History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 48

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 48

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In 1810, Jesse Byington rented water-power from the old Jenkins seythe-shop proprietors, and creeted a nail-factory a little south of the Winsted Manufac- turing Company's seythe-works, in which he used a newly-invented machine for cutting nails more accu- rate and uniform in size than by the old hand ma- chines, but without heading them. Before and during the war of 1812 he employed more men as cutters and headers than were employed in any other branch of business in the place. After the return of peace, in 1815, and the introduction of the combined cutting- and-heading machine, Mr. Byington's business broke down, and has never since been resumed in any form.

A.res .- Axe-making as a trade, distinct from other smith-work, was introduced here by Elizur Hinsdale in 1804 or 1805. He first bad his shop on Lake Street, near the lake outlet, and in 1806 erceted a shop on the site of the Foundry and Machine Company's works, which he subsequently enlarged to a trip- hammer and grinding-works adapted specially to his business, which he prosecuted until near the close of 1819, when he failed, and the business was aban- doned.

About 1828, after the Collins axe-factory went into operation at Collinsville, Nathaniel B. Gaylord, then owner of the old Jenkins scythe-works, entered into the business of axe-making under the supervision of

Mareus Morgan, an original worker in the Collins establishment. Mr. Morgan soon after purchased the works and prosecuted the business until 1832, when he sold out, and the Winsted Manufacturing Company now occupy the premises.

Iron Wire .- In 1812, Samuel and Luther Hoadley and James Boyd erected a wire-factory on the west wing of the clock-factory dam, the first, or one of the first, erected in the country for breaking down iron wire from the rod and drawing it down to any size from a half-inch to a hair's diameter. The rods, of the very best Salisbury iron, were hammered down to a half-inch square, and then rounded by trip-hammer swaging-dies, and then, after successive annealings, were drawn down by "rippers," as they were called, to a size whence they could be further reduced by a continuous drawing around an upright block. It was the ripping operation, by self-acting pincers scizing the point of the wire at the plate, drawing it about eighteen inches, then letting go and sliding back and taking a new hold at the plate, and drawing another length, which was then new in this country. At that period there were few, if any, rolling-mills in the country that rolled out round rods suitable for wire- drawing.

The business was profitable, and was vigorously prosecuted until the close of the war, when foreign competition paralyzed it, and compelled its abandon- ment.

Leather .- In the last century, the regular shoe- maker-as distinguished from the cobbler and cat- whipper-was also a tanner. He had his vats, under cover, in or out of doors, in which he tanned his own and his neighbors' skins, and made them into boots and shoes on the same premises with his tan-vats. Of these tanneries there were in the last century three or more in Old Winchester, to which the traveling currier periodically resorted, and curried, or smoothed and softened, the sides of leather when taken from the vats. The oak bark, then solely used for tanning, had its outer surface shaved off, and was then pounded or crushed under a heavy circular stone attached to a ten- foot shaft, stationary at one end, and rolled round a circle by n draft-horse, the bark being distributed along the circular track, and kept there by a man or boy with a rake. Two of these, owned respectively by the Wade and Blake families, continued in opera- tion, by water-power and modern improvements, until about 1850. Both are now abandoned. There was a like establishment in Winsted, erected and owned by Elias Loomis, at the close of the last century, at the foot of " Dish Mill Hill," where the Woodruff tannery now stands, which was abandoned many years before the present works were erected.

About 1800 it was practically ascertained by trial that hemlock bark possessed the astringent and other properties requisite for tanning, and, in consequence, the business was thenceforward conducted on a larger scale in the Green Woods region.

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Col. Hosea Hinsdale and Col. James Shepard came to Winsted in 1802, and erected a large tannery on Spencer Street, where now is the fish-pond of Eugene Potter. The business was successfully prosecuted here by Col. Hinsdale until 1851, when he sold out to J. S. and J. T. Rockwell, and the business is now conducted by the latter.

In 1807, Col. Shepard sold out his interest to Col. Hinsdale, and, in company with Asahel Miller, erected the original tannery, on the site of the present tannery of George Dudley & Son. This establishment was owned and managed successively by Shepard & Mil- ler, Abiel Loomis, and Alanson Loomis, until pur- chased by George Dudley in 1832.

In 1820 another tannery was erected by Horace Ran- ney, at the corner of North Main Street and the Cook bridge, taking its water-power from the west wing of Cook's dam, which was successively owned and man- aged by Ranney & Hawley, Norman Spencer, Jona- than K. Richards, Charles B. Hallett, and others, and was abandoned as a tannery in 1857.

