 77 George Taylor 7e Harriet Furd 76 George Dudley. 76

Cumulice Catlin. 70 Elisha Capron. 76

Joel Tinhd. 70

79 79 79 78

Fannie Bissell 78

Ira Pettibone. 78 78 Austin Maloney 78 78

Clarissa Wadsworth

Maria Ilart. 72

Emeline Watson.

Adelaide Wilson 72 72

Mortimer Mc Mahon Sally Thorpe

Emily Taylor .. 7:2

Mary Baldwin .. 72

Kate Carey

Catharine Ray 80 80 79 Inciuda Davis

Electa Dudley .. 73 73

Miles Davis 82 82 Adam Shoars.

Noah Barber 73

74 74 74

Warren Phelps. 80 8

Miranda F. Holmes 85

Abigail Hall. 83

Abijahı Watson

Catharine Quigley

Martha Roberts. 75 Roxalana Murray 94

Charlotte Reynolds. 73 73 73

198

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

CLERKS AND TREASURERS.

Jolin Ilinsdale, 1858-66 ; Wm. B. Phelps, 1867-68 ; HI. Hungerford Drake, 1809-81.

BAILIFFS.

Caleb P. Newman, 1858-60, 1862, 1867-70; Lamphier B. Tuttle, 1861 ; Dennis W. Stevens, 1863-65; Alex. T. Thompson, 1866; Stephen W. Sage, 1871-80.

WATER-WORKS.

The first move towards the construction of water- works was an instruction to the warden and burgesses " to ascertain whether the borough has a right to draw water from Long Lake; whether the amount taken through a six-inch pipe would be prejudicial to the manufacturing interests of the borough, and, if it probably would be so prejudicial, whether a reservoir of sufficient capacity to meet the wants of the bor- ough might not be constantly filled by the waste water of the lake." A petition was presented to the General Assembly, in 1860, for power to take water from Long Lake or the Little Pond, which was granted. The preliminary survey was made in 1860 and 1861. The works were constructed at a cost of one hundred thousand dollars, and at present there are ten miles of pipe. The supply is drawn from a beautiful sheet of water known as Long Lake, lying partly within the westerly bounds of the borough.

The first election of water commissioners was held Aug. 1, 1860, when the following were chosen : Ly- man Case, John T. Rockwell, and Wm. L. Gilbert. The present commissioners are H. Hungerford Drake, M.D., Edward E. Culver, John E. Pine.

From 1872 to June, 1879, the works were under the supervision of Dr. H. Hungerford Drake, under whose supervision the improvements of strengthening the embankments, removing the two bridges which stood over the waste-weir and substituting the combination waste-weir and roadway, and reconstructing the bulk- head were made.

The fire department was organized Nov. 17, 1862, and the borough was divided into four districts. The first fire-warden was Francis Brown. His assistants were John W. Rowe, Hiram Perkins, and L. C. Pal- mer. The present organization of the department consists of four hose companies.

The police court was established in 1864, and the first bailiff was Caleb P. Newman.

POPULATION.

The following figures give the population of the town at the time specified : 1756, 24; 1774, 339; 1781, 688; 1800, 1368 ; 1810, 1466; 1820, 1601; 1830, 1766; 1840, 1667; 1850, 2179; 1860, 3550 ; 1870, 4102 ; 1880, 5085.

CHAPTER XVII.

WINCHESTER (Continued).

MANUFACTURING INTERESTS.#

WOODEN-WARE .- The saw-mill was, of course, the first utilization of water-power in this as in most other primitive communities. The location of the earliest of these has already been noted. Besides supplying the home demand for lumber, they early turned out a limited supply of white-wood boards and clap-boards, which were sledded over winter snows to Hartford and other distant towns. White- ash sweeps, oars, and materials for ship-blocks were also got out and carried to Hartford and Wethersfield for up-and-down river navigation of the Connecticut.

Dish-mills for making wooden bowls, trenchers, and mortars followed as accessories to the saw-mills. They used up the slabs from the saw-mill logs by cutting them into disks, which were centred and turned in coarse lathes to the convex surface of the outer dish. With a curved turning-tool, the outer dish was separated from the disk, and then smaller ones were turned off successively until the disk was exhausted. The slabs from which these disks were made were wider and thicker than were taken from logs when lumber increased in value. The trenchers and mortars were turned by a similar process. The maker or peddler of these articles packed them into a strong bed-tick, in which they were carried on the back of a horse, along the narrow bridle-paths, to the earlier-settled towns, where they were bartered for "store-pay." At least four of these mills were located along the lake stream, and as many others in various parts of the town, in the last century, two of which-one at the Meadow Street crossing of the lake stream, and the other opposite the old lean-to mill-house on Lake Street- were in operation as late as 1805.

