History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 127

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 127

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The following account of the school houses of the town may be interesting to many:

District No. I, a fine large building, erected in 1876. Mr. Sylvester Gildersleeve furnished the money for the sec- ond story, and gave it to the district as a public hall. It was named Gildersleeve Hall. He has also contributed a fund for the use of the school.

PORTLAND-EDUCATION.

District No. 2 has had three school houses located in different parts of the district. The first of these stood near where Mr. E. Hinckley lives. The second, which was at that time called the Academy, occupied the spot on which the Edwards block now stands. The third was the present building, the "stone school house," as it is called. The site was bought of Joel Hall and Samuel Hall for $100.

It was voted that " said district should allow J. Hall and S. Hall to construct and fit up and control the hall in the second story which should be leased to them for 999 years." Mr. Daniel Russell having furnished much of the money for the building of the second story, it was named Russell Hall. The building was finished and occupied in 1845.

In 1856 it was bought by the district, as the room was needed for schools. Mr. F. A. Lillie has been principal since 1877. There are six rooms which are taught re- spectively by Misses Hattie E. Culver, Jennie S. Eddy, Alpha S. Hall, Annie L. Strong, and Louie S. Carrier.

District No. 3, or Rose Hill. This is the oldest school house in town; built in some remote period to which the memory of any living runneth not back. There is a well founded tradition that it once stood beneath the sand bank, and was moved to its present position on the hill. It was pronounced "in bad condition " by the first board of school visitors in 1857, but it has been repaired, and probably sprinkled from the fountain of perpetual youth, as it is no worse now than it was then. The present teacher is Carrie A. Craig.

District No. 4, Penfield Hill. This fine brick school house was built in 1830, partly with funds left by John Stewart, in his will. An addition was built in 1840. Miss Fannie Stewart is teacher.

District No. 5, Up City, was built in 1857, at a cost of about $1,100. Miss Mary E. Shepard is the present teacher.

The house in District No. 6 was built about 1830 or 1831. Mr. H. P. Dennison has been the teacher of the first, and Miss Alice Strickland of the second room.

The " Bank School " should have been mentioned in connection with District No. 2, in which it belongs. This building was erected about fourteen years ago. There are schools in three rooms, taught by Mrs. Mary Fitzpat- rick, Miss Maggie Forrest, and Miss Mary A. Fitzpatrick.

Mr. William Ingersoll has started a kindergarten school in place of the department formerly the second room of District No. 6.

There is also a private school, for little children, taught by Miss Eunice White, who had taught twenty- six terms in the primary room of District No. I.

TEACHERS .- Very few names of the first teachers in the town have come down to the present time. The first mentioned is John Ellsworth, who taught "over the meadow " in 1779, and a Mr. Selding taught in this part of Chatham about the same time.

The Madams Newell, as they were called, the two daughters of the first pastor, taught at the parsonage; and rewarded their good scholars with bits of fennel, and

juicy plums, delicacies at that time unknown in the other gardens of the parish.

William Talcott taught in 1819 and 1820.

Archibald Kinney taught for 20 years. About 1822, he taught the academy, which stood below the present post office. He had a very large school, and was a most successful teacher. He was very kind, and not as rigid in his government as the custom of the time. His schol- ars loved and obeyed him, and improved rapidly under his instruction. The vacation was in May, at the time of the " Election," and he visited his friends and hoed corn for pastime. He was tall and thin. He had a son and two daughters. He bought a farm in Suffield and retired.

Hiram Penfield taught at Pacausett in 1830.

Enoch Jackman came to Portland, March 17th 1737, from Vermont. He taught three winters at Pacausett, and three at Rose Hill. He was a successful teacher, and a prominent debater in the lyceums. He still resides in Portland.

Harrison Whitcomb taught several winters at Penfield Hill, between 1830 and 1840. He came from Vermont, and he is now a physician in Rutland.

Horatio Chapman taught the school at Pacausett sev- eral winters.

Miss Maria Payne was a loved and successful teacher here for several years, though the greater part of her teaching was done in Middletown. While in Portland she taught a private school for young ladies.

Miss Levantia Overton taught several years in District No. 1, prior to 1857.

Miss Mary Hopkins, now Mrs. Munn, taught during seven years in Portland, about 1848.

Mr. and Mrs. Cummings are still remembered with affection by many of their former pupils.

Mr. E. A. Sumner, the organizer and teacher of the Gildersleeve High School from 1879 to 1883, a gradu- ate of Wesleyan in 1878, now practicing law in Spring- field, Mass., was a faithful and efficient instructor here.

