USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > The town and city of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the aboriginal period to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-five. Volume II > Part 27
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* James Harrison, the first Waterbury clock maker, was a son of Lemuel and Lois (Barnes) Harrison, and was born in 1767. He was an ingenious mechanic, but was not possessed of much business capacity. He left Waterbury early in the century, but returned when an old man, and worked for some time in a small build- ing belonging to his nephew, James (son of his brother Lemuel), on Grand street, by the side of Great brook. Here he made metal frames and other small articles. He lived in the building and was his own housekeeper, never having married. After a few years he returned to New York, and soon after died there.
+ He was the father of Fitch Shepard, and grandfather of Elliott F. Shepard, the widely-known editor of the Mail and Express, who died in New York, March 24, 1893. (See further in the Waterbury Americau of March 28, 1893.) Noah Shepard's tax list for 1807 (the original autograph) has been preserved, and is a curiosity in its way. It is written on a mere scrap of paper, and runs as follows :
"Noah Shepard List one hed and one Cow that is all I Vow."
A striking illustration of the change which may take place in the fortunes of a family in two generations is afforded in the fact that Elliott F. Shepard, the grandson of this man whose ratable estate was so limited, was the son-in-law of William H. Vanderbilt .- J. A.
# Henry Terry, one of the sons of Eli Terry, wrote and published an interesting history of the rise and growth of the clock business; and there is a pretty full outline in Bronson's History, pp. 435-440. These narratives show how important a place Eli Terry occupied in the development of American clock making. See also Chauncey Jerome's " History of the American Clock Business."
260
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
Leavenworth for clocks, by Anson Bronson for bone and horn buttons,* and by W. & A. Brown for hooks and eyes, and the fall was at last absorbed in that of the Mattatuck Manufacturing com- pany, about 1850. Besides William and Mark Leavenworth, Daniel Clark, Anson Sperry (not the cooper), Zenas Cook, Noah Shepard, Edward Porter, Bennet Bronson, and doubtless a number of others, were engaged at various times in clock making. In 1814 there were four clock factories here and the place became known as a clock- making town. Mark Leavenworth, who had learned the silver- smith's trade, and about 1795 had manufactured axes, steelyards, gun mountings and perhaps guns, and various small articles of hardware, seems to have been the only one of them all who was, as
CENSUS
.WAR
OF THE
UNITED STATES,
POSTAGE.
AS TAKEN IN 1820.
1825.
STATES.
Maioc,
N. Hampshire,
244,161
Not exceeding 170,
12
Massachusetts,
523,287
Not enerering 400,
25
Connecticut,
275,245
DUEMLE LETTERA,
Ferinont, .
233,764
with dontle thuse .aiFt
New - York,
1,372,512
With tropic (now !!!! ).
New Jersey,
277,575
UTADRETLK LETTEAF,
Pronsylvama, 1,049.898
Delaware,
72,749
othus wire with triple postage.
Virguia,
1,063,56G
Not over 100 miles,
1 et
N. Carolina,
490,309
If within the Sinte where
Georgia,
340,gsy
It is printer, whatever
Alabama,
137,491
75,445
Perstres,valover 100m 1gett
Louisiana.
Auy greste, distance,
Tennessee,
4.IM,ŞIŞ
Pampriets which ase ont ; ett
Kentucky,
ot or 100, G cents per sheer.
Indiana,
147,178
DINEC:110NÉ
TOX IEUCLATIRO THI CEUIL
Missouri,
MADE AND SOLD BY
This o cons by means of the
Michigan,
6.806
seter at the bottom of txe ppu-
Arkansaw,
14,273
dutom. If the clerk should go
100 Last, lower the ball. tuy
Zow. rawpil Morethe Leade
Insee das ary lone, bus sever
Total
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tiuuh downwards, nod CuID from f_um 6.
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Mississippi,
135,407
CLOCKS,
564,317
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Maryland,
407.430
IMPROVED
Over INK,
S. Carolina,
Kat axceding IN,
Rhode Island,
83,059
Omer 400.
For 'J0 miles apit , eder, 0 ct.
2,8,955
'ED STATES ....
RATES
a manufacturer, permanently successful. He bought the property on Great brook, at the angle of Cherry street. There the old fashioned wooden clocks were made for a long time. Lines of them stood at the sides of the room, reaching from floor to ceiling. The wall .clocks had no cases; the weights were about eight inches long and an inch and a half in diameter-cylinders of tin, filled with sand. Forty men were sometimes employed. One of the shops where the clock faces were painted was near where Mrs. Janet
* On a small stream running into Rutter's pond on the east side, near the house of Charles N. Frost, there was a small water power, in 1830, or thereabouts, where horn and bone buttons were made in such quantities that the shavings formed a large heap, from which farmers carried away cart loads, these shavings being regarded as a valuable manure for light lands. I think the manufacturer's name was Leverett Judd.
