History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II, Part 66

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1138

USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 66
USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II > Part 66

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On the 14th of May, 1851, the Lodge was revived and the place of meeting fixed at Seymour, where it has since had a large degree of prosperity. From the time of its reinstitution, at Seymour, June 18th, 1851, until the fall of 1890, there were over 300 admissions. The present membership is large and active. The meetings at Seymour were held in the hall over the Union Store, but a later home was se- cured in the Davis Block. This has recently been refitted and made very comfortable. The trustees of the property in 1890 were: S. H. Canfield, Henry Bradley and John Davis.

In connection with the foregoing was established Olive Chapter, No. 26, Order of the Eastern Star, which is also in a prosperous con- dition.

Mechanics' Lodge, No. 73, 1. O. O. F., was instituted at Seymour May 27th, 1851, with the following as the charter members: Horace A. Radford, H. B. Beecher, John Scott, Julius Bassett, W. W. White, Martin Kelley, John Hilton, Charles Newton, John Davis, David J. Putnam, H. P. Davis, John L. Hartson, J. A. Stevens and W. J. Mer-

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

rick. From the first the Lodge has prospered, and has had a large membership. In 1890 the number belonging was 174, and there was a fund amounting to $5,900. The meetings are held in a fine hall.

Wildley Encampment, No. 73, I. O. O. F., was instituted Novem- ber 16th, 1882, and its charter members were: F. G. Bassett, H. S. Hal- ligan, F. H. Wyant, Charles Edwards, J. E. Buckley, H. A. Hurd, F. G. Fisher, C. H. Cooper, J. W. Smith, C. H. Guild, Peter Ward, F. H. Beecher, G. E. Lester, S. B. Gregory, Robert Healy, David Tucker. In June, 1890, there were 73 members, and the Encampment was in every way prosperous. F. G. Barrett and H. S. Halligan were the chief patriarchs the first year, and T. D. Adams presided in 1890.

Humphrey Lodge, No. 26, K. of P.,* was instituted February 8th, 1871. It includes among its members some of the most respected citizens of the town. Of the charter members those still belonging are M. R. Castle, F. H. Beecher, V. H. McEwen, William H. Williams and W. C. Sharpe. The Lodge has a fund of about $1,600, deposited in savings banks, which can be used for relieving members in case of sickness; but up to this time the receipts from regular dues have been ample to pay all expenses, and the fund has steadily increased. The past chancellors of the Lodge, all of whom are entitled to seats in the Grand Lodge of the state, are: F. H. Beecher, M. R. Castle, H. S. Chamberlain, J. H. Benham, T. W. Chadwick, W. S. Cooper, R. J. W. Emery, T. D. Griffith, D. J. Hill, V. H. McEwen, Fred. O'Meara, George E. O'Meara, Anthony Otto, F. C. Peck, W. C. Sharpe, William Smith, Thomas Thomas and William H. Williams. The last named has also been the grand chancellor of the State Lodge.

Upson Post, No. 40, G. A. R., was organized in 1873, with William S. Cooper as commander, and Joseph Ineson adjutant, but sharing the fate of many other Posts in this state soon suspended its meetings. A re-organization took place February 16th, 1876, and better fortune has since attended it. In 1890 34 members belonged. Tlie later com- manders have been: 1876, Horatio S. Chamberlain; 1877, James E. Buckley; 1878, Henry R. Chamberlain; 1879-81, Wilbur W. Smith; 1882-3, William S. Cooper; 1884-5, H. S. Chamberlain; 1886, Robert Hurley; 1887, J. W. De Forest; 1888, J. H. Riggs. In 1890 the adjutant was R. J. Spencer.

An organization of Sons of Veterans-G. L. Wyant Camp-has lately been formed, and has a growing membership.

A number of purely social or beneficial societies have been organ- ized in the town. One of the oldest is the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, formed in 1872.

Castle Rock Lodge, No. 6, A. O. U. W., was instituted in August, 1881, with ten charter members. It has since that time prospered to a great degree, having in 1890 84 members. The Lodge has suffered the deaths of four members: W. A. Kane, E. J. Davis, Fred. Colvin

* Data by W. C. Sharpe.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

and W. H. Chamberlain. In each case the heirs of the deceased re- ceived $2,000. In 1890 the trustees of the Lodge were: T. B. Beach, C. H. Lounsbury and M. B. Ferrell. A local auxiliary was organized in March, 1887, whose object it is to provide a fund for use where im- immediate relief is demanded.

