USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > The story of Bridgeport > Part 13
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By 1653 there were two other mills in the com- munity, one, voted by the town in 1652 and con- structed by Thomas Sherwood and John Hurd at the east end of what is now known as Old Mill Green; and the other, at the head of Moody's Mill Pond, near the Mountain Grove Cemetery. This last mill was supposed to have been built by Henry Jackson of Fairfield or by his son, Moses. The successive struc- tures upon this site have been commonly known as Jackson's, Knapp's and Moody's mills.
Sherwood and Hurd who built the mill at the east end of Old Mill Green were given forty acres of up- land and three pieces of meadow to pay for the ex- pense of building and keeping the mill to grind the town's corn. It was further stipulated that the millers were to have the sixteenth part of the corn brought for grinding, and that they should use "an even and just measure provided by the town." If at any time either party wished to give up his share of the mill, the town should have the first opportunity to buy it.
By 1700 there were two grist mills and two fulling mills in operation and during the first quarter of the eighteenth century, several more were established by the early settlers. (A fulling mill was a mill for
cleaning, shrinking and thickening cloth by moisture, heat and pressure.)
Burrough's grist mill of Revolutionary times was the parish mill, and stood on the Pequonnock River almost opposite the present reservoir at the southwest end of Beardsley Pond. Woolen mills and later, the Pequonnock Manufacturing Company, were located near this site.
Coopers and millers experienced a spurt in business during the era of the East India trade and two more mills were constructed: Yellow Mill and the Berk- shire Dam and mill.
The Yellow mill was constructed on the east side of the Yellow Mill pond by Joseph Walker in the early 1790's, about where the Park City Yacht Club now stands. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1884. It bequeathed its name to the Yellow Mill bridge and the Yellow Mill creek.
The Berkshire mill was built on the banks of Berk- shire pond which at that time was the head of navi- gation, in 1783. The mill was near the site of the present Berkshire bridge.
EARLY BRIDGES
It is not difficult to guess where Bridgeport derived its name for it is impossible to go from one side of the city to the other without crossing a bridge of some size or shape.
If Bridgeport today considers its waterways and bridges a matter of grave concern, so much more so did the early settlers. Before there was a bridge across the harbor, (Pequonnock River) passengers and wagons were transported on ferries and scows which operated from a point of land near the corner of Water and Union Streets.
A cart-bridge over the Pequonnock River at Grand Country Road, (later known as King's Highway and still later as North and Boston Avenues) was the first known bridge. This was constructed in December, 1736 and was authorized at the town's expense.
Sometime before 1786, William Pixlee built the so- called Pixlee Bridge sometimes known as the Berk- shire Bridge near the Berkshire mill site, across the lower end of the Berkshire Mill Pond. The town later voted to keep in good condition both Pixlee's bridge and one built by John Benjamin of Stratford at what is believed to be the present site of the Yellow Mill bridge.
The "Lottery Bridge" was built in 1791. Robert
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Walker of Stratford and others petitioned the legis- lature to authorize a lottery to raise funds for the con- struction of a draw bridge from Wall Street to Strat- ford Avenue, and the privilege of collecting toll was sold annually at auction.
The "Lottery Bridge" was not well built and, after several repairs it collapsed in 1804. The townspeople just left the ruins in the water for several years and the bridge was never again repaired. Instead, it was replaced by a new one a little farther north crossing the river from Fairfield Avenue to Stratford Avenue. This was a toll bridge until 1868 when the city bought it and made it free. It was known then as the "Lower Bridge." The bridge was rebuilt in 1888, the new structure having an electric motor for operating the draw, the first ever applied for that purpose.
"Noble's Bridge" is the next of which we have record. In 1836 Willis Stillman, Birdsey Noble and others built a toll bridge across the Pequonnock River on the site of the present bridge which now connects the two parts of East Washington Avenue. The corporation which built the structure was called the East Bridge Company. The bridge was bought by the city and made free in 1864. It was rebuilt in 1893. The new bridge on the same site is known today as the East Washington Bridge.
A railroad bridge was built across the Pequonnock River in 1848 by the New York and New Haven Railroad Company and replaced in 1869 by an iron structure of more substantial character.