MARK LEAVENWORTH & SON.
Dist. Columbia,
$9,039
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.
53,211
THITLE LETTERS.
261
BEGINNING OF THE BRASS INDUSTRY.
Bryan's house now stands, on North Main street. The ornamental work was also done and the figures were put on in this little building. Mr. Leavenworth continued the clock business, having various partners at different times, until 1836, when, wooden clocks having been superseded by brass, he undertook the manufacture of gilt buttons, having already been connected with that business at Waterville. In the gilt button business Willard Spencer and Corydon S. Sperry were his partners, the firm being Leavenworth," Spencer & Sperry. Later, he turned his attention mainly to the making of cloth buttons, a business which he continued until his death.
The first manufacture of cloth covered buttons in this country was by Samuel Williston of Easthampton, Mass., who with his wife originated the business and carried on the manufacture extensively by hand. The covering of buttons by machinery, however, was originated between 1828 and 1830, by Daniel Hayden and his son Joseph Shepard Hayden. The original machines are now in the possession of Hiram W. Hayden of Holmes, Booth & Haydens. They are rough and ungainly and compare poorly with machines now in use, but they made forty gross a day, which was a vast improvement on the old method of making by hand. The factory was on Willow street, where the residence of Mrs. William Brown now stands. It was probably at this factory, during a visit to Waterbury, that Josiah Hayden of Haydenville, Mass. (a cousin of Joseph Shepard Hayden), who was engaged in the manufacture of buttons for Mr. Williston, got his first idea of button-making machinery. A year or two after Mr. Hayden's visit the manufac- ture of machine-covered buttons was commenced by Mr. Williston on machines of his own invention. From these facts it appears that to Waterbury must be credited the invention of the first machinery for making cloth buttons, while in the manufacture of metal buttons this town was for many years in advance of any other place in the country .*
The various attempts at manufacturing heretofore mentioned were made by men of limited business experience, with little capital, and probably oftener with none. The wonder is that they existed at all. Before 1800, William Leavenworth was almost the only person of business experience and training who made any attempt at manufacturing (although perhaps Jesse Hopkins should also be named). In 1802, Abel Porter, who came here from South-
* See the Waterbury American, February 15, 1870. Gilt buttons were made in Attleborough, Mass., about the time they were first made here, but I have not been able to ascertain the exact date.
262
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
ington, began, very much after the fashion of the others, the man- ufacture of metal buttons. The business in this case proved more of a success, and falling into the hands of able men, laid the foun- dation of the prosperity of Waterbury. It was the metal-button business that led to brass making, the industry upon which the town has chiefly been built up. The details of the story will be found in the sketch of the Scovill Manufacturing company.
The early manufacturing was carried on in a very different way from the present. The managers labored with their own hands, going to market when they deemed it necessary, and borrowing capital where they could; having banking facilities of the most meagre description and frequently none at all. They worked all day, and then perhaps drove at night to New Haven, Hartford or some other point, to enable them to attend to business and return ' so as to lose but one day from their work. It was a very hard life, with long hours, but long hours were then the rule. The hours of labor changed with the season, varying from twelve or thirteen hours in summer to nine or ten in winter,-the object being to utilize daylight as far as possible. There was no gas, and lamp light for mechanical purposes, although used when necessary, was expensive and inconvenient. Mechanical pursuits had not then reached a success which commanded credit, and the financial diffi- culties of conducting business with a limited capital were very great and involved much hard work and constant anxiety. And for many years failure rather than success was the rule. As throw- ing a light on the volume of business and the difficulties to be surmounted, the following letter is of interest. It was written by Israel Holmes to his firm, " Holmes, Hotchkiss, Brown & Elton."
PROVIDENCE, February 13, 1833.
My labors in Boston did not amount to much. I heard of orders sent to Eng- land and expected out in course of the spring, to the amount of twelve or fourteen tons of wire. All the encouragement I could find for us was a few sample orders, with promise of replenishing their stock from us. We shall sell a good deal of wire in Boston ultimately, but the bulk of what will be wanted for the next six months is ordered from England. The Boston gas agent says he shall order a large amount of tubing from Baltimore and England in about two months, and if we will send samples within that time, if he liked it he would give us the order.