In 1821, Horace Ranney erected another tannery, on the site of the present Woodruff tanuery, on North Main Street, now owned by George Dudley & Son, which was successively managed by Lewis & Foster until 1834, by James A. Ayranit until 1841, since which it has been owned and managed by Frederick Woodruff until his sale to Dudley & Son, it having during his ownership been carried away by a flood, and after- wards rebuilt and enlarged.

The tannery business of Winsted has, since 1850, been confined to preparing sheep- and calf-skins for book-binding and similar purposes, and has become one of the prominent branches of our manufactures. The skins are imported from England, after having been split into two or more thicknesses, salted, and packed in hogsheads ready for the vat. The bark is finely ground in a mill in the second story of the building, and passed to a large receiving vat, where it is soaked in water until the tanning principle is ex- tracted, when the liquor or tea, as it is termed, is drawn off into a line of receiving vats, and the exhausted bark is thrown out. A paddle- or flutter-wheel is fixed over each vat, and connected by gears with a line of shafting propelled by water-power. A sufficient num- ber of vats are filled with the hemlock tea ; the right number of skins are thrown into each vat, and the flutter-wheels are set in motion and operate on the surface of the liquid, creating a current which keeps the skins in constaut movement, and perfects the tan- ning process without hand-labor. The tanned skius are then smoothed, trimmed, assorted, and packed for market, the whole process requiring less than three weeks' time.

This branch of business was originated in Winsted by George Dudley, before 1850, in the works he pur- chased from Alanson Loomis in 1832. In 1853 he re- built and enlarged his works, and added two three- story buildings for dyeing the skins when tanned. In

company with his son, George Dudley, Jr., he subse- quently purchased the Woodruff tannery on North Main Street.

In 1851, J. S. & J. T. Rockwell, previously engaged in this branch of tanning in Colebrook, erected the four-story tannery on the site of the Hinsdale prem- ises. These works are now owned by John T. Rock- well.

Woolen Cloths .- Joseph Platt is believed to have been the first clothier in the town. He built a clothier's shop and fulling-mill in the Danbury Quar- ter between 1783 and 1787. The establishment had a brief existence. It is not mentioned in any deed on record, and its precise locality is unknown.

The first clothier in Winsted was Mr. Daniel Marshall, whose shop stood on Lake Street, as it then ran, nearly opposite the house at the corner of Lake and Rockwell Streets, and the fulling-mill in the rear on the lake stream. Mr. Marshall died in 1794, and Daniel Wilcox became the owner until his sale of the premises to the Rockwell Brothers, in 1813. A carding-machine was added to the establishment about 1804. The Rockwell Brothers, in 1813, erected additional buildings, and began the manufacture of broadcloths and satinets. The business was enlarged and vigorously prosecuted during the continuance of the war of 1812, and moderately thereafter until 1830, in the hope of making it a paying business, but with doubtful success. In 1835 the works were burned down, and never rebuilt.

About 1816 another clothier's works was erected by Ansel Wilson, on the site of the Strong Manufac- turing Company's new factory. Chester Soper pur- chased this establishment about 1830, and a few years after erected a woolen-mill on the premises, in which he manufactured broadcloths until about 1838. The works were afterwards carried on by John Thornton and others until 1845, when the woolen business was abandoned and the building afterwards used for making joiners' tools.

Another clothier's works, built about 1814 on the Naugatuck branch in Old Winchester, and carried on by Alva Nash and others until 1828, when it was converted into a woolen-mill for making broadeloths and satinets by John M. Galagher, who failed within a few years, and was succeeded by Isaac Bird, who continued the making of satinets until the establish- ment went into the hands of the Winchester Centre Manufacturing Company, in 1854. This company confined its operations to making woolen knitting- yarn until the establishment was burned down about 1860, and was never rebuilt.

The Home Manufacturing Company, a joint-stock eoneern, was organized iu 1846, and the same year erected the factory building on Mad River uow oc- cupied by the New England Pin Company, and went into the manufacture of broadcloths and doeskins. It labored under the disadvantage of having no stock- holders acquainted with the business, and was unfor-

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tunate in selecting overseers of the manufacturing department. No profits were realized, and in 1850 the concern was wound up. The establishment was sold to Anson G. Phelps, who operated it, in connec- tion with his woolen-mills at Wolcottville, until 1852, when it was purchased by the Hartford Pin Com- pany.