Cheese-Boxes, Scale-Boards .- Early in this century John McAlpine erected and carried on a shop on the stream at the foot of the burying-ground hill, in Old Winchester, for making scale-boards, used for sepa- rating cheeses from each other when packed in casks for distant markets. As he enjoyed a monopoly of the manufacture in the centre of the dairy region of Connecticut, the demand for his article was extensive until the practice of packing each cheese in a sepa- rate box was adopted. This change necessitated the manufacture of round boxes, with covers, of sizes fitted to the various diameters and thicknesses of the cheese. This mode of packing went into vogue be- tween 1820 and 1830, and was universally adopted as early as the latter year. One of the earliest man- ufacturers of this article in Winchester was Silas H. McAlpine, whose shop on the Naugatuck branch is believed to be still in operation. Another establish- ment on Hall meadow, now owned by Nelson D.

* Condensed from Boyd's History, with additions to the present time.

199

WINCHESTER.

Ford, has been and is still in operation. These works were built in 1845 by Harvey Ford, father of the present proprietor, who ran it about ten years, and then put it into the hands of his two sons, one or both of whom have conducted the business until the present time. For the first five years there were from ten thousand to fifteen thousand boxes made up each year; since then some less, with variation from year to year. At present, and for the past few years, in addition to the cheese-box business, there is quite a business done in the saw-mill in coarse lumber. An- other establishment was carried on in Winsted by Cook & Bacon, from 1842 to about 1846, in a shop adjoining the lake stream saw-mill.

Grist-Mills .- The two early grist-mills of the town have been already noted. The first was built by Da- vid Austin in 1771, near the lake outlet; the second, supposed to have been originally built by Elias Bal- comb about 1776, stood on the, west side of Still River, immediately south of the stone bridge. It was owned and operated for many years by Ensign Jesse Doolittle, and was carried off by a flood about 1800, and was rebuilt by Samuel and Luther Hoad- ley about 1844.

Both these mills had three run of stones and were carried by permanent water-power. The Austin mill was rebuilt by the Rockwell Brothers about 1810, and was finally burned down and abandoned in 1835. The Hoadley mill was abandoned by Riley Whiting about 1825, and the brick-clock factory (burned down in 1870) was creeted on its site.

The Clifton mill was erected by Case, Gilbert & Co. about 1836, and was operated as a grist-mill until about 1869.

Three or more feed-mills have come into existence within a few years : one owned by John G. Wetmore, opposite the Clarke house, another owned by Wing Persons, on Lake Street, and a third owned by Fred- erick Woodruff, on North Main Street.

Scythe- Works .- Until the closing part of the last century the scythe was, in this country, strictly a hand-made tool, wrought out in smiths' shops by sledge and hammer, and ground on a stone turned by a hand-crank, or hung on the shaft of a flutter- wheel, without gearing or other appliances. The Harris family, of l'ine Plains and Salisbury, learned the trade of a negro slave purchased by their imme- diate progenitor from a former master who had taught him the trade.

The first establishment in the country for wekling, drawing, and plating the seythe under trip-ham- mers by water-power, and grinding it on a geared stone, was erected by Robert Orr, of Bridgewater, Mass., during or after the Revolution. The second establishment of this nature was erected by Col. Robert Boyd, near the west bank of the Hudson, between New Windsor Landing and Newburg before 1790. Benjamin Jenkins, from Bridgewater, was foreman, and James Boyd, of New Windsor, was an

apprentice in these works. They became brothers- in-law, and in 1792 came to Winsted and erected the third establishment in the country on the site of the Winsted Manufacturing Company's present works on Still River. In 1802 they built another establishment on the site of the Winsted Hoe Company's plating- shop on Lake Street, and soon after separated, Mr. Jenkins taking the original works on Still River,- from whom they have passed by successive convey- ances to the present owners,-and Mr. Boyd taking the Lake Street works, and carrying them on, indi- vidually or with partners, until near the close of his life, in 1849.