I arrived here half an hour since, and shall leave early to-morrow morning. Did you get a letter I sent from Hartford by Mr. Leavenworth ? £ I will send some spelter as soon as I get to New York.
Yours, etc.,
I. HOLMES .*
* The letter is postmarked : "Steamboat. New Haven, Conn., February 16. 121/2."-Our large mills would now turn out his six months' supply in two days.
Mark Leavenworth
WATERBURY, CONN.
263
BEGINNING OF THE BRASS INDUSTRY.
By 1840, the business of manufacturing sheet metal and wire had taken the lead of all others. Then began the fostering and development of other branches of business, the demands of which would consume this product. Pins, hooks and eyes, tubing, brass kettles, clocks, spoons and forks-the thousands of articles which can be made of sheet metal and wire, were added to the list of man- ufactures, as well as all the incidental industries of machine mak- ing, acid making, casting, forging, and supplying the other things used and consumed in the various processes of the main production. The effect of all this has been to stimulate in a remarkable degree the mechanical faculty and inventive power of the workmen employed, and incidentally to change by degrees the methods of manipulation; so that every process has a history of development and growth which would need many pages to record. Following the lines of the first success, the growth has been in the manufac- ture of metals rather than of textile fabrics, in copper and its com- pounds rather than iron and steel, and in sheet and other forms of wrought metal rather than in castings of finished forms.
The object of the following chapters is to record, somewhat fully, the rise and progress of the earlier leading establishments, and to make briefer mention of the secondary and more recent industries which have been an outgrowth of the other. Brief biog- raphies are furnished, at the same time, of men who have been identified with the various concerns as officers, superintendents of departments, or employees through a long series of years.
MARK LEAVENWORTH.
Mark Leavenworth, son of Captain Jesse and Catherine (Conk- ling) Leavenworth, and grandson of the Rev. Mark Leavenworth, was born in New Haven, August 30, 1774. When he was ten years of age the father removed to Caledonia county, Vt., where they lived in the midst of the wilderness, as there was but one other human habitation within a radius of many miles. Four years later, the lad, becoming discontented with this wilderness life, determined to return to Connecticut, and made the journey (of nearly 300 miles) on foot and alone.
For some years he lived in the family of his uncle, Mark Leaven- worth, in New Haven, where he studied geometry, navigation and surveying. Upon leaving school he turned his attention to mechan- ical pursuits. He removed to Waterbury and served an apprentice- ship with Jesse Hopkins in making silver-plated knee buckles and shoe buckles. On account of a change in the fashions this business became worthless, and Mr. Leavenworth on attaining his majority,
264
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
in 1795, engaged in the manufacture of axes, steelyards, ramrods, bayonets and other small articles in steel. In 1801 he made a. jour- ney into Georgia with a stock of steelyards and axes-an undertak- ing, it is said, which excited more wonder than would the circum- navigation of the globe at the present day. In 1810 he commenced the manufacture of clocks, which he continued until 1836, after which he engaged (as related above) in making buttons, in partner- ship with his son-in-law, Corydon S. Sperry, and Willard Spencer.
He died in September, 1849. His wife Anna, the daughter of Moses Cook, died April 9, 1842. Bronson in his History says of Mr. Leavenworth :
If bad luck overtook him he was always ready to try again. . . When the storm came upon him in 1837, and he was obliged to yield, he consoled himself with the reflection that he " stood it longer than the United States Bank." And it may be added that he recovered sooner .*
DAVID HAYDEN.
David Hayden, son of Josiah and Ruhamah (Thayer) Hayden, was born in Braintree, Mass., in 1778.
Mr. Hayden engaged in the manufacture of buttons in Attle- borough, Mass., and while there gained that thorough knowledge of the art of button making, in all its branches, which enabled him later to give an impetus to the industry in Waterbury. He came here in 1808 and associated himself as partner with Abel Porter & Co. This firm was succeeded by Leavenworth, Hayden & Scovill in 1827, and became the Scovill Manufacturing company in 1850. Mr. Hayden removed in later life to Alton, Il1.
His wife, whose maiden name was Betsy Bishop, died in that place, May 24, 1867. Their children were Willard, who married and died in this city; David, who married the daughter of General William Eaton (famous in the extinction of the pirates of Tripoli), and died in San Francisco, Cal .; Harriet, who married the son of General Eaton, and died in Alton, Ill .; Eliza, Jane, Charles and Elizabeth.
DANIEL HAYDEN AND SON.