Not one of the foregoing enterprises proved success- ful, and most of them ended disastrously.

The William L. Gilbert Clock Company .- The man- ufacture of clocks, of which this establishment is an outgrowth or enlargement, was commenced here in about 1807, by Riley Whiting, for the manufacture of wooden clocks, for which Connecticut was formerly so famous. The manufacture of brass clocks was begun in 1825. The first company organized was that of Clarke, Gilbert & Co., then William L. Gilbert & Co., later the Gilbert Manufacturing Company, and the present company, the William L. Gilbert Clock Company, which was organized in 1871 with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, with William L. Gilbert president, and I. B. Woodruff secretary and treasurer.

In 1871 the works of the company were destroyed by fire, but by the energy and enterprise of the pro- prietors they were immediately rebuilt. The reputa- tion of the goods of this house was such that the demand required more extensive facilities for their production before the works were destroyed by fire; consequently, availing themselves of the opportunity of making improvements in rebuilding, the new premises were much enlarged, making them more commodious and far better adapted for the desired purpose. The establishment is supplied with all modern improvements, and is complete in all its ap- pointments. They manufacture a large variety of clocks, and at present are making a specialty of fine regulators, set in elaborately and richly-carved cases. The clocks produced by this company are unexcelled for beauty of design, style of finish, quality of ma- terial and workmanship, and real merit as time- keepers. The salesrooms of the company are located at New York City, Chicago, Ill., und Glasgow, Scot- land, and are under the management of Mr. George B. Owen, who has been connected with (and in- terested in) this business since 1866. Mr. I. B. Woodruff, the secretary and treasurer, has been con- nected with and closely identified in the management of the business since 1851, a period of thirty years, during which the factories have never been closed except for purposes of inventory and repairs.

Cards .- At the beginning of the war of 1812, two establishments for making hand- and machine-cards were started, one by Coe, Miller & Co., in the Shepard & Miller tannery, and the other by the Hoadley Brothers, in their grist-mill. Both companies used one set of machines for cutting and bending the teeth, and another set for pricking the leather, and the teeth were inserted in the leather by children at their homes.

Other machines shaped and turned the handles, on which the hand card-leathers were fastened by tacks. Two causes put an end to this branch of manufacture, -one, the return of peace in 1815 and the influx of cheaper cards from England, and the other, the inven- tion by Mr. Levi Lincoln of a combined machine, which in one operation pricked the leather, ent and bent the teeth, and stuck them through the pricked leather.

Wagons and Carriages .- There were, doubtless, wheelwrights and wagon-makers in Old Winchester at an early day, but the compiler has no knowledge of them. Randall Covey had a wagon-maker's shop at the Centre from 1817 to 1821.

Joseph Mitchell was probably the first wheelwright in Winsted. His house and shop, now torn down, were directly opposite the residence of Sheldon Kin- ney, on Main Street. He made cart-wheels and bodies from the beginning of the century, or earlier, to about 1830.

Selden Mitchell, son of Joseph, above, made light wagons in the basement in rear of the Kinney house above mentioned fron 1809 to about 1820.

In 1813, Shubael Crow and Ebenezer R. Hale erected a carriage-maker's shop on the site of John T. Rockwell's tannery, in which wagons and chaises were made until after 1830 by Crowe & Hale, Crow & Ban- dle, Henderson & Ball, and others,-the premises hav- ing been used from 1823 to 1826 for manufacturing pails, tubs, and kcelers by Hinsdale and Dimock.

Wagon-making was subsequently carried on in Winsted by James Hermance from 1838 to his death, in 1840, and by G. W. Gaston from 1849 onward to 1872.

In 1851, Walter & Son creeted a large carriage-shop on the corner of Ehn and Centre Streets, which has since been managed successively by Erwin M. Walter, Uriah S. Walter, W. H. Stickney, and Franklin Lin- coln, and is now owned and managed by Joseph F. Lincoln.

In 1856 the Winsted (joint stock) Carriage Com- pany was organized, and carried on a large business in Southern wagons and buggies until the opening of the war of the Rebellion, occupying the old Soper woolen-factory. In 1866 the company was reorgan- ized with a reduced capital, and Marcus Bird, Walter Stickney, W'm. S. Holabird, and others as stockhold- ers, and was wound up in 1867.