The Winsted Manufacturing Company was chartered May 6, 1835. The annual production at beginning of business was about five thousand dozen scythes, but the present annual production is ten thousand. Thirty- three men are employed. The present officers of the company are John T. Rockwell, President; Joseph H. Norton, Agent and Treasurer; and Allen H. Nor- ton, Secretary.

The presidents of the company have been as follows : Aug. 22, 1835, Theron Rockwell; 1848, Evert Bevins ; Sept. 29, 1851, Rufus Holmes ; Sept. 26, 1853, Charles Reynolds; Sept. 24, 1855, George Dudley ; Aug. 28, 1865, E. Grove Lawrence ; Aug. 26, 1867, William L. Gilbert; Aug. 31, 1880, John T. Rockwell.

Merrit Bull, an carly apprentice of Jenkins & Boyd, erected a scythe-shop in 1802 or 1803, on the site of the present stone-shop, at the crossing of the lake stream by Meadow Street, which he managed until his death, in 1824, when the works went into the hands of S. & M. Rockwell, and formed the starting- point of the large and prosperous establishment built up and managed by the successive firms of Rockwell & Hinsdale, Hinsdale & Beardsley, Elliot Beardsley, and the Beardsley Seythe Company. This company was incorporated July 12, 1851, and the following were the first officers: Francis Brown, President ; Elliot Beardsley, Agent, Secretary, and Treasurer. The present officers are Philo G. Sheklon, President ; Edward P. Wilcox, Agent, Secretary, and Treasurer. Number of hands employed, thirty-five ; capacity per month, one thousand dozen ; value of annual product, sixty thousand dollars.

Halsey Burr, an apprentice of Mr. Jenkins, built a seythe-shop in 1814, nenr the site of F. Woodruff & Sons' feed-mill, on North Main Street, which he carried on in a small way until a few years before his death.

In 1831, Wheelock Thayer, previously a partner and acting manager in the seythe business of Jumes Boyd & Son, erected the seythe-works on Mad River, now owned by his daughter, and carried on by the Thayer Seythe Company.

The process of manufacturing scythes has been from time to time greatly improved by the invention of new machinery. The first of these in date and importance

200

HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

was a spring die, with attachments to the trip-hammer for holding the back and setting down and smoothing the web of the scythe,-a very slow and laborious process when performed with the hand-hammer. The next improvement was, by a series of light tilt-ham- mers, to shape and finish the point; the next was a machine for turning and finishing the heel; another was for spinning the straw rope for binding up the scythes in dozen packages, by a machine similar to the Dutch wheel and flyer for spinning linen. Most of these improvements have originated in Winsted.

Scythe-making was-with the exception of wooden ware-the earliest factory work carried on in Win- sted, and has been uninterruptedly prosecuted to the present day, little impeded or accelerated by protec- tive tariff's. The three establishments now in operation have a capacity for making two hundred and fifty thousand seythes per annum, and rarely fail of turn- ing out that number.

Bar Iron and Blistered Steel .- Bar iron had been made directly from the brown hematite ores of Salis- bury, Kent, and Amenia from time immemorial. In Litchfield County bloomery-forges stood on most of the available water-courses in nearly all the western towns. They furnished iron for three rolling- and slitting-mills,-one in Canaan, another in Litchfield, and the third in Washington, where the iron was rolled and slit into rods for nail-making. These mills worked up only a small portion of the iron manufac- tured. Besides domestic uses of all kinds, it was largely made into anchors, which were sent to the seaboard.

Nearly all of these bloomeries, and all of the shit- ting-mills, have long since disappeared; and their sites would mostly be forgotten did not the cinder- heaps and imperishable charcoal-brays indicate their location.

In 1795, Jenkins & Boyd, in company with Thomas Spencer, Jr., erected the first forge in Winsted, on the water-power of the Lake Street grinding-works of the Winsted Manufacturing Company.

In 1803 the Rockwell Brothers removed and put up their Colebrook forge on the site of Timothy Hnl- bert's present iron-works on the lake stream.

In 1808, James Boyd erected another forge on Mad River, immediately opposite the Clarke House; and in that or the following year the Rockwell Brothers built another forge on the lake stream, below and adjoining the Connecticut Western depot grounds.