Daniel Hayden, youngest son of Josiah and Ruhamah (Thayer) Hayden, was born in Braintree, Mass., March 25, 1780. When he was seven years of age his father removed to Williamsburgh, Mass., where Daniel learned the trade of machinist. When he was seven- teen years old he learned the gunsmith trade, going into the armory
* For genealogical details see Vol. I, Ap. p. 83; also, " Genealogy of the Leavenworth Family," by E. w. Leavenworth, Syracuse, N. Y., 1873.
265
BEGINNING OF THE BRASS INDUSTRY.
in Springfield for that purpose. From Springfield he removed to Pawtucket, R. I., and entered the employ of Samuel Slater, the only cotton manufacturer, at that time, in the United States, and in con- nection with him constructed the first machinery for the manufac- ture of cotton made in this country. Mr. Hayden remained in Pawtucket a number of years (during part of which time he was associated with David Wilkinson), and became an expert in the manufacture of cotton machin- ery. In 1808 he returned to Williamsburgh and erected the first cotton mill built in western Massachusetts, about three miles from the centre of the town. Around this as a nucleus a village gradually grew up, which took from him the name of Haydenville.
In 1817 he sold the factory to his nephews Joel and Josiah Hayden, and removed to Water- bury. He rented a room in the factory of Leaven- worth, Hayden & Scovill, and there began the manufacture of lamps and other articles of brass. He also aided his son Joseph Shepard, in 1830, in constructing the first machinery ever used for the purpose of covering buttons with cloth (see THE FIRST BRASS LAMP .* above, page 261), and was interested in the manufacture of buttons and small brass articles until his death, which occurred June 10, 1854.
Mr. Hayden married, August 20, 1801, Abigail, the daughter of Major Joseph Shepard of Foxsborough, Mass., an officer in the Revo- lutionary army. (For their children, see Vol. I, Ap. p. 62.)
JOSEPH SHEPARD HAYDEN, son of Daniel and Abigail (Shepard) Hayden, was born in Foxborough, Mass., July 31, 1802. He was an accomplished mechanic and invented the first machine ever made for covering buttons with cloth. He also invented a machine for making button eyes, and constructed the first engine lathe ever seen in Waterbury. In 1830, in company with his father, he com- menced the manufacture of cloth buttons by machinery, a business which was at one time important here.
He married Ruhamah, daughter of Simeon Guilford, who died November 27, 1841. Their children are Hiram Washington (for whom see elsewhere), Edward Simeon, who died in his youth, and four who died in infancy. Mr. Hayden died February 17, 1877.
* The first brass lamp made in Waterbury (pictured above) was designed and made by hand, by Daniel * Hayden in 1819. This and the lamp pictured at the end of the chapter are in the possession of the family of John S. Kingsbury, East Bloomfield, N. Y.
266
HISTORY OF WATERBURY.
FESTUS HAYDEN.
Festus Hayden, son of Cotton and Sally (Miller) Hayden, and nephew of David and Daniel Hayden, was born in Williamsburgh, Mass., February 11, 1793. He was the fourth in a family of eighteen children. In early life he came to Waterbury to live in the family of his uncle David. He engaged in the manufacture of buttons with General Gerrit Smith of Watertown, and after General Smith's death was associated with his successor, Woodward. Later he became connected with W. H. & C. B. Merriman, and was intimately associated, either as an owner or designer, with nearly all the early enterprises of the town.
Mr. Hayden married Sophia, daughter of Lemuel and Sarah (Clark) Harrison, February 10, 1816. He died January 11, 1858, and his wife, May 27, 1873. (For their children, see Vol. I, Ap. p. 62. See also under Holmes, Booth & Haydens.)
THE HON. GREEN KENDRICK.
Green Kendrick's ancestors were Virginians, with a mingling of Puritan stock. John Kendrick, his father, was a cotton-planter who lived near Charlotte, Mecklenburg county, N. C. He was a man of marked religious character and eminent usefulness in the affairs of the church, the state and society. His house was a centre of hos- pitality, and his hand was ready to aid in every good work. Mr. Kendrick's mother was a woman of great force of character, who administered her manifold duties as mistress of the house and the plantation with energy and fidelity.
