History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I, Part 36

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 966

USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 36
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 36

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It was while he was engaged in the work of building cotton gins

*At the first Centennial Celebration of the town, commemorated June 15th. 1886, the original model of the cotton gin, made by the inventor, Eli Whitney. was exhibited by his grandson, Eli Whitney. Jr.

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for South Carolina, that Mr. Whitney returned to New Haven, where he later became interested in the water power at Mill Rock. He had, in this period, frequently visited Washington in the interest of his patent and had made a favorable impression upon President Jefferson and other officials of the national government, so that when he ap- plied for a contract to furnish a new supply of fire arms and offered to establish an armory to build the same, his propositions were treat- * ed with favorable consideration. He secured a contraet June 14th, 1798, to build 10,000 stand of muskets, at $13.40, the whole to be completed inside of two years. For the faithful performance of this, a bond of $30,000 was exacted.

"When we consider his extremely discouraging experience with the eotton gin, which he had about given up as an unprofitable ven- ture, and that he was now left with a very limited capital, we must greatly admire the spirit of enterprise which prompted him to make this new venture; and in view of the obstaeles to be overcome it does not seem possible that he had fully estimated the difficulty of the un- dertaking. He had no works, no raw material collected, no skilled me- chanies to assist him, no great reputation as a manufacturer (being but six years out of college ), with no reserve of capital on which he might draw- everything had to be created. But undaunted by what would appear as insurmountable obstacles to most persons. he began his labors in the future Whitneyville by an innovation upon the prevail- ing system of manufacture which should immortalize his name even more than the invention of the cotton gin. He established his armory and supplied it with machinery which took the place of hand labor, and in which instead of finishing one fire arm at a time, hun- dreds of interchangeable parts were made, each of which could be adapted to its place without reference to a particular musket. He was the pioneer of the so-called Uniformity system of working in factories, by means of which many complex operations are reduced to a series of simple processes, which need but to be faithfully followed to achieve the desired end." But to accomplish this he gave his works the most untiring attention, laboring with his own hands early and late. scarcely deeming it possible to be absent a single hour, and unstintingly supplemented his genius by his habits of in- dustry. With all this purpose and application he could not complete his contract in the specified time, and it required ten years instead of two to bring it to a successful finish. Yet so great was the confidence of the government in the success of his undertaking, that it made him liberal advances, so that on final settlement, Mr. Whitney's bal- ance was but $2,450.

The system of manufacturing which Eli Whitney inaugurated and the improvements he made in the fire arms produced in his arm- ory, were recognized by the government and, in 1812, another con- tract was made with him for 15,000 stand of arms. He also contract-

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ed to build arms for the state of New York. How well he succeeded is attested by the letter of Governor Tompkins of that state, under date of May, 1814; " I have visited Mr. Whitney's establishment at New Haven and have no hesitation in saying that I consider it the most perfect I have ever seen, and I believe it is well understood that few persons in this country surpass Mr. Whitney in talents as a mechanic or in experience as a manufacturer of muskets. Those which he made for us are generally supposed to exceed in form and quality all the muskets either of foreign or domestic fabrication, belonging to the state, and are universally preferred and selected by the most com- petent judges."

Mr. Whitney continued his improvements until his death and was the first to use milling machines in the manufacture of arms. Many of the tools used in the most complete armories of the present time had their germs in those used in the Hamden works, more than half a century ago, and the best features of his system have been adopted at other armories under the tutorage of workmen trained by him.

His work was not wholly limited to his mechanic pursuits but in various ways he left his impress upon the pages of the town's history. instituting improvements which have proved to be of great value. He died January 8th, 1825, aged about 60 years, and his tomb, in the cemetery at New Haven bears the following epitaph:

ELI WHITNEY

" The Inventor of the Cotton Gin. Of Useful Science and Arts the efficient Patron and Improver. In the relations of life a model of excellence. While private affection weeps at his tomb, his country honors his memory."