In 1811, Reuben Cook, in company with Russell Bunce and Charles Seymour, of Hartford, built the old Cook forge on Still River, where the axle-works of R. Cook & Sons now stand.

All of these forges manufactured refined bar iron from the best quality of Old Salisbury Ore Hill pig iron, for the supply of the United States armory at Springfield, which required the best iron the country could produce. If there was the slightest defect in the quality, the finished gun-barrel would reveal it by

defective polish or failure to stand the proof of a double-test charge. Only a limited portion of the iron made could be brought up to these crucial tests by the best-skilled workmen. Iron of a slightly in- ferior grade was required for scythes, wire rods, and fine machinery. A still lower grade answered for the ordinary uses of country blacksmiths.

In the process of refining, the cinders drawn off through the tent-plate retained a percentage of iron nearly equal to the ordinary hematite ores. This was worked over in a chafery or bloomery fire, and pro- duced a strong coarse iron, which was worked into tires, axle and crow-bar patterns, and plow-moulds, or into heavy shafting, saw-mill cranks, etc. Each forge had in connection with it a drafting-shop, with lighter hammers, to draw down the bars into rods and shapes of all kinds in demand, and especially to work up the refuse iron by welding to each piece an equal layer of blistered steel, and drawing the united masses into sleigh-shoes.

The iron and scythe business constituted the staple manufacturing business of Winsted until near 1840, when the government had settled its policy of import- ing its gnn-iron from Norway ; the English had intro- duced better and cheaper iron of every form and size than heretofore; when the puddling process of iron- making had grown up in more favored localities; when wood and charcoal had advanced in price, while transportation of raw material and manufactured ar- ticles-always a heavy burden-could no longer be endured. Under all these discouragements the iron manufacture rapidly died out. The lower Rockwell forge on the lake stream was converted into a scythe- shop about 1845. The Boyd forge, opposite the Clarke house, breathed its last about the same time. The upper forge on the lake stream lingered on until about 1850. The middle forge on the lake stream was sold by Elliot Beardsley to Timothy Hulbert in 1853, and was changed into a forge for puddling serap- iron, and is now conducted by the Hulbert Iron Com- pany. The Cook forge, on Still River, about 1850 confined its operations to working scrap-iron into axle-drafts for finishing in the Cook Axle Company's works, of which the forge became a component part.

The consumption of bar iron in Winsted, instead of decreasing with the decadence of its home manufac- ture, has steadily increased. The new brands of Nor- way iron were found cheaper and better for seythes, hoes, and other articles than the costly home-made re- fined iron, and came into general use in our hardware manufactures. The scythe mannfacture increased. The hoe manufacture was introduced, and soon con- sumed more iron than the whole scythe interest had required in 1830, and other new hardware manufac- tnres took the place of the iron-forge.

Blistered Steel .- The first cementing steel-furnace in Western Connecticut was erected before 1800, in Colebrook, by the Rockwell Brothers, under the su- pervision of Mr. Jeneks, an ingenious iron and steel

201

WINCHESTER.

worker from Taunton, Mass., which has been perpet- uated to the present time, though rarely operated of late years. It was found that the Salisbury iron was deficient in the ingredient, whatever it is, that pro- duces an edge-tool quality in steel. The steel pro- duced has an elastic quality, fitting it for carriage- springs, hay- and manure-forks, and similar articles, and before 1850 was largely used for these manufac- tures, and likewise for sleigh-shoes and for general blacksmith work. Since 1850 the steels made from Swedish and Russian irons have nearly superseded the domestic irons, except those recently made from spathic ores.

The second steel-furnace in this region was put up early in this century by Col. Abram Burt, in Canaan, Conn., and continued in operation but a few years. The third was erceted in Winsted by James Boyd & Son, in 1832, on the site of Thompson's bakery, south side of Monroe Street, adjoining the bridge. It was designed for converting their own iron into steel, which they were then largely supplying to fork-man- ufacturers ; but was soon abandoned by reason of in- ducements held out by the Colebrook concern, making it more advantageous to have their iron converted there than to do it themselves.

Cut Nails,-Shingle-nails were cut from old hoops and headed by hand for the First Congregational meeting-house in 1800. The cutting-machine is sup- posed to have been worked by hand. Another ma- chine for cutting shingle-nails from hammered strips of iron, by water-power, was started by James Boyd about 1808, and soon abandoned.

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 47

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