USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Norfolk > History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900 > Part 21
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
Mr. Samuel Cone bought a water-privilege a short dis- tance below the present Hosiery Company's stone mill, where he built a scythe shop and manufactured grass and grain scythes until a short time prior to his death. He built the house in which he lived, which was owned and
244
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
occupied later by Mr. Elijah Loomis, a Cabinet-maker and Undertaker, and is now the home of Mr. Sylvester Tyrrell. Mr. Cone was chosen deacon in May, 1826, resigned the office, March, 1835, and died in 1836, at the age of 51.
Captain John Dewell, who for many years was a manu- facturer of grass and grain scythes in West Norfolk, com- menced business there a little prior to 1830, built the stone scythe-shop and the stone-house which still stands there in fine condition, a lasting monument to his enterprise and to his memory. He was for many years a prominent busi- ness man and citizen of the town. A sketch of him will be found in another chapter.
Mr. Daniel Cotton for some years manufactured scythes, his shop being located a short distance from the outlet of Doolittle Pond. Mr. Aro Phelps built a grist-mill at Doo- little Pond and David Doolittle ran the mill for some years, and his name was given to the pond. Some old persons liv- ing remember Doolittle's mill. There was quite a little vil- lage in that vicinity at one time, called Pond Town.
In the "Norfolk Tower," a paper published in this town for a few years,-under date of January 10, 1888, is an ar- ticle, "written by a life-long resident of the town, who is so situated as to be able to give correct history of the early days of our town." From this article I quote: "Norfolk was incorporated as a town in 1758, with 27 families. The first deed was taken by Timothy Hosford of Windsor, it being the tract of land of 400 acres now known as the H. J. Holt and E. G. Lawrence farms. The first residence built in town was on these farms. The land was very productive and large crops of grass and grain were raised. They had large stocks of Cattle and Sheep. At one time in recent years E. Grove Lawrence and Darius Camp owned some 1,500 sheep. The first county road was built in 1761 from Canaan to New Hartford. It was all a wilderness. The road was built on the side hill above where the present road now runs in order to get on dry land and avoid swamps. Near the road east of Mr. Lawrence's farm was the Nathaniel Pease place. He kept a hotel and also ran
245
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
a small tannery. Then next came the tannery then owned by Samuel Trescott, which in 1818 was sold to Levi Shep- ard, who carried on the business of tanning and shoe mak- ing, and Mrs. Shepard a millinery shop. She furnished the ladies their hats in all the surrounding towns, as there was no millinery shop nearer than Litchfield. At that time Norfolk was more of a business place than Winsted. There was a blacksmith shop where the Dewell stone house now stands. The first bolts and nuts made by machinery in this country were made here by Mr. A. Allen, who secured a patent, but had not capital to develop the business. He died soon after and the business was carried on by others. About 1825 a scythe shop was located on the same ground where the blacksmith shop stood and was owned by John Dewell, who afterwards built a large stone factory on the opposite side of the river, and later the stone house."
The "Circular and Price List for Planter's Hoes" for 1855, was as follows :-
"Improved Cast Steel Planters' Hoes, manufactured by N. B. Stevens, Norfolk, Conn.
These hoes are made with much care of the best material, and are superior to any other now in use; the best evidence of which is the increasing demand, and the high recommendations of their ex- cellence which are received from all sections of the planting states.
The undersigned has greatly enlarged and improved his facili- ties for manufacturing these Hoes the past summer, and is now prepared to fill orders to almost an unlimited extent.
Orders received direct, which will have prompt attention, and goods delivered to New York City free of charge.
Office in New York, 228 Pearl street.
List of Prices for 1855 and '56.
Per doz. Per doz.
No. 0, 7 inch, $5.00 for half bright, $5.50 for full bright.
No. 1, 7 1-2 inch, 5.50 for half bright, 6.00 for full bright. No. 2, 8 inch, 6.00 for half bright, 6.50 for full bright. No. 3, 81-2 inch, 6.50 for half bright,
7.00 for full bright. No. 4, 9 inch, 7.00 for half bright, 7.50 for full bright. Terms, six months, or 5 per cent. discount for cash."