Two years later, the Crescent Foot-bridge Com- pany was organized by Abijah Burroughs, William A. Peck and others and chartered by the legislature, and a foot bridge was built on the foundation of the railroad. One cent toll was charged. In 1869, a free foot bridge was constructed by the city on the north side of the railroad tracks.
About this time the advantages of East Bridgeport for manufacturing began to be apparent and a num- ber of large companies were induced to move their plants here. Hon. P. T. Barnum and General William H. Noble, realizing that they must have more direct communication with the business portion of the city on the west side of the harbor, procured a charter for a bridge.
THE LONGEST DRAW
The first Center Bridge was constructed in 1852 and extended from the foot of Gold Street to the foot of William Street in East Bridgeport. This was a draw bridge and toll was collected from passengers until the bridge was purchased by the city in 1864 when toll charges were removed. Becoming unfit for travel, the structure was later taken down and in 1870 the Center Bridge extending from Congress Street to Knowlton Street was opened to the public.
This structure, built of stone and iron, was the first bridge to be a real credit to the city. The draw measured 210 feet and was regarded as the longest in New England.
Yellow Mill bridge over the lower portion of Yellow Mill pond, or "Old Mill Creek", was origin- ally a toll bridge, built by John Benjamin of Stratford in 1792. The Yellow Mill bridge was rebuilt by the government in 1900.
Washington bridge over the Housatonic River be- tween Stratford and Milford was owned jointly by Bridgeport, Milford and Stratford for many years. The bridge was a toll until 1889. It was then made over to the Fairfield and New Haven counties for their care and maintenance.
There are six large bridges in Bridgeport today and a number of smaller bridges or culverts.
The six are as follows:
Grand Street bridge, constructed in 1919.
East Washington bridge, years of construction, 1923-25.
Congress Street bridge, built in 1909.
Stratford Avenue bridge, years of construction, 1915-19.
Yellow Mill bridge, years of construction, 1926-29. Berkshire bridge, built 1905-06.
The city of Bridgeport provides for the mainte- nance and repair of all the above except the Yellow Mill and the Stratford Avenue bridges. During the 1935 session of the state legislature, Mayor Jasper McLevy of Bridgeport was instrumental in having the state of Connecticut take over the maintenance of the Yellow Mill and Stratford Avenue bridges inas- much as these two form part of the state's main high- way.
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"NUMBER, PLEASE"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
L EMUEL BRENNER turned the flaring gaslight a Alittle lower so that it wouldn't shine in his sister's eyes, and, surveying her billowing form in its prim black taffeta, through his well worn specs, re- marked:
"I'm telling you Ev, a great deal's happened in this old town since you went to Iowa. Now take this new scientific instrument, that actually carries your voice on wires, why it's agoin' to revolutionize. .
"Yes, it'll revolutionize everything!" cut in his sister sharply-"Make a lot of screech owls out of all of you. .. O, I've heard them . . respectable busi- ness men making fools of themselves yelling at a piece of iron!"
"You don't understand, Ev", said Brenner gently. "This telephone thing is, well, it's just wonderful, that's all. I had a chance to try it down at Ned's the other night. First you have to turn a crank, pretty hard, then you take hold of the handle with the round piece at the end and listen well. There's all sorts of funny noises and bangings and at first you can't hear a thing, but gradually you can make out a voice and with practice, understand what it says. Would you believe me when I tell you that I actually heard, though some'at muddled, Bob Latham's voice, although he was in his own home?"
"Stuff and nonsense!" interposed his sister. "You just think you heard his voice. You always did have a good imagination, Lemuel".
Her brother filled his pipe slowly and, as though she hadn't spoken, went on :
"You just wait, Ev. This thing's going to grow. Right now, quite a few of the neighbors have lines from one house to the other and some of the lines are even connected with the switchboard at the telephone company, so that instead of calling your neighbor directly, you call the telephone company which gets the person for you. New Haven has a real fancy switchboard and we're getting one like it.
"Already we've got some improvements here; take the call for instance. Now there's a funny buzz you can hear all over the house that lets you know some- one is calling. At first the telephone did its own call- ing and if a person's voice wasn't very loud, maybe you never heard. Now, when I get mine.