Mr. W. S. Strickland, in a historical sketch appended to the Report of School Visitors for 1880, gives this list of prominent public men who were once teachers in this town: Hon. Lyman Trumbull, of Illinois; Bishops Gilbert and E. O. Haven, of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Judge Butterfield, of the Courts of New York; Orange Judd Esq .; and Rev. Nelson Cobleigh, D. D., late president of McKendrie College.

MILLS, MANUFACTORIES, ETC.

EARLY MILLS. - There were two mills in Chatham at a very early date. One of these, on the site of Cox's Mill, now called the Ravine Mills, stood here certainly as early as 1741. This mill supplied the Continental sol- diers with flour, which was drawn to New London for the troops stationed there. While almost all the able- bodied men were in the army, the owner, Miller by name as well as by profession, was spared to run the mill, and perhaps helped as much in this capacity as he would have done with a musket in his hands.

512

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

What became of the old mill is not known; but another was built, at the same place, in 1801, by Mr. Enoch Sage (grandfather of the present Enoch Sage). His three sons, Phillip, Alexander, and Charles Henry, helped their fa- ther build the dam.

Afterward Mr. Sage sold it to John Ingraham, a rather eccentric man, who owned it for a time. He kept " bachelor's hall" in a room finished off over the mill. The following anecdote is related of Ingraham, who was very positive in his opinion. Soon after the news of Gen. Taylor's splendid victory at Resaca de la Palma was received, John was expatiating to a select audience upon the war, denouncing it as unjust and oppressive. Said he, "So old Taylor's whipped 'em has he? Its too bad, I don't blame them Mexicans a bit for fighting our folks; I say let them enjoy their religion and dont send men down there to force ours on 'em." " Force our religion on them, John," said one listener, " that's not so." "I say tis so," thundered John, "didn't President Polk send a minister there by the name of Slider to force our religion on em? and didn't they send him back?" "But John " replied the listener, " Mr. Slidell was an envoy-a min- ister of State." "I say," roared John; "he was a minister, a Presbyterian minister, and I don't blame them for fighting. I would fight if I were they." John's earnest plea for liberty of conscience, though unsound in its premises, was greeted by his audience with "three times three and a tiger." He died January 25th 1848, at the age of 54. Mr. George Cox bought the mill of Brainerd and Adams, who settled Ingraham's estate, in 1852. The mill being very much out of repair, they expended about $1,000 to put it in good working order. They also built the house adjoining, there being no dwelling there at the time, and the ground was covered with huge boulders. Mr. Isaac Cox afterward joined the firm. They have a good, solid dam, which withstood the great freshet of 1869. They have two sets of stones for grain and one for spices. They do custom and mer- cantile work, but it is largely a custom mill, grinding all kinds of grain, also spices. They put up pulverized sage and other herbs. The old chestnut tree opposite the mill is a relic of the primeval forest. It has been gradually dying for many years.

The other mill, which antedated the Revolution, stood near the present line between Portland and Middle Had- dam. It was owned by Lieutenant George Hubbard, who held his commission from the British government in the old colonial times. The present mill was built by George Hubbard, grandson of Lieutenant Hubbard in 18II. He tore down the old one and used the same site. The property descended to his heirs and by them was sold to Daniel and Jabez Jones. From them it passed into the possession of George S. Hubbard, who subsequently sold it to Bailey & Shepard, who took out the entire milling outfit and changed the mill to a manufactory of coffin hardware. They started their factory in 1854, or about that. time. In 1857, Harrison Brainerd purchased Shepard's interest, and the firm was known as " Bailey & Brainerd, manufacturers of coffin trimmings, etc." They

employed from 35 to 40 hands. Z. E. Dowd bought an interest in the business in April 1884, and the name was changed to The Cobalt Manufacturing Company. The power which drives the machinery in this factory and which carried the mills which have stood upon the same site, is mainly derived from the water flowing from the Great Hill Pond.

A year or two before the Revolutionary war there was built by Nathaniel Cornwell, a fulling mill and cloth -dress- ing establishment on Cox's Brook, then called Carr's Brook, where the woolen fabrics spun and woven in the town were dyed and finished to take the place of the broadcloths formerly imported from England. The wool was carded, taken home, spun, and woven, and brought back again to be dressed. There is a story that Mr. Strickland, a member of the band in Chatham, sheared the wool from a sheep's back; it was cleansed and carded, spun, and woven; Mr. Cornwell fulled and and colored, pressed, and finished it; it was taken home, the tailoress, Miss Esther Hurlburt, cut and made a suit which adorned the owner at the next training, within three weeks from the time the wool was growing on the sheep. A carding machine was added by David Cornwall about 1813 or 1814. This mill was afterward used for the manufacture of horn and ivory combs by Ephraim Tyler and Kelley Tyler. These combs were mostly exported to South America. There were no woolen or linen mills, but the loom was set up in many garrets and the spinning wheels were always busy.