N. B. STEVENS." Norfolk, October 1, 1855.
246
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Mr. Levi Shepard, as already mentioned, for many years conducted a tannery in West Norfolk on a small stream that came down from 'Camp Hollow,' as it was called. He manufactured Book-binders, Suspender, and Pocket-book- makers' leather. The firm name was for many years Levi Shepard & Son, and after the death of Mr. Levi Shepard in 1880 at the age of more than ninety-five years, the business was continued by Mr. John K. Shepard. Their business for a long time seemed very prosperous, but as with a ma- jority of Norfolk's manufacturers, financial disaster at length overtook them, and the business went down. This tannery property has for a number of years been owned by the George Dudley Company of Winsted, but has stood idle a part of the time.
Mr. Russell Pendleton in about 1850 built and for a short time operated a small tannery near the site of the old Oil- mill which was owned by Mr. Lemuel Akin and for a time owned and run by Capt. John Bradley and his sons. Mr. Pendleton sold out his plant and privilege to the Lawrence Machine Company in 1854, when they built the stone shop a little below, and took their power from Mr. Pendleton's dam.
In 1847 Mr. E. Grove Lawrence built and Abram Day, Jun., of Canaan was supervisor and superintendent of what was called a "forge and puddling furnace" in West Nor- folk, a little east and not far from the old toll-gate. Mr. Day had been connected with the firm of Huntington & Day of Canaan as a practical iron maker, in their puddling fur- nace in East Canaan, of whose business Mr. Richards of New Jersey, in some reminiscences published a few months ago in the 'Connecticut Western News,' says: "Huntington & Day in East Canaan made iron of a very superior quality from Salisbury pig-iron, for the Collins Axe Company of Collinsville. At that time the output of the Collins Co.'s works was 1,600 finished axes per day. Huntington & Day contracted with the Collins Co. to deliver a specified amount of iron each month for one year. The price, $100 per ton, seems fabulous today, but the iron was entirely satisfactory to the Collins Co."
247
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
Mr. Lawrence made bar-iron from pig-iron by a process then comparatively new, consisting of melting pig-iron in a furnace with wood. Mr. Day was a descendant of the first manufacturer of iron in this town, and died in this town Jan. 5, 1851, aged 42.
From 1855 until about 1861 Augustus and Hiram P. Lawrence, sons of E. Grove Lawrence, under the firm name of A. & H. P. Lawrence, made iron by the 'sinking process,' at the Lawrence Forge in West Norfolk, using ore which was brought from Port Henry on Lake Champlain, the ore being shipped by canal boats to the vicinity of Albany, where it was transferred to cars which brought it to Canaan, whence by teams it was hauled to West Norfolk.
An excellent quality of iron was made from this ore, some of which was used for making steel at the Steel Works in Colebrook, and other places. This iron brought from $90 to $100 per ton.
When this Lawrence Forge was shut down about 1860, there was a considerable quantity of this iron on hand, which was sold two or three years later, when prices were greatly inflated, for $200 per ton, the 'Winsted Manufac- turing Company,' manufacturers of tools, being the pur- chasers of the iron at that price.
Some of the smaller industries in other parts of the town were a saw-mill, at the outlet of Wood Creek, owned by Mr. David Gaylord in about 1830, and later in the same location, a "Cabinet Manufactory," operated for several years by Mr. Frederick E. Porter, where some very nice Cabinet work was done. Mr. Rowland has a saw-mill on the same site at present, and Mr. William Scoville the old Cabinet Shop.
Mr. Pliny Foot carried on a tannery at his place very near Grantville, where he did quite a flourishing, profitable business for many years, in connection with a small farm. He tanned calf-skins, and made other kinds of heavy leather.
Mr. Stephen Norton, one of the early settlers of the town, built and for many years kept a tavern which was
248
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
located in the South End district, not far from the ceme. tery, at the corner of the Winchester road and the road to Grantville. He also built and ran for a time a small grist- mill, located on a small stream east of his house.
There was a quite extensive use of a small water-power near Grantville for many years by different members of the Grant family. A saw-mill was built in the early days and operated by different members of the family; the last one who ran it extensively was Mr. Harry M. Grant, who died in 1870. A factory for the manufacture of cheese- boxes was also built and operated in connection with the saw-mill, the first one mentioned as running this factory being Mr. Garry Cook Grant, who died in 1839, and later it was run by Mr.Harry M. Grant. The old buildings were burned not many years since. Some members of the Grant family also built and operated for a time, but not very ex- tensively, a grist-mill in the same neighborhood, which also has entirely disappeared.