"Lemuel Brenner!" shrieked his sister, "If you get one of those crazy contraptions in this house, I'm going right back to Iowa!"
THE "CONTRAPTION" PROGRESSES
With such mixed feelings was the telephone re- ceived in this city. The "contraption" made rapid progress in Bridgeport. It is believed that this city has the right to boast the first woman operator in the world, 1879.
The telephone had its beginning in the fertile mind of Alexander Graham Bell. The first complete sen- tence transmitted by telephone, not only intelligently but clearly was: "Mr. Watson, come here; I want you." The words were spoken by Bell to his assist- ant, T. A. Watson in Boston, and the time was March 10, 1876.
From that day forward, the telephone developed rapidly. In the beginning, lines were strung from house to house and there was no central switchboard. Also, the first Bell telephone used the same instru- ment as transmitter and receiver. When the switch- board was invented, boys were the first operators, but they were quickly replaced by girls. The boys were careless, fought among themselves and swore at their unseen customers.
By May, 1877, the proprietors of the telephone in Cambridge, Mass. were already advertising the ad- vantages of the new invention and urging the public to make use of it. An old advertising circular, owned by The American Telephone and Telegraph Com- pany of New York, states in part:
"The proprietors of the telephone, the invention of Alexander Graham Bell, for which patents have been issued by the United States and Great Britain, are now prepared to furnish telephones for the trans- mission of articulate speech through instruments not more than twenty miles apart. Conversation can be easily carried on after slight practice and with the occasional repetition of a word or sentence. . . The telephone should be set in a quiet place where there is no noise.
"The terms for leasing two telephones for social purposes for connecting a dwelling house with any other building will be $20 a year, for business pur- poses $40 a year. Any person within ordinary
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hearing distance can hear the voice calling through the telephone. If a louder call is required, one can be furnished for $5."
Meanwhile, Bridgeport had been experimenting with the "new instrument." There existed in this city in 1874, a neighborhood telegraph association, known as the Bridgeport Social Telegraph Associa- tion. It was promoted and managed by Thomas B. Doolittle who later, was the first to suggest and urge the use of hard drawn copper for telephone lines. It was organized for both business and pleasure. The several telegraph lines terminated in the office of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company at the corner of Main and Wall Streets.
In June, 1877, several of the lines of the Bridgeport Social Telegraph Association were equipped with telephone instruments. In that year, also, Mr. Doolittle made a switchboard in which simple switches were substituted for the usual plugs of the telegraph type, to facilitate making connections for telephone purposes, so that a practical telephone ex- change, though not a commercial one in the com- monly accepted meaning, was established at that time.
The first city in the world to have a commercial switchboard was New Haven, January 28, 1878. Incidentally, when New Haven put out its first tele- phone book, the publication was just a single sheet of cardboard, on which were listed the names of 50 subscribers, not in alphabetical order, but under such heads as "doctors", "stores", "residences", etc. No numbers were used.
Mr. Doolittle's "scientific instrument" attracted the attention of G. E. Betts. Mr. Betts and Mr. Doolittle decided to risk some borrowed money in a telephone exchange. The two entered into a partner- ship and Mr. Doolittle designed a switchboard for Bridgeport, to be made in Massachusetts.
When the new switchboard arrived from Boston in 1878, a telephone office on Main Street near Fair- field Avenue was formally opened in July and named the Telephone Despatch Company. Interests of the old Social Telegraph Assocation and the Telephone Company were combined. The Social Telegraph Association had some 25 stations. These, together with the new subscribers, made a list of about 100 for the opening of the combined exchange.
There was not a great deal of privacy in the new telephone office for the office was shared with Mrs.
Van York and her "Variety Store". The building, located where the Smith-Murray Dry Goods store stands today, was small, and the two were crowded. Shortly, the ground on which the building stood was sold, and the telephone company moved to the old Hawes Opera House, later Poli's, on Fairfield Avenue.
FIRST "HELLO" GIRLS
It was in this office, on a switchboard invented by Mr. Doolittle, that the first woman telephone operator was employed in the person of Mrs. Augustine Gray who entered the service March 24, 1879. This date is believed to antedate the service of any other woman exchange operator in the world.