The old mill near Mr. Horace Wilcox's was formerly a wagon manufactory and casting shop. The plows made here were considered the best of their kind.

SORGHUM MILLS .- There was a sorghum mill, built in 1865, near St. John's Chapel, by a few farmers and the Rev. A. C. Denison; Mr. H. Kilby being manager. The machinery was bought in Cincinnati. The total cost of mill and fixtures was about $1,800. It possessed a capacity of 200 gallons, the average product of one acre, per day. The business bade fair to become one of the leading enterprises of the town, when in 1868, on the 23d of September, a very severe frost ruined the entire crop, which was more than double any ever raised here before.

THE FELDSPAR MILL, near Deacon Ralph Pelton's, was built by him in 1877. The grinding is done by two stone chasers about five feet in diameter, moving around upon a bedstone of the same material. The crushed feldspar then passes to a revolving seive, and thence to a cylinder, containing 3,300 pounds of Norway pebbles, of 18 revolutions per minute, where it is finely pulverized.

THE VALLEY MILLS were built by Taylor & Strong in 1871, as a planing mill. In 1876, they were bought by E. J. Bell, and turned into a flour and feed mill, with one run of stones, and a capacity for grinding 500 bushels of corn and oats per day. Four or five persons were employed. The mills were destroyed by fire March roth 1884. Mr. Bell is now erecting build- ings and making preparations for opening an extensive steam stone yard. The works when complete will cost

513

PORTLAND-MANUFACTURING.

about $10,000. A steam engine of 35-horse power will be used, and two gang saws and a rubbing bed.

THE GILDERSLEEVE STEAM SAW MILL was built in 1868. The mill is 26 by 80 feet; the engine house 24 by 30 feet. There is a 50-horse power engine, and a 54-inch circular saw. Capacity, 20,000 feet per day. The lum- ber sawed at this mill is mostly chestnut and oak, fur- nished by farmers in this and adjoining towns, during the winter, sometimes by raft in the summer. Logs from three feet long and four inches through, to sixty feet long and four feet through, are sawed here. A portion of the timber is used in the shipyard. The remainder is used for building purposes, in this and other towns. In addi- tion to the manufacture of native lumber, pine lumber is brought from the West, and dressed in various styles and shapes, according to the directions of the carpenter, for houses and other buildings. Nearly all the spruce handled by this concern comes from Bangor, Maine. A full assortment of building materials is kept; scroll saw- ing, turning, planing, and matching, and various kinds of wood work are done here. Mr. Henry Kilby has been the efficient manager from the time it was first started. In connection with the mill are wagon works, under the superintendence of Mr. Frederick Gladwin. The build . ing is 24 by 70 feet. All kinds of wagons are made and repaired here. Blacksmithing for vessels, and horse and cattle shoeing are carried on.

THE BUCK CARRIAGE MANUFACTORY, from 1812 to 1825, made many carriages and wagons, which were mostly sent south. They employed 25 to 30 hands. James Buck was the last owner.

UNITED STATES STAMPING COMPANY .- The extensive works of the United States Stamping Company are situ- ated a short distance from the main street of Portland, and directly on the line of the New York & Boston Air Line Railroad. They are said to be the largest of the kind in the United States. The old method of cut- ting out and soldering the various articles of tin ware is now superseded by the stamping process. A single piece of tin, of any size desired, is, by a single operation of the 'press, stamped into shape. After passing through other machinery it comes out an article more perfectly formed than the most skillful workman could accomplish after hours of labor. The company manufacture plain, japanned, and stamped tin ware, patent street lamps, patent self-righting cuspadores, etc. The buildings are mostly of brick, and cover over an acre, and the dies and machinery cost several hundred thousand dollars. From 300 to 400 hands are employed, and the goods are ship- ped to every part of the world. The buildings are all heated by steam and lighted with gas, and particular at- tention is paid to their hygienic condition, while every- thing that can conduce to the comfort of the operatives has been carefully provided for. The business was formerly conducted by the Heath & Smith Manufactur- ing Company, which was organized in 1869. The pres- ent company was organized in 1879, under the general law of the State of New York, with a capital of $200,000, and bought out the former company. The incorporators