Mr. E. Lyman Gaylord writes: "It may be news to the people of Norfolk that clocks were ever made in town, yet such was the fact. Not long after the Green Woods Turn- pike was opened and my father's tavern-house was built, his brother, Norton Gaylord, built a small clock shop on the stream that ran through the farm, made clocks there and sent them south to be sold. About 1812 a big freshet suddenly tore away the dam, and the rush of water under- mined the shop and toppled it over. He then moved to Homer, N. Y., and engaged in clock-making there." This was the Timothy Gaylord tavern place mentioned else- where; owned after Mr. Gaylord's death by Mr. Samuel Seymour and his son, Rufus P. Seymour; now known as the Higgins' place. Boyd says: "In 1811, Eleazer Hawley from Norfolk, a clock maker, came to Winsted, lived and raised a family in a house at the top of the hill above the Wood- ruff tannery." This simply confirms Mr. Gaylord's men- tion of the Norfolk Clock Shop.
On Roaring-brook, as it was called, which runs on the easterly end of Canaan mountain, north, toward Black-
249
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
berry river, Mr. Samuel S. Camp built a saw-mill and cheese-box factory, and for years did quite a business there, but like many other enterprises, this had its day, went into disuse and at length disappeared.
Esq. Edmund Brown in his early life built a saw-mill on his farm, where for the larger part of his life he did quite an extensive business in the manufacture of lumber, for himself and his neighbors. The same old mill is yet there, but only at times is it in operation. It was enlarged, re- built and circular saws put in about 1876.
There was a shingle-mill, that stood nearly opposite the 'grist-mill house,' which was run for a short time by Mr. Amos Baldwin and later by Mr. James Cowles, where shingles were cut by a large machine from chestnut blocks. This mill-privilege was used at an earlier date as a Hammer and Blacksmith shop, and was not far from the site of the old Oil-mill mentioned elsewhere.
THE NORFOLK HOSIERY COMPANY.
The following article, regarding the knitting business half a century ago, Mr. Kilbourn's invention of knitting machinery, the early manufacture of knitting yarns in this town, the organization of the Norfolk Hosiery Company, etc., was kindly written by Mr. Edward E. Kilbourn for this history, at the request of the compiler. The business of the Hosiery Company has been one of the very few manu- facturing enterprises of this town that has been success- ful. Mr. Kilbourn's inventions, worked a revolution in the manufacture of underwear and hosiery, not only in this country, but throughout the world, and caused the success of this business enterprise. To him all honor is due, and through him this his native town is honored, and her name is known and read in all the lands. Brief men- tion had been made of this, in connection with other manu- facturing enterprises of the town previous to the receipt of Mr. Kilbourn's article, which is the following :-
My father, Jonathan S. Kilbourn, bought the property where the Kilbourn factory stood probably in 1830, building
250
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
the old mill about that time. The old mill was originally used for a carding and finishing mill, the wool brought in by the farmers, carded into rolls for spinning, taken home and spun on the hand wheel, woven on a hand loom, and the cloth brought back to be fulled, dyed and finished. A part of the building was also used for making wooden bowls. About 1844 my oldest brother went into company with father, the firm name being J. S. Kilbourn & Son, put- ting in additional carding, spinning and weaving ma- chinery, abandoning the manufacture of wooden bowls and engaging in the manufacture of satinettes, cashmere, flan- nel and stocking yarn. About 1850 father retired from the business, the business being then carried on by my two brothers under the firm name of H. C. & J. K. Kilbourn. They put up some additional buildings, including the brick building, increased the carding and spinning machinery, giving up the manufacture of cloth, making knitting yarn exclusively. They also bought the Solomon Curtis farm at about this time and laid out the row of building lots on the south side of the stream. About 1854 the mill was sold to The Welaka Co., and eventually sold by them to the present owners.
About 1852, J. J. Hinchman of New York bought of Rob- bins Battell the property on which the stone mill of The Hosiery Co. now stands. In connection with brother Jo- seph he built the stone mill, filling it with cotton machinery and running it for the manufacture of cotton knitting yarn, selling it in 1857 to The Norfolk Hosiery Co.