Being a "hello girl" in the early 80's was hectic if nothing else. Perched on high stools or on kitchen chairs, the operators took calls by name instead of number and shouted across the room from one section of the switchboard to the other, when necessary. It was very confusing as so many names sounded alike. P. T. Barnum was among the early subscribers. All his telegraph messages were telephoned and as they were nearly all in cipher, it was important not to make a mistake.
One of the operators recalled that she received $4.98 a week when she became an operator in 1883. Some days the girls were very busy, especially if there were a fire, a wreck or a blizzard. On "slow" days they were allowed to crochet or embroider between calls.
During the next few years, Bridgeport's little tele- phone exchange passed through several hands. The Western Union Telegraph Company entered the field and through its subsidiary, the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company bought the Telephone Despatch Company of Bridgeport in 1879. Mr. Doolittle went with the Western Union and Mr. Betts re- mained to take charge of the local telephone office.
Next, the Western Union withdrew from the telephone business and left the field to the National Bell Telephone Company which was later reorgan- ized into the American Bell Telephone Company. The latter company controlled the Bridgeport ex- change, Mr. Betts remaining as manager.
In 1881 the Connecticut Telephone Company pur- chased the Bridgeport exchange with its 230 sub- scribers, from the American Bell Telephone Com- pany. Most of the telephone business before 1880
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was local, for there were few toll lines. The first long toll line was constructed between Providence and Boston.
October 2, 1882 the Southern New England Tele- phone Company was formed. This company took over the Connecticut Telephone Company and with
John and Courtland Streets. October 18, 1930, the service in the Bridgeport exchange was converted to dial operation.
Today, the Bridgeport exchange, including Bridge- port, all of Stratford, part of the town of Fairfield and part of the town of Trumbull, employs 210 men and
1100
'WHAT NAME DO YOU WISH, PLEASE?"
When telephone switchboards were first introduced into this community, numbers were not used. The "hello girls" shouted the names of their callers across the room to each other,-when they were not busy crocheting. (Photo, courtesy Bridgeport Exchange of the Southern New England Telephone Company.)
it the Bridgeport exchange.
Shortly after 1881 the telephone office in Bridge- port was moved to a building at the corner of Fair- field Avenue and Water Street. In 1892 the office was moved to a building at 179 Fairfield Avenue. In 1902 the company erected a building at 184 Fairfield Avenue. In 1917 an addition was made to this building. In 1930 the present home of the Bridge- port exchange of the Southern New England Tele- phone Company was constructed at the corner of
178 women which figures include some supervisory employees and some construction and cable men whose work sometimes takes them outside the Bridge- port area.
April 1, 1936, there were 29,449 telephones in the Bridgeport exchange.
Bridgeport has both a Postal Telegraph Company and a Western Union Telegraph Company. The former, established in 1884 is now located at 1056 Main Street.
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The Western Union Telegraph Company has an earlier history. The New York and Boston Magnetic Telegraph Company built a line from New York to Boston in 1846. There was an office in Bridgeport at that time. During succeeding years, there were various changes in ownership until June 12, 1866 when the Western Union Telegraph Company gained controlling interest and absorbed this organi- zation and all previous companies. The Western Union Telegraph Company's office is now located at 87 Fairfield Avenue.
EARLY MAILS
The modern business man who is in the habit of perusing his mail every morning, would no doubt think the world had gone crazy if the post office sud- denly informed him that henceforth mail would arrive only once a month.
Yet his forefathers had to be satisfied with just such an arrangement. Indeed, in the beginning, the mail didn't arrive as often as that! In the earliest colonial days, before the official appointment of any regular post rider, letters were carried along the coast or to the few inland towns by chance travelers or by butchers who made frequent trips to buy and sell cattle.
The first regular mail started from New York to Boston January 1, 1673. The mail was carried on horseback, the postman or "post rider" carrying two "portmantles" crammed with letters and parcels. He did not change horses until he reached Hartford.
The post rider was ordered to look out and report the conditions of all ferries, fords and roads. He had to be "active, stout, indefatigable and honest." He was required to assist and be kind to all persons who cared to journey in his company.
When the post rider delivered his mail, it was laid on a table at an inn and anyone who wished, looked over all the letters, then took and paid the postage on any addressed to himself. It was usually about a month from the setting out of "the post" in winter, till its return.