The Gillman Carriage Company was organized with a capital of twenty-five thousand dollars in 1867, and purchased the factory property of the Winsted Carriage Company; and soon after, on the burning down of the factory building, erected a spacious es- tablishment on the same site with facilities for a large business. This establishment was burned down in 1870, and the operations of the company were thereby suspended.

Another carriage establishment was creeted on Case Avenue in 1870 by Walter Stickney, Bennet

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Palmer, and Wilbur W. Green, with capacity for a large amount of work. It is now conducted by Wil- bur W. Green.

An oil-mill was erected by Bissell Hinsdale, on Mad River, a little west of the Clifton Mill works, abont 1816, which was worked only a few years, and was removed before 1830.

The spring steel hay and manure forks were intro- duced as a substitute for the coarse and clumsy articles previously in use soon after the war of 1812. They were made here in numerous small shops by handi- craftsmen, no machinery save the sledge and hand- hammer, propelled by muscular arms, being used. Large quantities were made, not only for supplying the country stores, but for the New York and Phila- delphia markets. The three Browns,-Orrin, Harris, and Isaac,-Oliver White, Julius Weaver, and others were engaged in this business. Establishments grew up in other places in which the tilt-hammer came into use for drawing out the tines, which made the hand- labor operation unremunerative, and the business was, in a great measure, abandoned here about 1850.

Foundries .- The casting of iron clock bells was be- gun in Winsted by the Hoadley Brothers, about 1810, as a secret process, in a detached building, from which outsiders were rigidly excluded. The skilled founder of the establishment ran away after some two years' service. In 1812, Nathan Champion commenced the same business in the Jenkins scythe-shop, that stood on the Strong Manufacturing Company's premises, and afterwards built a shop near the Winsted Manu- facturing Company's works, in which he made other small castings.

In 1834, Nathaniel B. Gaylord erected a foundry on the site of the Strong Manufacturing Company's works for casting stoves, plows, gears, and general custom-work, which he operated until 1846, after which it was carried on a short time by Calvin But- ler, of Canaan, and was then abandoned.

In 1847, Taylor & Whiting erected a foundry in connection with their machine-shop, now owned and operated by the Winsted Foundry and Machine Company, which is now the only establishment in the borough.

In 1853, John Boyd erected another foundry for large castings in connection with his machine-shop, adjoining Lake Street bridge, on Mad River, which was discontinued in 1854.

Machine-shops .- In 1831, George Taylor erected the original building of the present Foundry and Ma- chine Company's establishment on Main Street, for making woolen machinery as a specialty, and doing general job-work in that line. Two years later he associated with Ambrose Whiting as a partner, in the name of Taylor & Whiting. They did a large busi- ness in carding-machines and spinning-jacks for some twenty years. After the retirement of Mr. Whiting, in 1857, the concern was organized as a joint-stock company, with the name of The Winsted

Foundry and Machine Company, by which the busi- ness is still carried on.

In 1823, James Boyd and James M. Boyd began making saw-mill cranks, mill spindles, and various other branches of heavy forging in a shop then built on the west side of Mad River, in rear of the Beards- ley house. To this business James Boyd & Son added, in 1830, the making of finished coach-axles and mill- screws. In 1851, after the death of Mr. James Boyd, the junior partner erected the present machine-shop on the site of the old shop, for the purpose of enlarg- ing the mill-iron and axle business of the old firm, and in 1853 built the foundry last referred to as an appendage to the establishment. The works were purchased by the Clifton Mill Company in 1857, and were a few years after employed in the manufacture of monkey-wrenches. Wing Person's feed-mill now occupies the site.

Reuben Cook, deceased, the head of the firm of R. Cook & Sons, began making iron in 1811, on the site now occupied by the axle-factory, and had for a time associated with him the late Russell Bunce and Charles Seymour, of Hartford. The iron used was made from the red or hematite ore from the mines at Salisbury, Conn., which mines were worked during the war of the Revolution. The pig iron was hauled across the county thirty miles to Winsted, where it was made into refined iron, which was carried thirty miles farther to Springfield, Mass., where it was made into guns. About one-third of the entire product, not being quite fine enough for gun-barrels, was made into tires, crowbars, sleigh-shoes, plow-molds, and mill-cranks.