The knitting business was started in 1854. The knitting business in Philadelphia (now one of the large industries of that city) was then in its infancy, being mainly carried on by English Hand Knitters, who had brought over their old hand frames and worked then in a small way. Through J. J. Hinchman, both the cotton and woolen mill had been supplying yarn to these knitters. I had been engaged with my brothers in both the cotton and woolen mill and was looking for an opening to start in business for myself. My brother Joseph, through his connection with Mr. Hinch-
251
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
man, had got the idea there was a good opening in the knitting business and urged me to take it up. While I had a very good knowledge of the business as far as the manu- facture of yarn was concerned, I did not even know how a knitting machine looked, when we commenced to discuss the matter, but as a result of this discussion, I formed a partnership in the summer of 1854 with Doctors W. W. and J. H. Welch under the firm name of J. H. Welch & Co. to engage in the manufacture of hosiery and knitting ma- chines; the capital to be $1,000. Visiting Philadelphia to get what information I could, I ordered built one of the old hand machines then in use. On this trip I conceived the idea of a new knitting machine, and on my return home I explained my ideas to my brother Joseph, and after con- sulting with the Welches, decided while waiting for the machine I had bought, to go on and build my new ma- chine. We started with the expectation of spending less than $100 on the machine and completing it in a few weeks. Before the machine was perfected, and the business estab- lished on a paying basis, so that the enterprise commenced paying regular dividends to its stockholders, over thirteen years was spent, and over $400,000 cash, actually expended on the enterprise, in addition to all the earnings but about $12,000, for the thirteen years. On the receipt of the ma- chines I had bought, I left my experimenting long enough to learn to run the machine myself, hired a man and taught him to run it, and went back to my experimenting. We afterwards bought more of the hand machines and manu- factured Half Hose in a moderate way, but my time was largely put into the new machine. At the organization of the Norfolk Hosiery Co., the Welches retained the old hand machines, and I believe run them for a time. While I was the active worker in our experiments, my brother Joseph was constantly working in consultation with me for the first three years, and was joint patentee of the invention. In 1857 our invention was so far completed that we thought it was ready for practical use. The capital furnished by the Welches had grown from $1,000 to about $10,000, and
252
HISTORY OF NORFOLK
we needed more capital to develop it. Dr. Wm. W. Welch secured the co-operation of Mr. Lucius Porter and together they raised the capital of $75,000, for The Norfolk Hosiery Co., considerable of the capital being secured by Mr. Porter from capitalists in New Brunswick, New Jersey, whom he was associated with in other enterprises, the new com- pany purchasing all the rights in the invention of the Welches, my brother and myself, and also the cotton mill of Mr. Hinchman. The new company commenced the build- ing of machines and the manufacture of goods, selling some thirty machines to a mill in Manchester, Conn., which was burned down soon after starting. In 1859, Mr. Porter and myself visited England to try and dispose of our patents. We found that our machine was far in advance of anything they had there, but English manufacturers were not disposed to adopt it; in fact, the largest English manufacturer of hosiery after spending nearly a day exam- ining our machine told us frankly that while our machine was far in advance of anything they had, and if it ever was introduced he would be obliged to adopt it, his invest- ment in the old style machines was so large that he con- sidered it for his interest to prevent its introduction if he could. We came home intending to build a number of ma- chines and go back with them and force the English manu- facturers to adopt them, but the illness of Mr. Porter's wife and the disturbance ending in Civil War delayed us, and after passage of the Morrill Tariff, we were so fully em- ployed here that we never went back. Some years were spent in getting machines perfected and business estab- lished, but in 1863 the mill was in successful operation with all the machines that could be run in the building. Needing more room for further development of the business, it was proposed by the New Brunswick stockholders that we should buy a mill in New Brunswick, and the Norfolk & New Brunswick Hosiery Co., organized in New Jersey with a capital of $300,000, bought the plant of The Norfolk Hosiery Co., including the American Patents, and from that time their main business has been carried on in New Brunswick.
253
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
To look after my interests in the improvements I had made in Spinning machinery, I left the active employ of The Norfolk & New Brunswick Hosiery Co. in 1868 or 1869. When I commenced my experiments, the knitting business was in its infancy in the country, the English manufac- turers having full control of our markets in all fine fash- ioned goods. When I left the employ of The Norfolk & New Brunswick Hosiery Co., they had been doing for some years a very successful business in the manufacture of fine fashioned underwear and hosiery, competing successfully with the best English manufacturers and to a large extent displacing their goods.
The following from a publication of 'The Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company' will be of interest :-
"To the Messrs. J. K. and E. E. Kilbourn, who were, prior to 1857, manufacturers of yarn in the town of Norfolk, Conn., was reserved the invention of a "new departure" from the general plan followed in the construction of knitting-machines.