Monawauk Tribe, No. 9, I. O. R. M., was instituted May 13th, 1887, and had 80 charter members. To this number a large addition has been made, and the Tribe prospers. The first sachem was T. S. Ladd. Others have been A. E. Clark, A. C. Peck, William R. Brixey and E. C. Brown. In 1890 the trustees were S. R. Dean, Charles Fairchild and A. E. Clark.

Valley Lodge, No. 100, N. E. O. P., was organized June 20th, 1889, with T. B. Beach, past warden; R. J. Spencer, warden; William E. Colt, recording secretary; W. C. Sharpe, financial secretary, and L. E. Cooper, treasurer. In June, 1830, there were 44 members, and the Lodge was reported prosperous. There has been one death, Henry Chamberlain, in the spring of 1890, and a benefit of $3,000 followed.

The Provident Aid Society of Portland, Maine, established a branch at Seymour in 1888, with T. B. Beach as secretary, and S. D. Beach as treasurer. This also prospers. One member has died, Doctor Robert Hungerford, in the fall of 1888.

Lyman Grange, of Patrons of Husbandry, meets in the village of Seymour, and is a useful society in its appointed field.

In 1847 the subject of intemperance was very much agitated, and the Humphreysville Total Abstinence Society was formed. At this time Rock Spring Division, No. 12, Sons of Temperance, was in a prosperous condition. A hall for the use of the Division was built at the west end of the Falls bridge, which was dedicated October 16th, 1847. George W. Bungay was the principal speaker and a suitable poem was read by John W. Storrs. Both were ardent ad- vocates of temperance, the one as an orator, the other as a writer of force and a composer of beautiful poetry. A later representative at Seymour in the latter line of thought and work is Sharon Y. Beach, whose fugitive poems on the drink habit have been widely read. In 1849 a society of Daughters of Temperance was instituted; and a number of temperance organizations since that time have aided in promoting the morals of this community.

Seymour owes its thrift and prosperity almost exclusively to its advantageous location as a manufacturing center. Its superior water power early attracted an active, intelligent class of people, who have wonderfully developed the natural facilities afforded by Bladen's brook, the Little river and the Naugatuck, until but few other towns of the same size in the state surpass it.

From contemporary accounts in the records of the old town of Derby, we learn that the power of Little river was first used to operate machinery, being employed for that purpose as early as 1747. In that

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

year "George Abbott, of Derby, sold to Stephen Perkins, of New Haven, a saw mill, grist mill and dwelling house, on Little river, above the Falls." Again, in 1760, the town granted liberty to James Prit- chard to use that stream from its mouth up against the dwelling of Fairchild to erect and keep in repair thereon a corn mill. In 1791 the grist mill at the mouth of Little river was owned by Isaac Baldwin, who not long thereafter lost his life by the sudden starting of the mill wheel while he was below, trying to free it of ice which had gathered around it. A few years later Bradford Steele had clothing works at that place, his fulling mill being on the stream and his finishing shop higher up on the hill. Subsequently many other interests were there carried on, the site belonging in 1890 to James Swan. A hundred years ago fulling mills were very important adjuncts, as in nearly every farm house spinning and weaving were carried on. Hence, in 1799, another fulling mill was put up by Titus Beach on Bladen's brook, where are now the Beach paper mills.

Although the advantages of the falls of Naugatuck were early ap- preciated, no attempt was made to use the power until the country was more thickly settled. On the 4th of October, 1763, Ebenezer Keeney, John Wooster and Joseph Hull, Jr., of Derby, purchased of the Indians 2} acres of land, including the falls and sites for mills and roads on their reservation, and the work of improvement was begun. In be- half of the Indians, the deed was signed by John Howd and Joseph Chuse, the chief men of their clan, and from the latter the place took the name of Chusetown.

This company put up a saw mill and also had a fulling mill and card- ing machinery in operation before the beginning of the present cen- tury. In 1785 John Wooster and Bradford Steele leased a lot at that place, having a 30 foot front on the flume from the falls, on which to build a shop for blacksmithing, "to contain hammers to go by water for the purpose of scythe making, etc." Another early shop was built on the proprietors' land, at what is now the corner of Hill and Pearl streets, which stood there as early as 1798, when it was spoken of as Edmund Page's shop. It has since that time been continued as one of the oldest landmarks in the place.