were: Lorin Ingersoll, A. S. Compton, J. E. Ingersoll, J. P. Austin, and A. P. Cruikshank. The officers were: Lorin Ingersoll, president; A. S. Compton, secretary; J. E. Ingersoll, treasurer. When the business was first started the goods were all trucked to the ferry and ship- ped by the river steamers. The New York & Boston Air Line Railroad now runs directly through the property of the company. In 1873, the company, at a cost of $1,500, erected a fine depot, not only for its own accom- modation but for the use of the people of Portland. The company owns some 40 acres, on which it has erected several dwellings for the use of the operatives. In order to keep up the supply of water for the several buildings, an enormous reservoir with a capacity of 85,000 gallons was sunk in the solid rock to a depth of 12 feet-20 by 30, through the center of which is a well 26 feet deep and 10 feet in diameter. The town voted to abate the taxes of the company; if they would continue their busi- ness here. The company are now putting up new and handsome brick buildings.

THE J. R. PICKERING COMPANY .- Attached to the buildings of the United States Stamping Company are the works of the J. R. Pickering Company for the manu- facture of the " Pickering Governor," for steam engines. This is a private corporation, established in New York city in 1864. The business was removed to Portland, and the building erected in 1870. Fifty or sixty hands are employed, mostly skilled laborers.

TANNERIES .- During the last century and the first part of the present, there were several tanneries in Port- land. Daniel Shephard had one at Great Hill Pond; another, owned by Capt. Daniel Smith, was near Mrs. Alexander's, on the road to Penfield Hill. One, a little distance east of Titus Hale's, was owned by Elizur Goodrich. Capt. Smith's was the last one in operation in the town. It was given up early in this century, since which time there has been no tanning in Portland, and the " leather sealer," once an important town office, has become obsolete.

DISTILLERIES .- Early in the present century there were two distilleries in Portland. They made cider brandy. One, run by Dayton & Converse, stood near Mr. D. Crittenden's: the other was on Carr's or Cox's brook, kept by Noah Strickland. These also have become obsolete.

SPECTACLES. -- About 1834, Mr. Gilbert Griswold began the manufacture of gold and silver spectacles, making gold spectacles principally. He also dealt in watches, clocks, jewelry, small arms, and cutlery.

MATTRESS FACTORY .- A mattress factory was carried on for some years by Mr. Barnard Savage, in a building in Gildersleeve's shipyard. A few years ago the business was removed to New Haven.

TOBACCO PACKING, ETC .- Charles Abbey had a cigar manufactory at Gildersleeve from 1867 to 1878. He employed, in favorable times, 20 to 25 mcn.

Asaph Strong was a raiser of tobacco previous to 1861. That winter, in company with Titus Hale, he bought and packed about 400 cases. During the next ten years he bought on his own account and packed on commission

514

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

for growers from 500 to 800 cases per year. In 1871, he commenced buying and packing for M. H. Levin, 162 Pearl street, New York, and is still his agent. The amount packed per year has ranged from 1,000 to 3,000 cases. As many as 125 men have been employed, some winters, sorting and packing. Other seasons not more than 35. The amount packed and the length of season causing the variation. Some years the business starts as early as November, other years, from various causes, there is nothing done till January. The season closes about April, but sometimes lasts a little beyond that time.

John Day packs, on an average, 500 cases per year, 350 pounds in a case. Joseph E. Lord is superintendent of his packing house, which is a fine large building, erected in 1881.

Charles White has two warehouses, the larger built in 1874, the smaller in 1867. He packs and ships, on an average, 1,000 cases annually, 370 pounds to a case. His cigar manufactory, begun in 1864, continues to the present time. He employs in good times 40 to 50 hands.

C. R. & E. S. Hale began packing tobacco in 1876, since which time they have packed from 300 to 400 cases per year.

SHIPYARD.

For more than a century and a half shipbuilding has been the chief industry of that part of Portland now called Gildersleeve, and it was for a time the most ac- tive business of the town. Early in the last century, George Lewis built vessels on the present site of the Gildersleeve yard. The first vessel built in Portland was launched here in October 1741. It was a schooner of 90 tons. During the Revolution, several ships of war were built at the shipyard which occupied the Brain- erd Quarry. It was owned by a man named Bush. The Trumbull was one of these, of 700 tons, 36 guns, and the Bourbon, 900 tons, and 40 guns. This last was not armed on account of the occurrence of peace. The frig- ate Connecticut was. built by Philip Gildersleeve, master carpenter, at the yard near Steven's wharf, at the end of Shipyard lane, in 1798. She was 514 tons; 20 guns; and was commanded by Capt. Moses Tryon. The contractor was Gen. Seth Overton.