After the death of Eli Whitney, the armory remained in charge of his nephews, Eli Whitney Blake and Philo Blake until 1835 when, for seven years, the trustee of the Whitney estate, Ex-Governor Edwards, managed it. In 1842 Eli Whitney, Jr., the only son of the founder of the armory, assumed the immediate control of it, and having im- proved the power and the machinery, commenced the manufacture of the then new rifle, of the " Harper's Ferry " pattern, in which he was very successful. He also possessed a mechanical genius of a high order, which he applied to the development of the armory, so that in 1852 an authority* on these matters wrote: " The Whitneyville Armory, property of the Whitney Arms Co., is now one of the largest in the United States. It is located near New Haven, in the state of Con- necticut, and has a capacity for employing over five hundred men, being supplied with all the modern improved machinery, and now under the control of the son and grandson of the founder, who have added many valuable improvements."

Since that account was written the plant and its equipments have been much improved, and arms equal to the best in the world have *General C. B. Norton.

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been here manufactured. In 1864 the Whitney Arms Company was chartered as an incorporated body by the legislature of the state, Eli Whitney being the president and principal stockholder of the company. Eli Whitney, Jr., long shared with his father the office of treasurer of the corporation and under their management this con- tinues to be the most extensive interest in the town, but from its location is also practically one of the industries of New Haven.

The manufacture of carriage hardware and goods pertaining to the carriage trade is one of the oldest and has been one of the most important industries in the town. It is also claimed that in Hamden have originated several enterprises of this nature, which have been developed into vast interests in other locali- ties. To Captain Jonathan Mix, who was an occasional resident of Hamden, were granted letters patent in 1807. 1808 and 1811 for some of the first carriage springs in the country. But to Elam Ives, 2d, must belong the credit of conceiving that the manufacture of goods other than the products of the ordinary mills, could be carried on successfully in the town. In the exemplification of that idea he spent much of his means about 1830 to erect a large factory building, near his house, below Mt. Carmel, and adapted it so that the waste water from the canal could be utilized to supply power. In this he was in a great measure successful, and his building was not long idle. Some time about 1833 he and other members of the Ives family Parsons, Jason and Henry- fitted it up with machinery for making iron carriage axles. They used turning lathes and boring machinery of much the same pattern as are still used in modern establishments, and had one of the pioneer shops in America equipped in that manner. Until their products were placed on the market, nearly all the wagon axles were of wood, with iron skeins and fittings: and what few iron axles were used in America were wrought by hand, cumbersome in appearance and fitted to the wheel only after a vast amount of hand grinding and filing. The advantages of using axles such as the Ives Brothers manufactured were soon appreciated and resulted in a demand which gave the products of the Mt. Carmel Axle Works a wide sale and which has been continued to the present time.

The works were operated at the Elam Ives place until about the time the canal was abandoned, when they were removed to the site of the "Huut " or "Kimberly " mill, near the base of Mt. Carmel, which was improved to its new use. At that place the works have since been continued, but in 1890 the buildings formerly occupied were not all in use. Upon the retirement of Henry Ives, his son Frederick became an active or managing partner, having as his asso- ciate the present owner, Willis E. Miller, and operating as Ives & Miller. The latter was the inventor of an improved axle and the works have been supplied with proper machinery to manufacture them in the best manner, and to preserve the fine standard of the goods.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

The manufacture of light carriage hardware in Hamden was begun in 1835 by James Ives, the youngest son of Elam Ives, the owner of the old axle works building, in which the new enterprise was also begun as the Mt. Carmel Brass Works. An earlier occupant here was Willis Churchill, who manufactured brass surgical instruments. Young Ives had been apprenticed to him, but when Churchill located at Augerville Ives began work on his own account and upon an entirely different line of goods, making brass hub bands, harness trimmings, etc. His wares were so much lighter and more attractive than the imported goods that they soon found favor, and his business prospered. In 1842 the brass works were removed to the Andrew Hall mill seat. on the river, half a mile east from the canal, which he had improved in 1835. Not long after the removal the works were destroyed by fire, when much larger buildings were erected by James Ives & Co., George F. H. Read being associated with him as a silent partner. With these enlarged facilities, operations were carried on until 1855, when the Brass Company was succeeded by the Ives-Pardee Manu- facturing Company. The new corporation purchased the property of the defunct Malleable Iron Works, at the same water power, and also built a large brick brass foundry with twelve furnaces. But after a few years of prosperity reverses came and the company was bank- rupted. The property now passed to James Ives and J. A. Granniss and after nine years of hard labor, the reputation of the works was fully re-established. In 1871 the owners of the works were Ives, Woodruff & Co., in 1883 Woodruff, Miller & Co., and in 1888 Walter W. Woodruff & Sons-Arthur E. and Harry P. The works have a fine water power and the buildings are spacious and well arranged. Employment is given to 90 men.