In 1825, over half a century ago, Mr. Cook began making axle-drafts. At that time the arms were forged eight-sided by a trip-hammer with a straight die, and were made round as nearly as possible by the blacksmith who bought them. He continued making drafts in this manner until 1832, when he began to swage the arms of the axle round under the hammer, and was the first to adopt that improved method. In the same year he built a shop in addition to the forge already in use, and made mill-irons, cranks, etc. The business increased moderately, and improvements were continually made, and in 1839 the present firm was organized and the axles were entirely finished on the premises. This makes the firm the oldest in the country that is still doing business without change of name. The works have been twice destroyed by fire, once in 1852, and again in 1871, but were immediately rebuilt.

The firm of R. Cook & Sons has always endeavored to keep up with the times as its founder had done from 1811, when but a very young man he started in busi- ness against very sharp competition from other parties in the same town, who have long since gone out of business life, and some of whom are deacesed.

Charles Cook was the inventor of the case-hardened wrought iron pipe-box, the first ever made, and it is

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now used with great success for extra fine carriage axles.

Carpenters' Tools .- About 1828, Samuel Boyd en- gaged in the manufacture of steel hoes and shovels, and erected the original buildings of the Clifton Mill Company works on the south side of Mad River. He also manufactured in these buildings nail-hammers, socket-chisels, and draw-shaves until 1833, when the business was discontinued.

The Winsted Hoe Company .- In 1852, John Boyd, Louis R. Boyd, and Daniel B. Wheelock began to manufacture planters' hoes for the Southern market in the brick seythe-works at the corner of Lake and Meadow Streets. It was a new business and encountered serious difficulties, one of them being the anti-slavery proclivities of the first and third partners, of which the Southern customers were duly notified by competing manufacturers. The obnox- ious partners withdrew from the concern, and it became a decided success under the name of "The American Hoe Company." The hoes became the leading article in the market. They were sent to England and duplicated as to the style and finish by English manufacturers, but their work proved inferior in working quality.

The establishment was enlarged by the erection of grinding and polishing works on two other water- powers, and in 1855 employed more hands than any other concern in the borough. The business was pro- secuted with much energy and fair success until the breaking out of the Southern Rebellion in 1861. The war closed the market, and so closed the shops. They remained elosed until peace returned in 1865, when Mr. T. M. Clarke -- who for twelve years previously and from its commencement, with one short interrup- tion, had edited and published the Winsted Herald -organized the Winsted Hoe Company, and as its president and principal manager revived the business. Under Mr. Clarke's management the business has been largely increased by the addition of new branches,-more especially the manufacture of edge- tools,-and in the extent of its business and in finan- cial strength the Winsted Hoe Company now ranks among the first in Litchfield County.

The T. C. Richards & Co. Hardware Manufacturing Company is also located in West Winsted. This is one of the representative institutions of the town, and is under the efficient management of Mr. T. C. Rich- ards.

Bolts and Nuts .- The Clifton Mill Company, soon after the purchase of Samuel Boyd's works on the south side of Mad River, engaged in the manufacture of nuts and washers, and about 1855 added carriage- bolts and nuts to its other manufactured articles, add- ing for that purpose the three-story building on their premises, and also the Boyd machine-shop at the foot of Lake Street. On the purchase of their works by the Winsted Hoe Company, the nut and bolt manu- facture was discontinued.

Another carriage-bolt manufacture was started on the premises of R. Cook & Sons by Franklin Moore and Edward Clarke about 1867, which is still in active and successful operation, under the ownership and management of Alfred E. Moore, son of Franklin Moore, deceased.

Table Cutlery .- In 1852 the " Eagle" works, a joint- stock company with a capital of twenty-five thousand dollars, was organized and put in operation under the supervision of Albert Bradshaw, an English cutler, in a brick factory building on the lake stream, adjoin- ing the Connecticut Western depot grounds. The business not proving successful, operations were sus- pended about 1854, and in 1856 the establishment was purchased by Rice, Lathrop & Clary, under whose ownership the brick factory building was burned down, and a smaller wooden building was erected on its site; and soon afterwards the auger-factory build- ing on Mad River, near the corner of Main and Coe Streets, was purchased. This building was burned down and rebuilt about 1866. Mr. Clary died in 1861, and Mr. Rice retired from the concern in 1862. George F. Barton came in as a partner with Mr. Lathrop in 1864, and retired from the partnership in 1872, leaving Mr. Lathrop the sole owner.

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History of Litchfield county, Connecticut, Part 48

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