Meantime the falls property had been undergoing changes both in ownership and in the extent of its industries. Nathan Stiles had come from Southbury, as a clothier, and secured an interest which later passed to the Steele family, after he had carried on his shops a num- ber of years. The Wooster interest was also purchased by Bradford Steele, in October, 1803. In December, 1803, the Steeles sold out to General David Humphreys for $2,647.92, the transfer including "all the privileges, together with the saw mill, two fulling mills, clothier's shop, etc., on said land, with all the buildings thereon and the mill dam across said Rimmon Falls."

This sale marked the beginning of a new era for the place, which

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

soon after took the name of Humphreysville, in compliment to the new proprietor, and from this time on greater activity prevailed. Gen- eral Humphreys, on his visits to England and other European nations, had become deeply interested in manufacturing, and was especially anxious to introduce some of the better features of making woolen cloths in factories into this country. With this view and knowing the value of having finer grades of wool than that yielded by native sheep, he determined to import a number of select Merino sheep from Spain. He purchased 25 rams and 75 ewes, from one to two years of age, and had them shipped from Lisbon April 10th, 1802. After a voyage of some 50 days, part of which was so rough that the vessel rolled and nine of the sheep were killed, the remainder of the stock was safely landed at Derby. Here they were an object of much curiosity, many hundreds of people going to see them. By this act General Humphreys secured the honor of introducing Merino sheep into this part of the Union, and the attendant benefits which have resulted therefrom have been very great.

An incidental feature of this enterprise was the wild speculation which attended the distribution of the sheep after they had left the hands of General Humphreys. Aiming to benefit the community, he had sold many of his sheep to enterprising farmers at $100 per head (less than the cost, it is said), in order that they might improve their flocks. But so great became the desire to own them that the price was advanced by some farmers, until as high as from $1,500 to $3,000 was paid for a single animal, some of which died, inflicting a total loss upon the purchasers. This rampant speculation extended through many parts of New England, and had the effect of inducing other im- portations, so that in the course of time the business assumed a nor- mal condition.

In order that General Humphreys might better carry out his plans to establish an extensive manufacturing plant at Rimmon Falls, he purchased other lands in 1804, until he was the owner of nearly 200 acres at and near the falls. In the buildings he found there he began his operations, the weaving being done, as before, in families, and the cloth finished at the mills.

In that way the first wool from his Merino sheep was made into cloth. Paper and grist mills were now gotten in operation and other buildings put up. On the 5th and 6th of June, 1806, the frame of his woolen factory was raised, which was the first built in the United States for the weaving of woolen cloth. In 1808 General Humphreys had the reputation of producing the best quality of that kind of goods in America, and Thomas Jefferson procured at these mills a sufficient quantity for a suit of clothes to wear on his in- auguration as president of the United States .*

While these improvements of General Humphreys were, in extent and enterprise, beyond the period in which he lived, they were largely * New Haven Hist. Soc. Papers, Vol. I., p. 143.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

carried out by others, as he had no mechanical skill of his own and knew nothing of the practical work in a woolen factory. After an un- successful effort to manufacture broadcloth he went to England and secured the services of some expert woolen manufacturers, among them being Thomas Gilyard, as a workman, and John Winterbotham* as a partner and manager. The latter took complete charge of the woolen factory and continued at its head until 1818, when owing to the death of General Humphreys, the firm of T. Vose & Co., under which name operations were carried on, ceased to exist. The busi- ness interests of General Humphreys at this place were in charge of his nephews, John and William Humphreys, and for a number of years great prosperity attended them. Some of his manufacturing enterprises were of the first of the kind in the Union in which the factory system was exemplified, and as much complaint had been

made and great prejudice existed against this system, as found in other lands, on account of its degrading and demoralizing effects, naturally much attention was directed toward General Humphreys' efforts, and many distinguished people came to examine their opera- tions. Concerning Humphreysville and its interests, as he found them after 1811, President Dwight, of Yale College, wrote as follows: "Within the limits of Derby, four miles and a half from the mouth of the Naugatuc, is a settlement named by the legislature Humphreys- ville, from the Hon. David Humphreys, former Minister Plenipo- tentiary at the Court of Madrid. At this place a ridge of rocks, twenty feet in height, crosses the river and forms a perfect dam about two- thirds of the distance. The remaining third is closed by an artificial dam. The stream is so large as to furnish an abundance of water at all times for any works which will probably ever be erected on the spot. Those already existing are a grist mill, a saw mill, a paper mill, a woolen manufactory and a cotton manufactory, with all their proper appendages, and a considerable number of other buildings, destined to be the residence of the manufacturers and for various other purposes.