More centrally located, in the village were the works of the Mt. Carmel Manufacturing Company, composed of Joseph Granniss, Ira Smith, Andrew Smith and others, which were engaged in the manu- facture of small carriage malleables. A substantial brick building was occupied until the removal of that industry to Ansonia. In 1890 this building and one formerly used by Granniss & Russell, in the manufacture of patent carriage poles were idle. Close at hand were the works of the Mt. Carmel Bolt Company, organized in 1880. officered in 1890 by Willis E. Miller, president; Samuel J. Hayes. treasurer; and L. H. Bassett, superintendent. Edward P. McLane, the master mechanic. invented some of the machines used in the works, in the manufacture of tire bolts, rivets, nuts, etc., most of which are made of steel. The works are of brick, having a lineal measure of 140 feet, and the motor is steam from a 100 horse power boiler. About fifty men are usually employed.

Among the abandoned industries, in connection with the carriage trade, may be noted spring making, carried on many years ago by Charles Brockett and Augustus Dickerman. Many useful inventions

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

of carriage goods have also been made by citizens of Hamden, which cannot be here particularized.

Less than a mile below Centerville, on the east bank of Mill river is a small manufacturing hamlet called Augerville, from the fact that it owes its existence to the production of boring tools, etc., in a factory at that place. The industry was established nearly half a century ago by Willis Churchill, who first worked on a small scale. In a few years the three Churchill Brothers-J .. N. and L .- succeeded him, but in 1853 the Willis Churchill Manufacturing Company took charge of the works, which were largely extended by that corporation. In 1857 the Hamden Auger Company, of which W. A. Ives was the president, was formed and operated until March, 1863, when the interests passed to W. A. Ives & Co., also a joint corporation, of which W. A. Ives was the managing head, until his death in 1888. That company was succeeded, May 11th, 1889, by the Hamden Manufacturing Company, a corporation with a capital of $50,000. and H. P. Shares, president; Charles I. Benham, secretary: and Jared Benham, treasurer and mana- ger. The plant embraces a roomy factory, having steam and water power, and is well located. Sixty men are employed and many kinds of boring tools and other goods are produced.

The Candee Rubber Works of New Haven, had their beginning in Hamden. They were established at Centerville in the fall of 1843 by the firm of L. Candee & Co., which was composed of Leverett Candee, Henry Hotchkiss and Julius Hotchkiss, having a capital of $6,000. Leverett Candee had been licensed the preceding year by Charles Goodyear to apply his discovery to the manufacture of rubber shoes, which he succeeded in doing so successfully that a new industry was assured, but not until after a few years' trial and distrust, on the part of the consumers. The first shoes were made on the buskin style and were placed with dealers for sale on commission. For some years the goods were affected by atmospheric changes and the rubber coating readily discolored, but by the application of an elastic varnish. which was originated in the Candee factory, that difficulty was over- come, with the result of an increased demand for the products. Another impetus was given to the business in 1848, when the validity of the Goodyear patent was established. It now became necessary to increase the capital and working capacity. The Hamden fac- tory was enlarged, but it soon became evident that it was too remote from a commercial center to afford adequate facilities, and in 1850 part of the business was transferred to New Haven. In 1852 the corpo- rate stock company of L. Candee & Co. was formed, with a capital of $200,000. In Hamden 150 men were now employed, but in 1859 all the interests were concentrated in New Haven and the Hamden factory was abandoned.