Green Kendrick was born April 1, 1798, and was the seventh in a family of eleven children. He had such means of education as were afforded by the country schools of the period, and, although by the help of diligence and zeal he made excellent progress, he always regretted the lack of a thorough collegiate training. It was doubtless his remembrance of the difficulties besetting the gratifi- cation of his early thirst for knowledge that led him to serve the interests of education so faithfully during his life. After leaving school he busied himself in the management of the plantation, but at the age of nineteen or twenty engaged in mercantile pursuits in Charlotte. On June 12, 1823, he married Anna Maria, the eldest daughter of Mark Leavenworth and great-granddaughter of the Rev. Mark Leavenworth. This happy union, which lasted for forty- seven years, largely determined Mr. Kendrick's future course, for soon after his marriage he visited his wife's native town and was greatly attracted by its manufacturing interests, then in their earliest development. Upon the earnest request of his father-in- law, he removed to Waterbury in 1829, and became thenceforth a
266
ANDTONS OF WATERBURY.
·
FESTUS HAYDEN.
Fescue HasiTen, soh bf Cotton and Sully (Miller) Hayden, and nephew / David mok Damel Hayden, was born in Williamsburgh, Maas, Forsker win 1795. He was the fourth in a family of eighteen children In early life he emine to Waterbury to live in the family of his mmels David, He engaged in the manufacture of buttons with Conweal Gerrit Smith of Watertown, md after General Smith's death was associated with his success , Woodward. Later he became connected with W.j.L. & C. & Merriman, and was intimately associated, either as an ownel or dovener, with nearly all the early enterprises of the town
Mr. Hayden awrried Sophia, daughter of Lomquel and Sarah (Clark ) Harrison, February 6 ton Meilof January 11, 1858, and
his wife, May 27, 1AF1 - Vol. L, Ap. p. 02. See also under Ii
THE HON, GREED KAMU
Green Kedni Vi wo tors wote Virginians onze a allagling of Puritan stock Jolen Kendrick, his father, wia a : How-planter who lived near Charlotte, Mecklenburg county. N. C. de . men of marked religious character and eminent usefulness in the adfaits.of the church, the state and society. His house was a centre of hos- pitality, and his hand was ready to aid in every good work Mr. Kendrick's mother was a woman of great force of character, who arinistered ber manifold few mistress of the house and the with energy and bili
Was born April, He, and was the seventh in a family vi He had such means of elononon as were nitordet by Thanks schools of the period, www, anthough Mant progress, he by the help of diligens ajoj meu always regretted the lack of = ther Ironing. It was doubtless his remembrance of the dilo Ap Ue gratifi- cation of his early thirst for knowledge and of bing of serve the interesla of education so faithfully durum file. After leaving school Je trusted himself in The manager wwwof the plantation, but at the age of nineteen of twenty engaged in mercantile pursuits in Charlotte. On June 12, 1823, he married Anna Maria, the eldest daughter of Mor Leavenworth and great-granddaughter of the Rev. Mark Leavenworth This happy union, which lasted for forty- seven years, largely determined Mr Kendrick's future course, for soon after his marriage he visited his wife's native town and was greatly attracted by its manufacturing interests, then in their earliest development. Upon the earnest request of his father-in- law, he removed to Waterbury in 1829, and became thenceforth a
Frestus Hayden
Greenkendrick
WATERBURY, CONN
1
267
BEGINNING OF THE BRASS INDUSTRY.
Northern citizen, identifying himself in every way with the inter- ests of his adopted town and state.
Mr. Kendrick became a member of the firm of Mark Leaven- worth & Co., manufacturers of clocks; afterwards, under the firm name of Leavenworth & Kendrick, he was among the first to engage in the manufacture of gilt buttons, an industry out of which grew the manufacture of brass. He subsequently engaged in the manufac- ture of pocket cutlery and organized the Waterville Manufacturing company, which under his direction procured skilled labor from abroad and proved the practicability of competing successfully with Europe in this useful art. He later organized and successfully established under peculiar difficulties the Oakville Pin company. He was interested in the American Suspender company and many other manufacturing corporations. Indeed, his interests were co-extensive with the industries of the town, with its business and its financial institutions, for nearly the entire period of his resi- dence in Waterbury. In the later years of his life he obtained the controlling interest in the manufacture of silver-plated ware, then recently established in Waterbury by Rogers & Brother. During the period of his control of this company its business increased rapidly and it became the leader in its special field, with a reputa- tion for excellence in all particulars.
While actively engaged in the industries of Waterbury at home, Mr. Kendrick served the town abroad yet more efficiently. To him was due, in part at least, the passage in 1837 of the general manufacturing law of Connecticut, providing for the easy organiza- tion of joint stock companies and the more efficient combining of capital in co-operative work. The passage of this law gave a stim- ulus to all the manufacturing industries of Connecticut, and espe- cially to those of Waterbury and the Naugatuck valley.
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