"A strong current of water in a channel cut through the rock on the eastern side, sets in motion all the machinery employed in these buildings. By this current are moved the grist mill, two newly in- vented shearing machines, a breaker and finisher for carding sheep's wool, a machine for making ravellings, two jennies for spinning sheep's wool, under the roof of the grist mill; the works in the paper mill, a picker, two more carding machines for sheep's wool, and a billy with forty spindles in a third building; a fulling mill; a saw mill, employed to cut the square timber, boards, laths, etc., for the different edifices, and to shape many of the wooden materials for the machinery; two more fulling mills on improved principles, immediately connected with the clothier's shop; and the various machinery in a cotton manu-

* He was the father of Mrs. Ann S. Stephens, the authoress, whose girlhood was spent at this place.

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factory, a building about one hundred feet long, thirty-six wide, and of four stories, capable of containing two thousand spindles with all their necessary apparatus.

" The houses can accommodate with comfortable residence about one hundred and fifty persons. Ten others in the neighborhood will furnish comfortable residences for upwards of one hundred and fifty more. Gardens on a beautiful plat in the rear of the manufactories furnish all the vegetables necessary for the establishment.

"The institution contains four broad and eight narrow looms and eighteen stocking frames.

"The principal part of the labour in attending the machinery in the cotton and woolen manufactories is done by women and children; the former hired at from fifty cents to one dollar per week; the latter, apprentices, who are regularly instructed in reading, writing and arithmetic.

" The wages of the men are from five to twenty-one dollars per month.

"In Europe great complaints have been made of manufacturing establishments, as having been very commonly seats of vice and disease. General Humphreys began this with a determination either to prevent these evils, or if this could not be done, to give up the design. With regard to the health of his people it is sufficient to observe that from the year 1804 to the year 1810 not one individual belonging to the institution died, and it is believed that among no other equal number of persons there has been less disease.

" With respect to vice it may be remarked that every person who is discovered to be openly immoral is discharged.

" At the commencement of the institution discreet parents were reluctant to place their children in it from unfavorable apprehensions concerning the tendency of such establishments. Since that time they have been offered in more than sufficient numbers.

" The manufactures at Humphreysville are esteemed excellent. The best broadcloth made here is considered as inferior to none which is imported.

" Americans make all the machinery, and have invented several kinds of machines, which are considered as superior to such as have been devised in Europe for the same purposes.

" Most of the weaving has been done in private families.

"The scenery of this spot is delightfully romantic. The Fall is a fine object. The river, the buildings belonging to the institution, the valley, the bordering hills, farms, and houses, groves and forests united form a landscape in a high degree interesting.

"In this manufactory General Humphreys has, I think, fairly es- tablished three points of great importance. One is, that these man- ufactures can be carried on with success; another, that the workmen can be preserved in good health as that enjoyed by any other class of

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men in the country; and the third, that the deterioration of morals in such institutions, which is often complained of, is not necessary, but incidental, not inherent in the institution itself. but the fault of the proprietor."

It is said of General Humphreys that he was particularly philan- throphic as to the education and moral training of the operatives in his factory. Many of them had been indentured to him by the public in- stitutions of the land, and had been gotten in the neighboring villages. For these he established and maintained, at considerable expense, evening schools, and provided other means for their instruction and amusement. He organized the boys into a train band for military in- struction, provided them with uniforms, and often drilled them him- self. In 1810 Lady Humphreys presented this company with a fine silk flag, which was beautifully embroidered, and was appropriately inscribed; bearing also a number of attractive emblems. This inter- esting relic of that period is now the property of the Hon. Carlos French.