In 1863 the plant in Hamden was rented by Bela A. Mann, Ward Coe and Joseph N. Leavenworth for the purpose of weaving elastic

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webbing goods. Operations were begun on a small scale, one loom only being used at first. This was constructed on the spot by Bela A. Mann and he also designed and manufactured the other necessary machinery, for which he received letters patent. Other improve- ments were made and the business increased. In October, 1865, the New Haven Web Company, which had been formed in 1864 to carry on this industry, increased its capital to $60,000. In January, 1866, the old rubber works property, in Hamden, was purchased and thor- oughly adapted to the new use. In September, 1875, the works were destroyed by fire, but they were at once rebuilt, and in January, 1876, a three-story brick factory, 45 by 125 feet, was ready for use. In 1884, 80 feet more were added to its length and at different periods other buildings were erected, including a large dye house, store house, barns, etc., and the factory was equipped to its present standard, having, in 1890, 110 looms and attendant machinery in operation. Nearly all of this was manufactured at the works by the company under the direc- tion of Bela A. Mann, who has been the superintendent and manager since the inception of the enterprise. The motors are water, operat- ing two wheels, and steam, and 150 persons are given occupation. All kinds of webbing goods for suspenders, in plain and fancy weav- ing, are produced and sold through the company's store in New York city. In the plant are, besides the manufacturing buildings, a number of neat houses which afford homes for about thirty families. Henry L. Hotchkiss is the president of the company and Ward Coe the secretary and treasurer. The capital remains $60,000.

On the Mill river, more than a mile above this point, are the Clark Silk Mills, established in 1875 by R. S. Clark. They were carried on by him with a fair degree of success about a dozen years, in the manufacture of thread, floss, embroidery, etc. In 1890 his son, H. D. Clark, occupied part of the mill, manufacturing a patent silk covered cotton thread. At this place is a good power and a fine pond, with picturesque surroundings. The mill building is large and would accommodate a greater industry than its present use.

Previous to engaging in this business, R. S. Clark was engaged in Hamden in the manufacture of small bells, commencing in 1867 in company with H. D. Smith at the Ives & Granniss building. In 1871, Clark became the sole owner and the following year purchased the above power, to which place the business was transferred. Many kinds of small bells were made.

John T. Henry's Shear Factory was established in the northern part of Hamden in 1859, chiefly for the manufacture of pruning shears of his own invention. Other forms of shears were later made, the products being in good demand not only in this but in foreign coun- tries. In more recent years the manufacture of small tools was added. Steam power is used and about a dozen men are employed.

Among the smaller industries was the manufacture of sewing

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

machine needles, for 21 years, by J. E. & S. D. Smith, when it was transferred to Cleveland, Ohio. In the old needle works others were engaged in kindred pursuits, Wooding & Bradley occupying it in 1890 in the manufacture of sewing machine needles and employing a few men. Water power is supplied from the Beers mill. This is located on Mill river, a short distance below Mt. Carmel station, and has a small capacity. Near by was a shop for the manufacture of small wood work, such as knobs, and later was used by Beers & Fenn as a wheel shop. The old building was burned and a new one, rebuilt by Philos Beers, was used in the manufacture of fertilizers. In 1879 A. J. Doolittle became the owner and in 1890 Ira W. Beers was the proprie- tor. The power was steam. The old mill was operated by George Beers. At the station John E. Andrews & Sons also had steam mills of small capacity, used to mannfacture flour, feed and lumber-the industry being but recently established.

D. W. Shares invented and patented horse hoeing and planting machines, which have been manufactured by him to some extent and used with most satisfactory results. Other farming utensils have been made by him which have also secured him fame, a coulter harrow tak- ing the highest premium at three successive state fairs. His inven- tions rank well as labor saving devices, and merit an extended use.

The manufacture of bricks in Hamden has for many years been a most important industry, in which scores of men have been employed and which has brought thousands of dollars into the town. Nearly all the yards in the Wilmot Brook valley have been discontinued, many of them being set to other uses a quarter of a century ago; but in the Quinnipiac valley the industry flourishes greatly. In both localities bricks were made as long since as 1645, but probably to no great extent until within the present century. With the construction of better roads and the means of shipment afforded by the railroads came an increase of manufacture of Quinnipiac brick, the product as long ago as 1836 being 3,000,000 per year. The clay in this locality is very su- perior and appears in almost inexhaustible deposits which insure permanency to the industry. In recent periods the yearly product has been largely increased by the employment of modern brick mak- ing machinery and the use of bituminous coal instead of wood. In late years the annual output has reached nearly 30,000,000 bricks. Some of the principal manufacturers have been H. P. Shares and Samuel P. Crafts. the latter being the head of the Quinnipiac Brick Company.