In 1788 it took four days for mail to go from New York to Boston; in winter, much longer. George Washington died on the 14th of December, 1799 but Boston didn't hear of it until December 24th.
FAMOUS POST-RIDER
One of the most famous post-riders of the time, Ebenezer Hurd, lived in Bridgeport. Hurd carried
the mails from New York to Saybrook for 48 years, from 1727 to 1775. Once every two weeks during that period he made the long journey, a total of 274 miles, there and back.
"Meantime what of the wife?" asked Mrs. Martha J. Lamb in her notes on post-riders. "Bringing up the children, managing the farm and during one year at least, 1767, spinning not less than 500 yards of wool and flax, all raised on the place, making and mending, especially for that indefatigable rider who was doubtless hard on his clothes! Ebenezer was just as indefatigable as a father, as he was blessed with 15 children. Abigail Hubbell was his wife. Two sons, Ebenezer, Jr. and Andrew were also post-riders, frequently riding in their father's place, as well as attending to their duties."
The stage coach followed the post-rider and then Bridgeporters felt they were getting real service with mail once a week, and then twice weekly and at last, daily.
Up to the year 1800 this community had no post office. All post office business was transacted in Stratford of which this community was but a small part. When Bridgeport became a borough in 1800, a post office was estab- lished within the com- munity and Amos B. Fair- man was appointed the first postmaster. Mr. Fair- man is believed to have been the proprietor of a public tavern on the south- west corner of Wall and Water Streets, afterwards known as the Washington Hotel. The business of the post office was conducted in the north room of the building which was used as a drug store.
Shortly after this, Benjamin Bostwick became proprietor of the hotel and he and his son, Charles Bostwick held the office of postmaster from 1804 to 1810. Then the mail was brought from New York by a four horse stage coach and arrived between 8 and 9 o'clock in the evening.
The stage came into the village by way of State Street, then a post road, and the coming of the mail was heralded by the sounding of a horn. In 1809
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Bostwick removed his business (and with it the post office) to the corner of Bank and Water Streets, re- maining there until he sold out. Jesse Sterling was then appointed postmaster.
Mr. Sterling moved the post office into a building which stood about where 70 State Street is now lo- cated. The post office at that time (1810), consisted of "an upright show case about 30 inches long by 24 inches wide, located at the rear of the store, and upon the mantel over the fireplace, arranged behind tapes, were placed the letters."
EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS
The whole village generally collected in the vicinity when the mail coach rolled down the main street so that the postmaster saved time by announcing in a loud voice, the names of persons fortunate enough to receive letters. One historian tells us that :
"An elderly citizen has related that while the busi- ness was conducted in the store on State Street, a single newspaper, the 'Journal of Commerce' from New York, was taken in the place by Isaac Burroughs. On its arrival, it was considered, by the consent of Mr. Burroughs, public property for a short time, and the company gathered were treated to the news by some stentorian reader."
It cost six cents in those days, to send a letter thirty miles; over 30 and under 80 miles, 10 cents; over 80 and under 150 miles, 121/2 cents; over 150 and under 400 miles, 18-3/4 cents; and over 400 miles, 25 cents.
During the last years of Mr. Sterling's incumbency, the post office was again moved, this time to 318 Main Street.
The post office had a number of homes in addition to those already mentioned. From 318 Main Street, it moved to State and Water Streets then back to Wall and Water Streets and then into the Connecti- cut bank building on the corner of Wall and Main Streets.
Next the post office moved to 27-29 Wall Street, then up Main Street then down to 44 Bank Street and later to the corner of Bank and State Streets.
After this hectic career the post office finally came to rest in 1888 at the corner of Broad and Cannon Streets. In that year, through the efforts of Con- gressman E. W. Seymour, an appropriation of
$150,000 was made for a federal building in Bridge- port. The building was subsequently erected on the corner of Broad and Cannon Streets on the site of the old St. John's Church and was opened to the public February 5, 1892.
The present new federal building, on the corner of Middle and Golden Hill Streets, was opened Sep- tember 16, 1934.
POST OFFICE TODAY
Today, the Bridgeport Post Office employs a total of 282 regular employees and 53 substitutes in its main office and sub-stations.
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