Shipbuilding was begun at Churchill's yard in 1795. Two vessels by the name of Holker were built here. The first, built 1813, 350 tons, 18 guns, was driven ashore by the English at Narragansett, and lost. It was said that the Holker's captain was an Englishman, and choosing rather to risk the punishment of the Americans for deserting his vessel, than to meet the certain vengeance which awaited him if he were captured, he took to his boat and escaped. The second Holker, built in 1814, of 400 tons, 20 guns, was cast away in a severe snow storm on the coast of Long Island; having overrun her reckoning. Tradition says that her keel was laid on a Friday. The of the vessels built here is appended.

Macedonian, same size, was built the same year. The Saranac and Boxer were built for the government in 1815, the former 373 tons, the later 367 tons, each 16 guns. In Churchills' yard, 12,500 tons of shipping were built between 1806 and 1816. Charles and David Churchill employed from 40 to 50 men. The name of "Churchill's Landing " was given to that part of the Meadow where they built. At one time this was looked upon as the business locality of the town, with prospects of becoming a large village, notwithstanding the freshets which every spring covered the whole vicinity with water. Here was the largest store in town, here was the ball room for assemblies, here were brought immense logs from Somersic, 80 feet long, straight, first growth. The yard was sold to S. Gildersleeve in 1828.

Elizur Abbey's shipyard was in the meadow near the stone bridge. He built 35 vessels from 75 to 300 tons, the last being the schooner Charles H. Northam, built in 1853.

David and Daniel White also carried on the business of shipbuilding in the meadow, at the same time as Captain Churchill, their yard being situated between Churchill's Landing (now called Siam) and the Gilder- sleeve yard.

Sylvester Gildersleeve began shipbuilding near the present yard in 1821; November 20th 1838, he purchased the Lewis yard from Abel, son of George Lewis. The first vessel built here was a sloop, The Boston Packet, of 70 tons, Seth Overton jr., of Chatham, captain.

In 1836, he built the schooner William Bryan, the first vessel sailing as a regular packet from New York to Texas. From this arose the New York and Galveston Line. Between 1847 and 1850, five ships belonging to this line were built at the Gildersleeve yard, the largest, 700 tons. They were named after the Texas patriots: Stephen F. Austin, B. R. Milan, William B. Travis, J. W. Fanning, William H. Wharton.

In 1854, the ship S. Gildersleeve was built. She was burnt by the Alabama, while on a voyage to China, and paid for out of the " Alabama fund." In 1861, Mr. Gil- dersleeve built the steam gunboat Cayuga, for the United States Government.

The marine railway of S. Gildersleeve & Sons was con- structed in 1877, at a cost of nearly $8,000. The track is 400 feet in length, laid on piles two feet apart. The gearing and chains are of heavy metal, the latter having been subjected to severe tests. The whole is in every respect substantially built, and is of sufficient strength for handling vessels of 800 tons and under with ease and safety. These railways have been in constant use since they were first laid, for repairing and rebuilding vessels.

The shipyard, saw mill, etc., of S. Gildersleeve & Sons, give employment to a large number of persons. Many vessels of various kinds are sent here for repairs. A list

515

PORTLAND-SHIPBUILDING.

VESSELS BUILT BY S. GILDERSLEEVE & SONS.

No. Date

Rig.

Name of Vessel.

Name of Captain.

Names of Owners.

Ton- nage.

Valna- tion.

1 1821

Sloop

Boston Paeket Caravan

Seth Overton jr. ..

Seth Overton, of Chatham.

2.500

3 1824

Gordon

G. Whitmore H. Churchill

Joel Hall and others, of Chatham.

175

8,000

5 1826

Emily

Seth Johnson

105

5,000

7|1827

Planter

Wanten Ransom

125

6,000

9 1828

Schooner

China

H. Churchill

180

10,000

10 1828

[Aspasia

Norman Pease

180

9.000

12 1829

Sloop

Niagara Jane

Robert Williams

115

15,500

14 1831

Deborah

S. Gildersleeve; Bigelow & Bangs, of Boston.

135

6,000

15 1831

Jane Maria

Joel Hall and others, of Chatham, Conn.

225

10,000

17 1832

Franklin

Allen Stewart and Captain Huntings.

190

9,000

19 1833

Sehooner

Statira Mary Lydia

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 127

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818