In the town are a number of hamlets whose limits are hard to define, as their population is much diffused on the surrounding farms, and in some localities, especially on the old Cheshire road, one hamlet appears to run into the other. The nucleuses of these clusters are the meeting honses or the old manufacturing plants, but in all the town there is no prominent center which has absorbed the principal busi-

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ness or professional interests, as in most other rural towns. The nearest approach to such a place in Hamden is Centerville, which has some village-like aspects. Here are the fine new town hall, the Epis- copal church and the Rectory school, several public buildings, a good Masonic Lodge and the works of the New Haven Web Company. The inhabitants number several hundred and the place has an attractive and homelike appearance. The post office which is maintained here bears the name of Hamden, and was kept many years by Leverett Hitchcock. In 1873 he was succeeded by Jesse Warner, the present postmaster, whose administration was interrupted for four years, end- ing in April, 1889, when Gilbert S. Benham was the postmaster.

South of this place is the hamlet of Augerville, having less than a hundred inhabitants, whose interest in centered in the auger and tool factory at that place. It is dependent upon the stores of Centerville and there are no public places or churches.

North from the center are the hamlets of Ivesville and Mt. Carmel the former having a railway station until a few years ago. Near by is the Catholic church, and there are several halls and stores. The Mt. Carmel Water Company furnishes water for the half a thousand inhabit- ants, most of whom are employed in the shops in this locality. The Mt. Carmel post office was kept many years by James Ives, succeeded in 1885 by William Hitchcock who, after five years, gave place to Lyman H. Bassett. In this locality are several very fine homes.

Nearer the foot of the mount, is Mt. Carmel station, where are the old axle works, mills, stores and the Mt. Carmel meeting house. In the spring of 1890 the Mt. Carmel Center post office was here estab- lished, with George L. Andrews as postmaster. As this locality is now invested with more individuality, it will improve more than it has in the past.

Having the character of hamlets are the settlements at Warner- town, in the northwestern part of Hamden, and Hamburg along the southern line of the town, the latter being suburban to New Haven. North is the M. E. church.

At Mill Rock, pleasantly and also picturesquely located, is Whit- neyville, named for its founder, Eli Whitney, in the beginning of the present century. His first improvement, of a residence nature, was a row of two-story tenements for the workmen in his armory. Higher up stream the East Plain Congregational meeting house was erected and, between these extremes, residences, some of pretty appearance, have been built. Its proximity to New Haven prevents it from being a business place, so that the post office, of which Jesse Cooper was the postmaster, has been discontinued.

In the town have resided as physicians Doctor Chauncey Foote, and for many years Doctor Edwin D. Swift, who is still in practice, residing near Centerville. Doctor O. F. Treadwell has been a con- temporary practitioner on the Plains, and since the spring of 1890, Doctor George H. Joslyn has practiced from an office at Mt. Carmel.

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Day Spring Lodge, No. 30, F. & A. M., was instituted in Hamden on the petition of Samuel Bellamy, Amasa Bradley, Ezra Kimberly, Leverett Kimberly, George H. Bristol, Tulley Crosby, Levi Tuttle, Simeon Goodyear and Job Munson. A warrant was granted by the Grand Lodge of Connecticut, May 15th, 1794, and on the 30th of December, the same year, that body was convened at the house of Samuel Bellamy for the purpose of effecting a permanent organiza- tion of Day Spring Lodge, No. 30. This house stood near the old canal above the Mt. Carmel meeting house and was also the place where subsequent early meetings were held. In 1805 the Lodge secured a room in the house of a Mrs. Barber, and in 1816 the house of Eliph- alet Gregory became the place of meeting. The latter was for a time used as a public house and was destroyed by fire many years ago.

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History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume I, Part 36

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.) Publication date: 1892 Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston Number of Pages: 966

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: N. Y. : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 966