Their idea was to knit into garments the product of their yarn mill, and, procuring a "hand frame" as a basis, they introduced improvements of such an original character that the skilled operator of the "hand frame" would fail to recognize in the improved ma- chine any similarity of design or construction; they conceived an original idea of automatic motion, which, in fact, had been at- tempted, but never before accomplished. These machines, the first invention of the brothers Kilbourn, are now adapted to the finest work, and can be run at the highest rate of speed. The material is knit to any required width or shape by the wonderful automatic motion, and a full fashioned garment is produced.
In 1857 there was established at Norfolk, Conn., a manufactory with a capital stock of $75,000, at which time Mr. L. P. Porter anited with the Kilbourn brothers in the enterprise. Such was the Increased demand for these goods that the business was enlarged, and in 1863 a new company was incorporated, to be known as the Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company. The old cotton factory of Col. Neilson, in New Brunswick, N. J., was purchased at that date, and the buildings now occupied, covering five acres, form an imposing group, in which is found everything that is most modern and convenient in factory construction. These vast knit- ting mills present to the visitor a display of wonderful mechanical genius and the highest sanitary conditions of light, ventilation, and safety from accident and fire.
254
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
The factories in Norfolk, Conn., are still in successful operation, turning out a large amount of a coarser grade of work, for which there is an extensive demand. But the plant at New Brunswick, N. J., is devoted to the best and finest grades of material that expert judgment can select, and in the best styles that human skill can produce. The business has grown to its present vast proportions because of the solid excellence of the goods which they have put upon the market, and because their manufactured product can com- pete, for fineness of quality, durability of texture and perfection of finish with any goods in the world-even those from the great knit- ting centers of Europe.
The Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosiery Company, which was the pioneer in extensive manufacture of their specialty, has been a factor in the commercial world for more than one-third of a century. From its complete organization of practical business men, and its extensive equipment of perfected methods of manufacture, as well as from the expert knowledge of the natural products used by the skilled labor employed, the corporation is prepared at every step to warrant the quality of material, care in manufacture and finish, to be precisely as has been represented by its trusted and authorized agents. In fact, the goods which bear the trade-mark of this com- pany are the acknowledged standard in American knit wear for general all-around excellence; and no retail dealer in furnishing goods of the best quality can meet the demands of his customers without a full line of the superior productions of this mammoth establishment in the manufacture of knitted garments."
THE ATNA SILK COMPANY.
One of the few successful manufacturing industries of this town has been the Aetna Silk Company, from its or- ganization in 1878 until the present time. They occupy, as is stated below, the old Woolen Company's privilege; their factory standing on the site of the Ryan Factory, which was burned in 1861.
In the spring of 1873 Charles Morse and William Swift, who had been engaged in the silk business in Meriden for several years, moved their machinery into the building on "Patmos Island" known as the Hoe Shop. They took the name of the Norfolk Silk Company, remodeled the build- ing and made various varieties of spool silk. Mr. Swift soon severed his connection with the Company and Mr. Morse continued the business alone until the spring of 1876.
255
HISTORY OF NORFOLK.
The mill remained vacant from that time until Jan. 1, 1878, when the Aetna Silk Company was formed. This Com- pany was organized by Mr. Joseph Selden, who came to Norfolk from Rockville, Conn., in 1875 as agent of the Hart- ford Axle Company. The capital of the Aetna Silk Com- pany was at first $10,000. Its officers were Robbins Battell, President; Joseph B. Eldridge, Treasurer, and Mr. Selden, Agent. Mr. F. E. Porter and Mr. L. L. Whiting were also Stockholders and Directors of the Company. In 1879 it purchased the property on which the business was com- menced, and in 1883 rented the building erected for them by Mr. Eldridge on the site of the old Ryan mill. After Mr. Battell's death Mr. Selden was elected President. Mr. John D. Bassett joined the Company in 1893 and has since served as Secretary. Mr. A. P. Atwood, who was formerly Superintendent for Mr. Morse, has filled a similar position with the Aetna Company from the start. The Company has always enjoyed a prosperous business. Their capital and surplus have increased to over $40,000 and their plant and pay roll have been multiplied four fold since the first years. They confine themselves to standard silk threads for manu- facturers use, but make all shades and sizes. They sell their own goods in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Rochester, Gloversville, N. Y., and Amesbury, Mass., under the superintendence of the home office.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.