General Humphreys did not live permanently at Humphreysville, but maintained a suite of rooms in the boarding house of the com- pany, which he occupied when visiting the place, and on those occa- sions there was always a lively interest in his presence. In all his in- tercourse with his employees he was kindly disposed, courteous and apparently interested in every one. This agreeable relation to the village and its industries was broken by his death, which took place at New Haven February 21st, 1818, when he was 65 years of age .*

In May, 1822, the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company was organized with a capital of $50,000, and elected as its first president John H. De Forest, and as its secretary, J. F. Leaming. This corpo-

* General David Humphreys was born in Derby July 10th, 1752, and was a son of the Reverend Daniel Humphreys, the minister of the church of that town. When but 15 years old he entered Yale College, graduating in 1771, and while there gave evidence of so much poetic taste that he was styled the "young bard of Yale." Soon after the revolution broke out he entered the army, holding a captain's commission. In 1:78 he was appointed an aid to General Putnam, with the rank of major. In 1780 he was appointed an aid to General Washington, where he ranked as a lieutenant colonel, and became a valuable member of the general's staff. At the surrender of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, in 1781, the British colors were delivered to him. For his service in the war Congress voted hím an elegant sword, which was presented to him in 1786, after his return from France as secretary of the legation under Thomas Jefferson. From 1788 to 1790 he was an inmate of General Washington's family, at Mt. Vernon, when he was ap- pointed minister to Portugal. In 1797 he was appointed minister to Spain, where he remained until 1802, when he returned to this country to begin the activities. above noted. In the war of 1812 he was appointed commander of the Connecti- cut militia, and from that source his title of general was derived. He married a very wealthy English lady, living in Boston, and had a cottage at Westville. His death was very sudden. He is buried at New Haven, where his grave is marked by a monument inscribed to his rare worth and honor as a poet, patriot, states- man and true American citizen.

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HISTORY OF NEW HAVEN COUNTY.

ration purchased the above plant, containing 16 acres of land, with all the buildings on it, and the water privileges on both sides of the river as far as affected by the falls, paying for the same $10,000. The dam was soon after rebuilt and the race to the mills widened, so as to per- mit greater power. The factory was supplied with cotton machinery, and other improvements were made. Mr. De Forest was an active business man, and warmly entered upon the task of further develop- ing the interests of the village. He built the large mansion at the corner of Main and Factory streets, living there until his death in 1839.

The Humphreysville Manufacturing Company manufactured very extensively a number of years, but was affected by the hard times of 1837, when operations were reduced to a very small scale. In 1845 it sold the cotton factory to William Buffum, and by his name it was known a number of years. In 1849 " he manufactured 500,000 yards of cotton shirtings, used 50 tons of raw cotton, and operated 54 looms. Forty-one persons were employed." Later the manufacture of cotton goods at this place declined, and other fabrics were produced.

In 1851 the capital stock of the Humphreysville Manufacturing Company was $300,000, but in 1859 it was reduced to one-half that amount, by the distribution of property to the stockholders. Gradu- ally the interest of the company passed into other hands, and its or- ganization has only a nominal existence.

On the site of the company's grist and paper mills, which were taken down in 1850, was erected the Eagle Silk Mill the same year. The Eagle Manufacturing Company was organized June 27th, 1850, with a capital of $50,000. In the fall of 1852 George F. De Forest was at the head of the corporation, whose capital had been doubled. The factory was built to operate on silk, wool and cotton, and appears to have prospered a short time, when heavy, unexpected losses caused its suspension. Later the mills were known by the name of "Kalmia," and were operated on worsted goods. Prior to 1869 operations were very brisk, many hands being employed. In the year named the busi- ness became so stagnant that but little was done, and thereafter, for ten years, the capacity was not fully employed.

In 1880 this site and other property was purchased by John H. Tingue, and the following year it passed to the Tingue Manufactur- ing Company, which was incorporated May 30th, 1881, and organized by electing John H. Tingue president and treasurer; and Charles Coupland as general manager. On the death of the former, W. J. Tingue succeeded to the presidency of the corporation, which is one of the most extensive in the town, having a capital of $200,000, and is also one of the most enterprising and prosperous.

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History of New Haven County, Connecticut, Volume II, Part 66

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.) Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York : W. W. Preston Number of Pages: 1138

Author: Rockey, J. L. (John L.)
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York : W. W. Preston
Number of Pages: 1138